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Restore your status and get a work permit

The expiry date on your work permit is the date you must stop working in Canada. In most cases, it’s also the date your temporary resident status expires in Canada.

If there’s a “Must leave Canada by” date on your work permit

Your status in Canada expires on the “Must leave Canada by” date. This applies even if it’s different than the expiry date on your work permit.

You’ll lose your status if

On this page

If you lose your status

You must stop working.

If you want to stay in Canada and start working again, you must apply to restore your status and get a new work permit.

If your family members also lost their status

If your family members are with you in Canada and they also lost their status, they must each apply separately to get it restored. Each family member must pay the restoration fee for their application. There is no group or family rate.

If your family member had a work permit, they can follow the instructions below. If your family member was a visitor or student, they can follow the instructions that apply to them:

If you want to change your permit and restore your status

If your permit and status have expired, you must restore your initial permit and status first. After that, you can apply for a different permit.

Example: You want to apply for a post-graduation work permit, but your study permit has expired

You can restore your status as a student and apply for a post-graduation work permit, if you’re eligible for one.

The rest of the instructions on this page do not apply to you. Find out how to apply and pay the correct fees.

Example: You want to apply for a study permit, but your work permit has already expired

If your work permit has already expired, you need to apply to restore your

  • status and
  • authorization to work

If you’re eligible for one, you can apply for a study permit at the same time. Our online application system will give you an application form for a study permit. If an officer approves your application, they will restore your status and authorization to work, and then process your study permit application.

Pay the right fees

Our online application system will ask you to pay the fees for

It won’t ask you for the work permit processing fee (CAN$150). To avoid processing delays, you should pay this fee separately and upload your receipt in the “Client information” section of your document checklist.

Who can apply

You can apply to restore your status if you

If it’s been more than 90 days since you lost your status

If you lost your status more than 90 days ago and haven’t applied to restore it, you’ll need to

  • leave Canada
  • reapply from outside Canada if you want to work in Canada again

Date and time we receive your application

We must receive your application to restore your status no more than 90 days after your status expired. The way we decide the date and time your application was received depends on how you applied.

  1. If you apply online: You must submit your application before midnight UTC no more than 90 days after your status and permit expired.
    • Our online application system uses coordinated universal time (UTC).
    • Make sure you know the difference between your local time and UTC.
  2. If you apply on paper: We stamp paper applications the day we receive them at the case processing centre.
    • If we receive an application after the 90-day period is over, we’ll count back 7 days and use that as the date received.

There’s no guarantee we’ll approve your application

If your application is refused, you’ll have to leave Canada.

How to apply

Before you apply, make sure your employer has completed all the required steps.

In most cases, you must apply online to restore your status and get a work permit.

How applying online helps you

Step 1: Make sure you have what you need

To apply online, you’ll need

Step 2: Read the instruction guide

Even if you apply online, you should read the instruction guide before you complete your application. The guide will explain how to complete each field on the form.

Special steps to take when you fill out your application

  1. On the form IMM 5710, in the first section under question 3, “I am applying for one or more of the following:”, make sure you also choose
    • Restore my status as a worker
  2. On a separate page, give details of your situation and clearly explain why you stayed in Canada longer than allowed.
    • If you apply online, you can upload this page in the “Client information” section under “Optional documents”.

Credit cards and prepaid cards

We accept credit cards and prepaid cards from:

  • Visa®
  • MasterCard®
  • American Express®
  • JCB®
  • UnionPay® (for online applications only; debit cards not accepted)

If you use a prepaid credit card, keep it for at least 18 months after you pay to make refunds easier. Find more on prepaid cards.

We also accept all Visa Debit cards.

The card you use doesn't have to be in your name. The cardholder’s name will appear on the receipt but it does not need to match your application.

Debit cards

It must:

  • be from a Canadian bank using INTERAC® Online, and
  • be registered for online banking through your bank’s website.

We also accept all Debit MasterCard® and Visa® Debit cards. If your card has the Visa Debit logo on it, alone or with the INTERAC® Online logo, select Visa Debit as your payment method.

The card you use does not have to be in your name. The cardholder’s name will appear on the receipt but it does not need to match your application.

Venezuelan passport holders

You may need to complete extra steps when you fill out your application.

If the printed expiry date on your Venezuelan passport has passed

If the printed expiry date has passed and you’re applying for a visitor visa, study permit, work permit or to extend your stay as a temporary resident in Canada, follow these steps:

  1. Add 5 years to the printed expiry date shown on your passport and enter it in the expiry date field of the application form.
  2. Include a letter of explanation with your application stating: “I am a Venezuelan national with a Venezuelan passport, which has been extended for 5 years”.

Warning: If your passport is still expired after adding 5 years to the printed expiry date, your passport is considered expired. You’re not eligible to submit an application with that passport.

Step 3: Prepare your answers for the online tool

Before you can upload your forms, you must answer some questions. We use your answers to create a personalized document checklist for you.

Step 4: Know the fees you have to pay

We’ll ask you to pay your fees at the end of your application. To restore your status and get a work permit, you can expect to pay these fees:

Step 5: Create your online account or sign in

You need an account to apply online. You can use your account to

Create an account or sign in

If you can’t apply online

You can submit a paper application if

Find out what to do if you can’t apply online.

After you apply

You may stay in Canada while we make a decision on your application. Normally, you aren’t allowed to work until your status has been restored and your new work permit issued.

Problem with the online application

If you’re trying to apply for a work permit online in one of the categories below, you may have problems getting the right result. If you’re not sure if this applies to you, ask your employer.

LMIA-exempt applicants

  • Permanent residence applicants in Canada who
    • used Express Entry to submit their permanent residence application, and
    • have received an acknowledgment of receipt letter (A75)
  • Open work permit pilot program for permanent residence applicants in the spouse or common-law partner in Canada class (A70)
  • Foreign physicians coming to work in Quebec (C10)
  • Refugee claimants (S61)
  • Failed refugee claimants waiting for removal who need to support themselves (S62)
  • Persons under an unenforceable removal order (S62)
  • Live-in caregivers who have submitted their permanent residence application (A71)
  • In-Canada applicants under the Home Child-Care Provider Pilot or the Home Support Worker Pilot (C90) and their family members (C91)
  • Post-graduation work permit extension (C43)
  • Destitute students (H81)
  • Holders of a temporary resident permit that’s valid for a minimum of 6 months (H82)
  • Start-up visa workers (A75)
  • International Experience Canada: Extend your participation or change conditions on your work permit (C21)

LMIA-required applicants

  • Seafood-processing workers
  • Agricultural workers who are not part of the Seasonal Agricultural Worker Program

Visitors to Canada

  • Visitors in Canada applying for an initial study permit, work permit or both who are accompanying a spouse holding a low-skilled work permit

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