Permit extensions
Work and study permit extensions filed before expiry, so you keep maintained status while IRCC decides.
Home / Already in Canada?
Already in Canada?
Protect your status. Plan your next move.
On a work or study permit, your next move matters — and timing is everything. We keep you in status, change permits the right way, and build your route to permanent residence.
ExtensionsMaintained statusRestorationChange of permitTemporary → PR
Before expiryapply to keep maintained status
90 daysusual restoration window
6 monthshead start for employer-supported routes
2013protecting status since
We help with
Every move you might need to make.
Most status problems are preventable. The earlier we see your file, the more options you'll have.
Restoration of status
If your permit has expired, restoration is usually possible within 90 days — with conditions. Contact us immediately.
Switching permits
Student to worker, closed to open, a new employer — done in the right order so you never work without authorization.
Temporary → permanent
Canadian Experience Class, Alberta's own streams and other provincial programs built on your Canadian experience.
Family status
Spousal open work permits and children's permits — eligibility for spouses was narrowed in 2025.
Officer requests
Procedural-fairness letters and requests for information, answered completely and on time.
The timeline that matters
Don't wait for your permit to run out.
The most expensive mistakes we see happen in the last few weeks of a permit. A simple calendar avoids almost all of them.
- ✓ 6+ months before expiry: plan the next permit or your PR route — employer support can take up to six months to put in place.
- ✓ Before expiry: apply to extend and stay in Canada to keep maintained status. It doesn't cover a switch to a different type of document, and it ends if the application is refused.
- ✓ After expiry: restoration is usually only possible within 90 days, and you can't work or study meanwhile.
- ✓ Changing jobs on a closed permit: get the new permit first, then start.
Your route to PR
Turn your Canadian experience into permanent residence.
People already working in Canada often have the strongest PR options of all — but each route has its own clock and its own rules.
- ✓ Canadian Experience Class through Express Entry.
- ✓ Alberta Opportunity Stream — no Express Entry profile needed.
- ✓ Rural Renewal with a community endorsement.
- ✓ Saskatchewan and BC provincial streams.
Lost status, or about to?
Restoration windows are short and strict. Call us today — the sooner we see your file, the more we can do.
★★★★★
"They returned all my calls promptly and completed my application very quickly. Very fair prices for all the extensive work they do."Mohit Moudgil · Client
Questions
Status FAQs.
When in doubt, ask before you act — especially near an expiry date.
Ask a consultantMy permit expires soon. What should I do?
Apply to extend before it expires and stay in Canada. You can then keep working or studying under the same conditions until IRCC decides — this is maintained status. It doesn't apply if you're switching to a different type of document (for example, a worker applying for a study permit), and it ends if the application is refused.
My status already expired. Is it too late?
Not necessarily. Restoration is usually available within 90 days of losing status, with conditions — and you can't work or study until it's restored. Contact us immediately.
Can I change employers?
On an employer-specific permit, you generally need a new permit before you start the new job. Don't switch until you're authorized.
Can my Canadian experience get me PR?
Often, yes — through the Canadian Experience Class or Alberta's streams. See Permanent Residence.
Can my spouse get an open work permit?
Eligibility was narrowed in January 2025 and now depends mainly on your occupation or program. We'll check whether your spouse qualifies.