Canadian Experience Class (CEC) candidates in the Express Entry pool have not been invited to apply for permanent residence since the last-all program draw, nearly two months ago, on January 18.
In response to the pause, last April Immigration Minister Sean Fraser announced a one-time extension for those who had a PGWP expire between September 2021 and December 2022. A similar measure has not been announced for those with PGWPs that expire in 2023.
If you do not maintain your temporary resident status, you will need to stop working on the day your PGWP expires and leave Canada. There are multiple temporary permits to apply for, depending on your budget and circumstances.
LMIA-required work permits
If you are employed, you may be able to change from a PGWP (an open work permit) to one that requires a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA). This means that your employer will need to submit an application to Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) to assess if “hiring” you will have a positive, neutral, or negative impact on Canada’s labour force. If the outcome is positive or neutral, you will likely still be able to work for your current employer, but you will not be able to work anywhere else until the permit expires or you get permanent resident status.
There are some programs, such as the Global Talent Stream, that allow employers in certain tech occupations to skip the advertising requirements usually required by EDSC. LMIA processing times under this stream can take as little as two weeks. Typically, advertising requirements for an LMIA mean that employers must advertise all job vacancies across the Canadian job market for at least four weeks.
