Work Permit Extensions Inside Canada: Step-by-Step Guide (IMM 5710 E)

Immigration insight · getnorthpath.com · Updated 2026

A work permit extension from inside Canada is filed on form IMM 5710 E. Done correctly, you keep your maintained (formerly "implied") status and continue working under the conditions of your old permit while IRCC processes the new one. Done wrong - or filed even one day after expiry - you lose status, lose the right to work, and may need to apply for status restoration. This guide walks the form, the supporting documents, the LMIA-supported vs. LMIA-exempt routes, the timing rules around maintained status, processing times by stream, and the four most common refusal reasons.

When to apply (and the maintained-status rule)

The single most important rule: apply before your current work permit expires. If IRCC receives your extension application before the expiry date, you are on maintained status - you can continue working in Canada under the conditions of your old permit until IRCC makes a decision on the new one.

If you apply after expiry:

• You are out of status the moment your permit expires.
• You must stop working immediately.
• You have 90 days from expiry to apply for restoration of status (and only inside Canada).
• An additional $239.75 restoration fee applies on top of standard fees.
• Late restorations risk refusal and a removal order.

Practical rule: apply at least 30-90 days before expiry. The IRCC online portal accepts submissions immediately and the date of receipt is what matters for maintained status.

Which extension stream applies to you

IMM 5710 E - section by section

• Personal details: Name as on passport, date of birth, country of citizenship, current country of residence, current address.
• Coming into Canada: Date of last entry, port of entry, document used.
• Details of intended work: Employer name, address, NOC code (TEER), job title, start/end dates, hours per week, salary, work location.
• Education / employment / personal history: Last 10 years (or since age 18 if shorter).
• Background information: Honest yes/no questions about past refusals, deportations, criminal records.
• Signature: Sign and date.

Supporting documents

• Copy of current work permit (front + back if paper card).
• Copy of passport biographical page (passport must be valid for the requested permit duration).
• Copy of current LMIA (if employer-specific) or LMIA-exemption offer number from Employer Portal.
• Updated employment letter from employer with current job title, salary, hours, and continuing offer.
• Two recent passport-style photos (digital).
• Proof of language test if first-time work-permit application required one (rare for extensions).
• Proof of medical exam if previously required and now expired (more than 12 months old).
• Family information: forms IMM 5645 or IMM 5707 if dependents.

Fees and biometrics

Most extension applicants do not need new biometrics if biometrics from a previous application are still valid (10 years) - but check the IRCC requirements page for your nationality.

Processing times by stream

Maintained status keeps you working through the wait. Travel during maintained status is risky: you can leave Canada, but you can only re-enter on the basis of your existing valid permit (which controls re-entry under your old conditions).

BOWP - the bridging open work permit

If you have submitted (and IRCC has acknowledged) a permanent residence application under Express Entry, a PNP, AIP, Quebec Skilled Worker, or the Caregiver pilot, you can apply for a BOWP - an open work permit tied to your PR application. BOWP lets you keep working for any Canadian employer until IRCC decides on your PR. To qualify:

• Your current work permit expires within 4 months of BOWP application.
• You have an Acknowledgement of Receipt (AOR) for your PR application.
• You are still in Canada legally.

BOWP is filed on IMM 5710 E with code A75 in the LMIA-exemption section.

4 most common refusal reasons

1. Filed after expiry without restoration. Hard refusal. The 90-day restoration window is your only remedy.
2. LMIA expired before extension granted. Even if you applied on time, an expired LMIA means no underlying authority. Renew the LMIA before it expires.
3. Wrong fees paid. The $100 open-work-permit-holder fee applies to BOWP, SOWP, PGWP, and other open permits; IRCC will return applications that omit it.
4. Insufficient ties / dual intent concerns. Less common for extensions but appears when officers suspect the worker is trying to remain permanently without a clear PR pathway.

Travel during a pending extension

Maintained status protects you in Canada, not at the border. If you leave Canada while your extension is pending, you must return on the strength of your existing work permit - and only if it is still valid for re-entry. Once the original permit's validity has elapsed, returning to Canada requires either the new permit to be issued (you cannot collect it abroad if applied inside Canada) or you must enter as a visitor (which suspends maintained status and your work authorisation). Practical rule: do not leave Canada during a pending inside-Canada extension unless absolutely necessary, and never plan to be away around your original permit's expiry date.

When your employer or job changes mid-extension

For employer-specific work permits, any of the following triggers a need to act:

• Promotion within the same employer to a different NOC: usually requires a new LMIA and a new permit. Continuing to work in a NOC outside what your permit lists is a status violation.
• New employer (LMIA-supported): requires a new LMIA in their name and a new permit application. You cannot start the new job until the new permit is issued.
• New employer (LMIA-exempt): depending on the exemption (e.g. CUSMA, ICT), the new employer must submit an offer of employment via the IRCC Employer Portal and you re-apply on IMM 5710 E.
• Layoff during extension: maintained status persists for the original permit's conditions. You cannot start work for a new employer until that employer has the appropriate LMIA or exemption and your new permit is approved.

Examples

Carlos - Mexican software developer in Toronto on a CUSMA permit

Applied 60 days before expiry on IMM 5710 E with a new offer from his employer. Maintained status from day after expiry. New permit issued in 47 days.

Aisha - Bangladeshi nurse on LMIA-supported permit, applied 5 days before expiry

Maintained status applies. New LMIA also renewed in time. Hospital provided updated employment letter and proof of continuing job. New permit issued in 31 days.

Jin - Chinese tech worker; LMIA expired before extension was granted

Refusal triggered. Jin had to file a new LMIA application from his employer, then re-apply within the restoration period.

FAQ

Official sources