A person can legally remain in Canada under maintained status if their previous permit for temporary stay has expired, but their application for a new permit is underway. maintained status permits the individual, and his or her family if applicable, to continue living in Canada under the conditions of the expired permit until a decision is made on the application. This generally applies to individuals or families who have applied for an extension of their work permit, study permit, or visitor visa. For more information, please click here.

Candidates should note that the Quebec Skilled Worker category of immigration and some of the Provincial Nominee Programs (PNPs) do not require a Canadian job offer in order to qualify either.

No. An individual or family who has applied for an extension of a previous permit automatically obtains maintained status upon the expiration of the previous permit, while awaiting a decision on the application.

The individual or family may remain on maintained status until a decision is made on the application.

If a temporary worker applies for a work permit extension for the same employer before the expiration of the previous permit, he or she may continue working under the conditions of the previous permit. That means that he or she may still work for the same employer. However, if he or she has applied for a work permit for a different employer, he or she must cease working when the permit expires and await the decision on the application.

If a student applies for a study permit extension before the expiration of the previous permit, he or she can continue studying under the conditions of the previous permit. However, if he or she has applied for a study permit for a different institution, he or she must cease studying when the permit expires and await the decision on the application.

If an application is refused while the applicant is on maintained status, the applicant will be out of status in Canada. Depending on the situation, the individual may be able to apply for restoration of status.

People who leave Canada while on maintained status may be able to re-enter Canada as temporary residents if they have a multiple-entry visa, or if they are temporary resident visa (TRV)-exempt. If someone from a country that requires a TRV leaves Canada to visit the United States or St Pierre and Miquelon only, he or she is considered TRV-exempt and can return to Canada as a temporary resident.

However, individuals on maintained status in Canada cannot resume work or study after leaving and re-entering the country, until the new permit is issued for work or study. That is, if a student leaves Canada while on maintained status and returns to the country before a decision has been made on the application, he or she will not be able to resume studying.

Proof of the application for an extension of a permit is generally accepted as proof of maintained status. If the application was submitted while the individual’s previous permit was valid, the individual remains on maintained status. It is strongly recommended that an individual who leaves Canada while on maintained status carries proof of the submission of the application, to assist with re-entry.

If a candidate submits an application for a new work permit for a different employer, he or she must stop working when the previous permit expires. He or she must not work while awaiting a decision on the application for the new work permit. Similarly, if a student submits an application for a new study permit for a different institution, he or she must stop studying when the study permit expires and await the new study permit before resuming the studies assigned on the new permit.

Applicants who have been in Canada on maintained status may have permits that show a gap in the dates between the expiry of the former permit and the issue of the more recent one. However, the renewed permit will generally state that the holder maintained their status until the new permit was issued, thus explaining the gap in dates.