If your Social Insurance Number starts with a 9, it has an expiry date — and that date is the same as your work permit’s. So when your permit expires while your extension or PGWP application is still in processing, your SIN expires on the same day. Payroll systems flag it, and many workers assume they have to stop working. In most cases they do not.
Quick Answer
Yes, you can keep working with an expired SIN if you applied for your new permit before your old one expired and you have stayed in Canada (maintained status). IRCC confirms this directly. What you cannot do is renew the SIN while you wait: Service Canada can only update your SIN’s expiry date after you receive your new permit. Then you update it — for free — and give your employer the new record.
This guide explains general rules. It is not legal advice. If you applied after your permit expired, or you have left Canada since, the answer is different — see the exceptions below.
Why a 9-Series SIN Expires
Official rule: Service Canada issues SINs beginning with 9 to people who are neither citizens nor permanent residents. The SIN is valid until the expiry date on the immigration document that authorizes you to work or study.
What it means: the SIN’s expiry is an administrative mirror of your permit, not a separate work authorization. When your permit is extended by law through maintained status, your right to work continues even though the SIN record still shows the old date.
What IRCC and Service Canada Say
- IRCC: if you applied to extend your work permit before it expired, you can keep working under the same conditions even if your SIN is expired. You can apply for or update your SIN only once you receive your new work permit.
- Service Canada (to employers): a temporary resident who applied to renew their permit before it expired has the right to continue working under the same conditions while the application is processed, as long as they remain in Canada.
Step by Step
- Before your permit expires: submit your extension or PGWP application. This is what creates maintained status.
- When the SIN expires: tell payroll before they tell you. Give them your proof of application — for online extensions, the WP-EXT letter in your IRCC account (how to prove maintained status to your employer).
- While you wait: keep working under the same conditions. Do not try to renew your SIN yet — Service Canada will not update it without the new document.
- When your new permit arrives: update your SIN record with Service Canada so the expiry date matches the new permit. There is no fee.
- Give your employer the updated SIN record. Your number stays the same; only the expiry date changes.
When This Does Not Apply
| Situation | Can you keep working? |
|---|---|
| Applied before your permit expired, still in Canada | Yes — maintained status |
| Applied after your permit expired | No — you are not on maintained status; see restoration of status |
| Left Canada after your permit expired | Maintained status ended when you left (details) |
| Application refused | No — your authorization ends with the refusal |
| You want to start a new job on an employer-specific permit | Not without a separate authorization (changing employers) |
PGWP Applicants
The same logic applies if your study permit expires while your PGWP application is processing and you meet the conditions for working while you wait: your SIN may expire with your study permit, you can keep working if you are authorized to, and you renew the SIN after the PGWP is issued. Our PGWP timeline guide covers when that authorization applies.
Common Problems
- “Payroll won’t process my pay.” Payroll systems can keep paying a worker with an expired 9-series SIN; the employer’s duty is to ask you to update the SIN once IRCC issues the new document. Show HR the Service Canada employer guidance and your proof of application.
- “I renewed my permit but forgot the SIN.” Update it now. Until you do, your SIN record shows an expired date, which can cause problems with EI claims, new employers and CRA records.
- “I became a permanent resident.” You need a new permanent SIN, not an update (SIN guide).
FAQ
Is it illegal to work with an expired SIN?
Not if you are on maintained status. IRCC explicitly allows you to keep working under the same conditions.
Can I get a new job while my SIN is expired?
On an open permit, generally yes under the same conditions; many new employers will ask for your proof of maintained status. On an employer-specific permit you must stay with the employer named on it.
How long does the SIN update take?
Service Canada lists about 5 business days for online requests and about 20 business days by mail for SIN record updates.
