Last verified: July 5, 2026 · Official source: canada.ca — Extend or change your work permit
General information, not legal or immigration advice. For advice on your situation, consult a licensed RCIC or immigration lawyer.
The bottom line
If you apply to extend or change your work or study permit before it expires, you generally get maintained statusmaintained status: Maintained status (formerly 'implied status') — the legal right to stay and keep working or studying under your existing permit's conditions while IRCC decides on an extension you applied for on time. — the right to keep working or studying under the same conditions while IRCC processes your application. IRCC renamed this from "implied status" to reflect that it's a real, statutory status — not merely "implied."
The catch: it only works if you applied on time, and it can be broken by leaving Canada.
The one deadline that matters
You must apply to extend before your current permit expires. Even one day late and you lose the entitlement.
- If you apply online, IRCC must receive your application before midnight (UTC) on the day your permit expires.
- Apply with time to spare — don't gamble on the last day.
What maintained status lets you do
While your extension is pending and you remain in Canada:
- You may keep working or studying under the conditions of your original permit — same employer, same occupation, same restrictions.
- This continues until IRCC makes a decision on your application.
⚠️ You are held to your old permit's conditions. If your original permit was employer-specific, you can't switch employers on maintained status. If you applied for different conditions, you generally must wait for approval before working under the new ones.
What breaks maintained status
- Leaving Canada. If you travel abroad while your extension is pending, your maintained status (and your right to work) ends. You may be able to return as a visitor, but you can't resume working until your new permit is approved. Plan travel carefully.
- Applying late. Miss the pre-expiry deadline and there's no maintained status — you'd need to look at restoration of status instead, which is a separate, time-limited process.
- A refusal. If your extension is refused, your authorization to work ends.
Note: holders of a Temporary Resident Permit (TRP) do not get maintained status.
Proof you can show an employer
IRCC issues a document confirming your continued authorization to work while your application is pending. As of 2026, these work-authorization support letters were extended in validity (reported as up to 365 days, up from 180) — useful when processing runs long.
TODO: verify the current letter name, validity period, and how to obtain it on canada.ca before relying on specifics — operational details change.
A simple checklist
- Apply early — well before your permit expires.
- Keep proof of your submitted application and any authorization letter.
- Don't leave Canada while the extension is pending unless you understand the consequences.
- Work only under your old conditions until the new permit is approved.
Where this fits
Maintained status is the bridge between permits — closely related to the Bridging Open Work Permit (for when your PR application is pending) and work permits explained. See the whole journey on the Study → PR pathway map.