For years, flagpoling was the unofficial fast lane of Canadian immigration: drive to a land border, technically exit, turn around, and have a new work or study permit issued by CBSA on the spot. That era is over. Since December 23, 2024, border officers no longer process most work and study permit applications for flagpolers, with only limited exceptions for specific groups.
Why it ended
The federal government ended flagpoling because it consumed border resources and pulled officers away from enforcement and trade. The message to applicants inside Canada is simple: apply where you are, online, through IRCC.
What to do instead
If you are in Canada and need to extend or change your permit, apply online before your current status expires. Doing so puts you on maintained status, your legal stay continues, and in many work permit extension scenarios you can keep working while you wait. The trade-off is processing time: unlike the old same-day border service, an in-Canada application takes weeks or months, so timing is now a planning exercise.
If you truly need a permit at the border
Ports of entry still issue permits to people genuinely entering Canada, for example, arriving from abroad with a new LMIA-based job offer. What no longer works is leaving Canada solely to re-enter for same-day processing. Attempting it can mean being turned away, losing time, and creating a border record that complicates future applications. Employers relying on quick starts should build IRCC processing times into hiring plans, especially for LMIA-based permits.
A lawyer’s note
The flagpoling ban raised the stakes on calendar management. The workers who get into trouble now are the ones who assumed they could fix an expiring permit with a border run. Diarize your expiry dates, file extensions at least a month early, and if your status has already lapsed, ask about restoration immediately, the 90-day window is unforgiving. Our work permits page covers the options.
Official source: IRCC: Government of Canada ends flagpoling for work and study permit applicants.
This article is general legal information, not legal advice. Immigration rules change frequently and every case is different. For advice about your situation, book a consultation.
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.
