Same employer, same job
A straightforward extension where nothing has changed except the dates.
Most common
New rule
Hold a work permit? Since 4 September 2026 you can take a course of six months or less without a study permit.
What it means →
Extensions & status
Work Permit Extension — apply before it expires.
One date decides your next year. Apply to extend before your permit expires and you generally keep working under maintained status. Apply after, and you are out of status, out of work, and into restoration.
RCIC-led
Brampton & London
Reviewed July 2026
Before expiry
The golden rule
Filing on time is what preserves your right to work.
Maintained status
While you wait
Keep working on the same conditions until a decision is made.
90 days
If you are late
The restoration window, if your permit has already expired.
2–3 months
When to start
How far ahead we recommend beginning the process.
Who needs this
Common extension situations.
Extensions are routine when planned and painful when rushed. These are the situations we see most.
New employer or role
A change of employer on an employer-specific permit needs a new permit, not just an extension.
PR application in process
A bridging open work permit may be the better route than a standard extension.
Moving from study to work
Graduates transitioning to a PGWP rather than extending a study permit.
Permit already expired
Restoration within 90 days may be possible, but you generally cannot work in the meantime.
UrgentFamily permits expiring together
Household permits that need to be renewed in a coordinated way.
The rules
How status actually works.
Maintained status
If you apply before expiry, you may generally continue working under the same conditions while a decision is pending.
It ends if you leave
Leaving Canada while on maintained status can end it. Get advice before travelling mid-application.
New employer means a new permit
On an employer-specific permit you cannot simply start a new job. Authorization must come first.
Restoration is limited
If your permit expired, you may apply within 90 days to restore status, but you generally cannot work while waiting.
LMIA timing
If your extension needs a fresh LMIA, that process must start considerably earlier.
Keep proof
Retain your submission confirmation. Employers often need evidence of your continued authorization.
How we help
How we handle extensions.
01
Work backwards from expiry
We set a filing date that leaves room for documents, employer letters and any LMIA.
02
Choose the right application
Extension, new employer-specific permit, BOWP or PGWP — they are not interchangeable.
03
Assemble it properly
Employment letters, contracts and status history that agree with each other.
04
Protect your ability to work
We file in time so maintained status carries you through the wait.
2026 update
Extending in Canada while your employer’s LMIA is still pending.
What changed
Where an in–Canada extension is eligible for concurrent processing — filed while the employer’s LMIA is still pending — IRCC holds the application for 90 days from the date it was received rather than refusing it. The hold gives ESDC time to decide the LMIA before IRCC makes a final decision.
Who it covers
Applicants in Canada whose current work permit expires within two weeks of filing, where the employer has already submitted a complete LMIA application to ESDC with enough advance notice for it to be decided inside the window.
Why it matters
Without the hold, an extension filed before the LMIA arrived would simply be refused, pushing an otherwise sound application into restoration and a loss of work authorisation. The 90–day window lets the two processes run in parallel.
What it does not change
You still have to file before your current permit expires — that is what preserves maintained status. And a work permit application received after the LMIA validity date has already passed is still refused, so the LMIA has to be live when you file.
Source: IRCC Temporary Foreign Worker Program guidance on work permit validity and duration of employment (canada.ca). Reviewed August 2026.
Eligibility review
When does your permit expire?
Send us your expiry date and a licensed RCIC will confirm which application you need and exactly when to file it.
- Whether to extend, bridge, or apply fresh.
- How to keep working while you wait.
- What to do if the permit already expired.
- How to coordinate family members' permits.
Check your eligibility
Reviewed by a licensed RCIC, usually the same business day.
Thanks — we’ll be in touch
A licensed RCIC will review your details and reach out, usually the same business day.
Message us on WhatsApp
Good to know
Questions, answered.
The questions we hear most on this topic, answered by our consultants. The full list is in the Help Centre.
How do I extend a visitor stay in Canada?
Apply for a visitor record before your current status ends. A visitor record extends how long you may stay, but it is not a visa, so on its own it does not let you re-enter Canada after leaving. If your status has already lapsed, restoration may still be available for a limited window.
When should I apply to extend?
Before your current status expires — ideally thirty days or more ahead. Applying in time is what gives you maintained status; applying late gives you nothing.
What is maintained status?
If you apply to extend the same type of status before it expires, you can generally stay and continue the same activity under the same conditions until a decision is made. It ends if you leave Canada or the application is refused.
My status already expired. Can I fix it?
Possibly. Restoration may be available within ninety days of losing status if you still meet the requirements of the status you held. You must stop working or studying immediately in the meantime, and the window is strict.
When should I apply?
Once your permanent residence application has reached the stage your stream requires. IRCC does not set a four-month window, so timing is governed by your PR stage on one side and your status on the other. Applying before your permit expires lets you keep working on maintained status; leaving it until after expiry pushes you into restoration.
More questions on this topic are answered in the Help Centre.
Extension review
Will your extension be filed in time?
Send a few details. A licensed RCIC reads your profile personally, then replies with the routes that genuinely fit, the ones that do not, and the consultation fee and next available times.
- Read personally by a CICC-licensed consultant — never a bot, never a salesperson
- A written shortlist of the programs you realistically qualify for
- Consultations are fee-based; you get the fee and available times by reply
CHK Immigration Services — Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultant (CICC). Offices in Brampton and London, Ontario. Submitting this form does not create a client–consultant relationship; IRCC makes all final decisions.