My PGWP expires before my PR is approved. Can I get a bridging open work permit?
A bridging open work permit keeps you working after your PGWP, but only if your permanent residence application has reached the stage IRCC requires before the PGWP expires. Here is how to tell, and what to do if you are not there yet.
Yes, if your permanent residence application has reached the stage IRCC requires before your post-graduation work permit (PGWP) expires, and you apply for the bridging open work permit (BOWP) while you still have status. If your application is not there yet, a BOWP is not available, and a PGWP generally cannot be extended. That is where planning matters.
What does a BOWP do?
A BOWP lets you keep working while IRCC finishes your permanent residence application. It is an open work permit, so you are not tied to one employer. IRCC charges $155 for the work permit plus the $100 open work permit holder fee.
When is my PR application far enough along?
It depends on the program:
- Express Entry (Canadian Experience Class, Federal Skilled Worker, Federal Skilled Trades): your complete application has passed the completeness check and you have your acknowledgement of receipt letter.
- Provincial nomination through Express Entry: the same, and your nomination has no employment restrictions.
- Provincial nomination outside Express Entry: your complete application has passed the eligibility assessment, again with no employment restrictions on the nomination.
IRCC is explicit that a profile in the Express Entry pool is not an application for permanent residence. An invitation alone is not enough either: you need the acknowledgement of receipt.
Who else has to qualify?
You must live in Canada, be the principal applicant on the permanent residence application, and hold a valid work permit, be on maintained status, or be eligible to restore your status. Only the principal applicant can apply for a BOWP.
What if my PGWP expires before I reach that stage?
This is the situation we see most. A PGWP generally cannot be extended: IRCC treats it as a one-time permit. The one exception is a PGWP cut short because your passport was expiring. So the plan has to be in place before the expiry date. The usual options are:
- An employer-specific work permit backed by an LMIA or an LMIA exemption, applied for before the PGWP expires.
- A spousal open work permit, if your spouse or partner’s job or studies qualify.
- A study permit, if you go back to school.
- A visitor record, to stay lawfully while you wait for an invitation. Your work stops on the PGWP’s expiry date.
Our PGWP expiring guide compares these routes side by side.
Can I keep working while the BOWP is processed?
Yes, if IRCC receives your BOWP application before your PGWP expires and you stay in Canada. You are then on maintained status and keep the same conditions until IRCC decides. Online applications must be submitted before midnight UTC on the expiry date: 8 p.m. in Ontario during daylight time, 7 p.m. in winter. IRCC warns that if you leave Canada after your permit expires, you cannot work until the new permit is approved.
What if my PGWP has already expired?
If you did not apply for anything before it expired, your status has ended and you must stop working. You have 90 days to apply to restore your status, and a BOWP can be requested with restoration if your PR application is at the required stage. Restoration with a work permit costs $401.25, plus the $100 open work permit holder fee for an open permit. You cannot work until IRCC approves it.
Does my Canadian work experience still count?
Yes. Skilled work you did while authorized still counts toward the Canadian Experience Class if it falls within the three years before you apply. An expired PGWP does not erase it, but working without authorization afterwards creates new problems.
A timeline that works
- A year before expiry: compare your CRS with recent Canadian Experience Class rounds and look at provincial streams.
- Six months before: if an invitation is unlikely in time, start a backup: an employer LMIA or exemption, a spousal permit, or study.
- On invitation: submit a complete PR application quickly. You can apply for the BOWP once you have the acknowledgement of receipt.
- At least 30 days before expiry: file the BOWP or the backup permit. IRCC recommends applying at least 30 days ahead.
Put your dates into the free permit expiry planner, and use our BOWP document checklist when you file. If the timing is tight, book a consultation and a licensed RCIC will map the safest route.
Sources: IRCC and the Regulations: Bridging open work permit: who can apply; Can I extend my post-graduation work permit?; Extend your work permit: apply; Restore your status and get a work permit; Express Entry: Canadian Experience Class; IRCC fee list. General information only, not legal advice; IRCC makes all final decisions.
