Foreign workers may not know that they can extend their work permit even before receiving their new Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) and Certificat d’Acceptation du Quebec (CAQ).

Learning LMIAs and CAQs Canada requires LMIAs and CAQs for international workers. Canadian firms must submit an LMIA to ESDC for the federal Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP). This document guarantees that hiring foreign workers will not harm the Canadian labor market.

Foreign workers and international students who meet Quebec entry requirements must obtain the CAQ. Employers in Quebec must get an LMIA and CAQ for international workers.

Continue using your work permit without an LMIA or CAQ.

If your work visa expires in two weeks, you can seek an extension from the IRCC. However, you must provide a genuine job offer and documentation of your LMIA and CAQ applications, if applicable.

Include the following in your application to prove you sought a fresh LMIA and CAQ:

Copy the LMIA and CAQ applications. Please request LMIA and CAQ receipts or confirmation numbers. Include the date you received the LMIA/CAQ request, the office you sent it to, the employer, and any confirmation numbers in the “Details of Intended Work in Canada” section of your application. Upload a CAQ receipt confirmation number or application copy when applying online for a Quebec work permit extension.

• A copy of your LMIA and CAQ application submissions.
• Receipts or confirmation numbers for your LMIA and CAQ requests.
• Details within the “Details of Intended Work in Canada” section of your application, including the date the LMIA/CAQ request was sent, the office it was sent to, the employer’s name, and any available confirmation numbers.

If applying online for a Quebec work permit extension, you can upload your CAQ receipt confirmation number or a copy of the CAQ application.

Once you receive your new LMIA and CAQ,

Once you receive your new LMIA and CAQ, you must send proof to the responsible immigration department within 60 days of IRCC receiving your initial work permit application. Refusing to provide this proof could lead to the rejection of your application.

If you are in Canada and your work permit is about to expire, think about speaking with an immigration lawyer to guide you through the extension process and make sure you submit all the required paperwork.