Work Permit Job Loss: Status and Options
Original COVID-19 article: May 5, 2020 | By Hans ‘John’ Kalina | Reviewed and updated October 6, 2026
The original pandemic-era article addressed the uncertainty workers faced after losing a job. The questions remain important, but expired measures, old fees and former terminology should not be treated as current instructions. This updated guide distinguishes the right to remain in Canada from authorization to work.
Check the permit and the status deadline
Job loss does not, by itself, automatically cancel an unexpired work permit. Check the permit’s expiry date, any “must leave by” date and its conditions. A right to remain temporarily is not permission to work for a new employer. Keep a copy of the permit and the termination or layoff information, and obtain advice before the relevant status deadline.
An employer-specific permit does not authorize a new job
A worker whose permit names an employer cannot simply begin working for a different employer after losing that job. A new permit or other applicable authorization is needed. IRCC’s current instructions for changing jobs or employers describe the process and the circumstances in which an eligible worker may request interim authorization after applying for a new employer-specific permit.
Submitting an application or a web-form request is not the same as receiving permission to start the new job. Follow IRCC’s instructions and wait for the required authorization or permit. Do not assume that a pandemic-era announcement creates a general exemption.
An open permit has conditions and an expiry date
A valid open work permit may allow a change of employer, subject to its restrictions. It does not follow that the permit can always be renewed. Eligibility for a further open permit depends on the applicable category and current instructions. Job loss alone does not create eligibility for an open permit, a bridging permit or a new period of International Experience Canada participation.
Maintained status is not unrestricted work authorization
“Implied status,” used in the original article, is now commonly called maintained status. A timely application to extend or change a work permit can allow the person to remain and, where the applicable requirements are met, continue working while a decision is pending.
IRCC’s maintained-status guidance for workers requires the worker to stay in Canada and continue under the same conditions as the original permit. An employer-specific permit does not become an open permit through maintained status. Applying to change to visitor status is not a way to continue working after work authorization expires.
Restoration is a different process
If status has been lost, restoration of status may be available where the requirements are met. The ordinary rule requires an application within 90 days of losing status, but specific public policies may provide exceptions. Calculate the deadline from the correct event and check the rules applicable to the case.
Normally, a person cannot work while waiting for restoration and a new work permit. Restoration is not maintained status, and approval is not guaranteed. A pending permanent residence application does not, by itself, solve an expired work permit or authorize continued employment.
Use current fees and program instructions
The original article included an April 2020 fee-difference table. Those amounts are not current payment instructions and have been removed from this guide. Check IRCC’s current fee list and the instructions for the actual application before paying.
Preserve records of the existing permit, job loss, any new offer, applications and IRCC responses. Acting before expiry can leave different options available than attempting to repair status afterward. The appropriate course depends on the permit, immigration history and intended next step.
Related guidance
For advice about your circumstances, contact our office. This article provides general information, not legal advice.