Additional Time to Extend Visitor/Student/Work Status
Posted on 18/07/2020
If you’re on a study or work permit in Canada or are just visiting and your permit or visitor visa has expired, you now have more time to seek an extension. Due to COVID-19, temporary residents stuck in Canada have had many difficulties obtaining necessary documentation to apply for an extension, or even been unable to travel back to their home countries due to travel restrictions in place around the globe.
More time to extend or restore Temporary Status in Canada
Before this new policy was announced on July 14, 2020, you had only 90 days from the date your permit expired in order to apply for an extension or restoration of status. Otherwise you had to leave Canada.
The 90-day limit has now been increased substantially.
This time to restore your status or seek an extension has now been extended until August 31, 2021. That is, if you:
- Are a temporary worker in Canada whose work permit was valid on or after January 30, 2020 but expired on or before May 31, 2021, OR
- Are a student in Canada whose study permit was valid on or after January 30, 2020 but expired on or before May 31, 2021, , OR
- Are a visitor in Canada whose visitor status was valid on or after January 30, 2020 but expired on or before May 31, 2021,
You now have until August 31, 2021 to extend your permit and/or restore your temporary resident status in Canada. Further, you need to be in Canada from January 30, 2020 to May 31, 2021.
Ability to work while awaiting new Work Permit
Under previous regulations, you could not work if your work permit had expired and you were awaiting your new work permit in order to restore your temporary legal status in Canada. That has now changed. Please note however, that to be able to work while you are waiting for a decision on your application to restore your temporary worker status you must fulfill the following:
- You must have a job offer
- Your work permit application must either:
- Be supported by a Labor Market Impact Assessment (LMIA), OR
- Involve an LMIA-exempt job offer
- You must notify the IRCC through the appropriate process that you are applying to restore your status
- You must continue to meet the requirements of a temporary resident in Canada as well as the requirements of a temporary worker with a valid work permit.
Posted in News Tips and tagged Student Visa, Work Permit, Work visa
