Open Work Permit Extension
Index
Intro
On January 8, 2021, IRCC announced a new policy to allow international students, who are unable to obtain sufficient work experience within 3 years because of COVID-19 pandemic, with the opportunity to get a new open work permit for up to 18 months, so that they may continue to work in Canada .
A Post Graduation Work Permit can only be applied once in a lifetime and cannot be renewed/extended. If international students cannot meet the Permanent Residence requirements within the work permit time period, they will not be able to stay in Canada, or submit an immigration application. In 2020, as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, many international students are facing a difficult situation: they have invested tons of money and time but may still end up unable to meet the immigration requirements and having to leave Canada.
The application will be officially opened on January 27, 2021, and will be closed on July 27, 2021.
IRCC pointed out that international students bring many benefits to Canada, have contributed more than 21 billion Canadian dollars to Canada’s economy every year, and have provided support to the community. According to the estimates, at least 52,000 international graduates will benefit from this new work permit public policy.
Requirements
- Your post-graduation work permit (PGWP)
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- expired on or after January 30, 2020, or
- will expire within 4 months from the date you apply for this open work permit.
- You were in Canada as of January 27, 2021, when the public policy took effect, and have stayed in Canada since then.
- You either
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- have temporary resident status (this could be from having a valid PGWP, visitor record, or another permit that allows you to stay in Canada), or
- lost your temporary resident status, but you’ve already applied to restore it, or
- lost your temporary resident status, but you’ll apply to restore it at the same time as you apply for this open work permit
- You include in your application that you’re applying for an open work permit under this public policy.
- You have a valid passport.
Document Checklist
- IMM5710 form
- Passport first page + all pages with visa/stamp (Color and clearly scanned)
- Digital photo
- Explanation letter (describe the reason for the application, personal circumstances, etc.)
- Imm5257b form
Q&A
A: After graduating from studying in Canada, international students can apply for a graduation work permit with duration of 1-3 years according to their study time.
For more information, please refer to our Post Graduation Work Permit page.
A: You can apply as long as you meet the application conditions for this work permit under the new policy. This means that people who do not meet the previous Post Graduation Work Permit may also obtain a work visa for up to 18 months.
If you want to know more or need any help, you can contact us and we will offer consulant service based on your situation.
Fees
- We only accept service fees, which does not include fees for applicantion, translation, notarization, courier and other third-party fees.
- The service fee is charged according to the customer’s situation. If it is more complicated, there may be additional charges (please refer to customer evaluation).