Updated September 2026. Your permanent residence application is in. Your work permit is not going to last until the decision. This is the most common moment for people already in Canada to lose their right to work — not because there is no option, but because the right option has to be filed before the permit expires. This page is the map; each branch links to a detailed guide.
Quick Answer
A pending PR application does not by itself let you keep working. Before your permit expires, you usually have three routes: a Bridging Open Work Permit (BOWP) if you applied through Express Entry, a provincial nominee program or certain other programs and passed the completeness check; a regular extension of your current permit if you still qualify for it; or, for Atlantic, rural and francophone community pilots, the program’s own employer-specific work permit. Apply before expiry and you keep working on maintained status while IRCC decides. Miss the date and you have 90 days to apply for restoration — but you cannot work in the meantime.
This guide explains general rules. It is not legal advice. Status gaps can affect your PR application. If your permit is expiring within weeks or has already expired, consider a licensed RCIC or immigration lawyer.
Step 1: Find Your Route
| Your PR application | Usual work permit route | Key condition |
|---|---|---|
| Express Entry (CEC, FSW, FST) | Bridging open work permit | Complete PR application that has passed the completeness check |
| Provincial nominee (Express Entry or base) | Bridging open work permit | Passed completeness check; no employment restriction as a condition of nomination |
| Quebec skilled worker (CSQ) | Bridging open work permit or CSQ work permit | Passed completeness check |
| Caring for Children / High Medical Needs classes | Bridging open work permit | Passed completeness check |
| Atlantic Immigration Program | AIP employer-specific work permit (up to 2 years) | Referral letter from the province |
| Rural or Francophone Community pilots (RCIP, FCIP) | Pilot employer-specific work permit (up to 2 years) | Job offer and community recommendation |
| Spousal sponsorship (inside Canada) | Open work permit for the sponsored spouse | Sponsorship application submitted |
| Any program, still eligible for your current permit type | Regular extension | Still meet that permit’s requirements (e.g. valid LMIA) |
Details, eligibility and refusal reasons for the BOWP are in our bridging open work permit guide. For the AIP route, see the AIP guide.
Step 2: Apply Before the Expiry Date
Official rule: if you apply for a new work permit before your current one expires and stay in Canada, you keep working under the same conditions until IRCC decides. IRCC calls this maintained status.
What it means: the filing date is what protects you, not the decision date. In-Canada work permit extensions were taking about 107 days as of IRCC’s September 2026 data (current times), so plan for months, not weeks.
Step 3: Handle Everything That Expires With Your Permit
Your permit’s expiry date is copied onto other documents. Each one needs its own step:
- Employer: show HR your proof of maintained status (proof pack and sample email)
- SIN: a 9-series SIN expires with your permit; you keep working and update it after the new permit (details)
- Health card: most provinces extend coverage only if you send proof (province-by-province rules)
- Passport: a permit can’t run past your passport — renew it first if it expires soon (passport-shortened permits)
- Travel: leaving Canada ends maintained status (what you lose at the border)
Our Status Expiry Timeline puts all of these dates on one calendar.
If Your Permit Has Already Expired
- You applied before it expired: you are on maintained status — keep working under the same conditions.
- You did not apply in time: you are out of status. You have 90 days from the loss of status to apply for restoration, and IRCC’s BOWP rules also accept applicants who are eligible to restore their status. You cannot work until your status is restored and a new permit is issued (restoration as a worker).
Out-of-status periods can create problems for your PR file, so treat this as urgent.
While You Wait: Job Changes and Life Events
- Changing jobs: on a BOWP or open permit you can; on an employer-specific permit you need a new permit first (changing employers). Whether you must tell IRCC depends on whether your PR application relied on that job (job loss or change after applying).
- Provincial nominees: losing or changing the job your nomination was based on has its own rules (what each PNP does).
- Marriage or a new baby: tell IRCC before your PR is finalized (how).
After Your PR Is Approved
Once you confirm your permanent residence you no longer need a work permit. You then need a permanent SIN, an updated health card and an updated status with the CRA — see what to do after your eCOPR.
FAQ
Does a pending PR application let me keep working after my permit expires?
No. You need a new work permit application filed before expiry (which gives you maintained status) or a new permit.
Can I apply for a BOWP as soon as I submit my PR application?
Generally not: for Express Entry and PNP applicants, the PR application must first pass IRCC’s completeness check.
What if I am on a PGWP, which cannot be extended?
A BOWP is the usual route if your PR application qualifies. If not, you need another permit you are eligible for. See when your PGWP is expiring.
