The Department issued approximately 1.2M work permits from January 1 to September 31, 2023, compared to about 627K over the same time period last year. Of the 1.2M total, approximately 464K were work permit extensions issued to temporary workers in Canada.
Key Messages
Work permits have varying durations but are generally not more than three years in length. For temporary workers already in Canada, IRCC has taken steps to encourage and support foreign nationals to apply for extensions (e.g. by providing more time to provide documentation or to complete biometrics).
Foreign workers who apply to renew their work permit before it expires benefit from “maintained status,” which enables them to remain legally in Canada and continue working for their existing employer so long as they continue to comply with the conditions of their original work permit while awaiting a decision on their new application.
Supplementary Information
In June 2023, many open work permit holders with permits expiring between August 2023 and December 2023 (such as spouses of workers and those awaiting a decision on their permanent residence applications) had an opportunity to opt in have their work permit extended by an additional 18 months.
Under this one-time facilitation measure, approximately 8,039 open work permits were extended, allowing these open work permit holders to continue working for almost any employer anywhere in Canada. By proactively extending their work permits, these workers were able to continue working in Canada, build lasting relationships in their communities, develop new skills, and remain available to employers in this competitive labour market.
