It's no secret that Canadian jurisdictions are experiencing great difficulty in dealing with cases. Confinement after confinement does not help matters either. This is why on January 27th, the government decided to propose a visa extension for people in possession of a Post Graduate Work Permit (PGWP) I explain all this in detail.
Your visa is about to expire
This is only valid for people with a PGWP or post-graduate work permit. For the latter, you should apply at least 30 days before the expiry of your permit.
Criteria
have a licence that expires within 4 months of the date you submit the application
you were in Canada on January 27, 2021, the date of this policy
To apply for your work visa, it is recommended that your work visa expires within the next 4 months.
Fees
Closed work permit: $155
Open Work Permit : 100$.
Extension: your visa will be extended up to 18 months maximum. This is in accordance with your passport, please pay attention to the expiration date of your passport. If there are 10 months left before the expiration then you will only be entitled to a maximum of 10 months.
Deadline to apply: July 27, 2021
How ?
The entire application can be completed online without any problems. Here are the details:
First login to your IRCC account and then at the bottom of the page click on "Apply to come to Canada".
You then arrive on a page that asks you for a code click directly on "Visitor visa, study permit and/or work permit".
You will then be asked several questions about yourself, and how long you wish to stay in Canada. For my part I put "Temporarily - More than 6 months".
You will then be asked a series of questions which you will answer until you come across a Page with 3 huge paragraphs, one of which is below where you are asked if you belong to one of the following categories. Here it is an open work permit application under a public policy (as highlighted). You must therefore say yes to this option.
Only a few more questions to be answered and you will be able to launch your open job application!
What's next?
You will have documents to provide to complete your application, you can use a scanner or even your phone (according to IRCC).
The good news: according to IRCC this procedure is exempt from the need to take bio metrics (especially if you have already provided them before for another visa).
You must then wait for your permit to be issued. While waiting for the latter, if your current permit expires, you will remain in "Implied" status. You will therefore be able to stay in Canada, but it may be difficult to find a job if you are unemployed or to change jobs if you are on a closed permit. Furthermore, it is strongly advised to avoid leaving the country under this status.
Processing times : At the time of writing this article they are 84 days.
My PGWP has already expired (less than 90 days)
No worries, because this also applies to people whose visa has expired for up to 90 days! On the other hand, since you no longer have a permit per se, you will have to pay a reinstatement fee: $200. It is also advisable that during this time you are on a visitor's visa, otherwise you will also have to renew this visitor's visa first!
There are many special cases in this application. To find out what papers you need to re-establish your status click here.
My PGWP has already expired (MORE than 90 days)
You will also have to pay a reinstatement fee: $200. You should also be on a visitor's visa during this time, otherwise you will also have to renew this visitor's visa first!
For this as the step of "Your visa is about to expire", answer the questions. However, instead of indicating the status you are in, select the status you want to reinstate (worker for an open permit) in the question "What is your current immigration status in Canada".
I have found a job but my visa will expire during the application process or has already expired.
In addition to your application on IRCC you will also fill out a web form, which can be found here. In the "What do you want to do?" section click on the "Tell us more" button to make your request. In the body of the message you will indicate all the information about your job (dates, employer, position...) as well as this Next Message:
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Priority Code PP2.RESTOREWORK2020: I am requesting consideration under the Temporary Public Policy to Exempt Certain Out-of-status Foreign Nationals in Canada from Immigration Requirements during the Coronavirus (COVID-19) Pandemic. I ask that the applicable exemptions be granted until a decision is made on my employer-specific work permit application or it is withdrawn.
I attest that I formerly held a work permit that was valid until [DATE] and I have received a job offer for [employer NAME] / [occupation NOC CODE]. My LMIA-exempt number is: [A#], OR My LMIA number is [#].
I submitted my application for a work permit online, OR I submitted my application on paper and the postal/courier tracking number is [NUMBER].
I intend to work for [employer NAME] / [occupation NOC CODE], as specified in the aforementioned work permit restoration application.
I understand that providing false, misleading or incorrect information is a violation of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act and may result in enforcement measures against me.
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The priority code is important because it will guarantee you a response within 30 days maximum from the IRCC.
I have to admit that there are a lot of special cases, but I tried to rough out the most complicated one so that it remains digestible. We are in a special period, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed for you who will make this request!
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