A new job offer does not, by itself, authorize you to work for a new employer. Neither does a pending application to change your work permit. Before agreeing on a start date, separate two questions: can you stay in Canada, and what work are you allowed to do?
Maintained status keeps the existing conditions
If you submit an eligible extension application before your work permit expires and remain in Canada, you may be able to continue working while IRCC decides the application. For an employer-specific permit, that generally means the same employer, job and work location. It does not turn your permit into an open work permit.
Open work permit holders have more flexibility to change employers and jobs, subject to their permit conditions. Travel, a refusal or a different type of application can affect the analysis. The actual permit and application record matter.
A separate authorization may allow an earlier start
IRCC has a process for eligible workers in Canada who have applied for a new employer-specific permit to request permission to begin the new employment while the application is processed. Eligibility is limited. IEC participants must also check the rules for their category.
Submitting the request is not the authorization. Wait for IRCC’s email confirming permission before starting the new job. The email is also not the new work permit. Read the conditions of the authorization carefully.
Check the sequence before setting a start date
- Review your current permit, its expiry date and any restrictions.
- Confirm that the new employer has completed the required LMIA or LMIA-exempt steps.
- Check whether you can apply from inside Canada and whether a separate interim authorization is available.
- Keep the submission records and any authorization together so the employer can verify the basis for the start date.
The practical risk is committing to a start date before anyone has checked the work authorization. An application receipt and permission to work are different documents.
I advise workers and employers on Canadian work permits and employer immigration requirements. Send a brief inquiry if you need help assessing a proposed job change.
Official sources: IRCC: extending a work permit; IRCC: changing jobs or employers.
General information, checked October 2, 2026. Your permit, immigration history and the current rules determine your options.
Featured image: Rawpixel Ltd via Flickr, CC BY 2.0.
About the author
Miguel Martins Pereirinha is a Canadian immigration lawyer and partner at Slayen Immigration Law in Vancouver, British Columbia. He practises Canadian immigration law exclusively — work permits, permanent residence, family sponsorship, citizenship and inadmissibility — and works with clients in English and Portuguese.
