It is the responsibility of the nominee to request OIM’s support for an extension to their work permit, if required.

The nominee should request an extension to their work permit within 10 weeks prior to the expiry of the work permit. As long as the nominee applies for a work permit extension before the expiry of their current permit they will be able to continue working in the same position and under the same conditions until a decision is made on their work permit by IRCC. Failure to apply for an extension prior to the expiry date may result in the nominee losing their temporary resident status with IRCC.

Nominees must maintain a valid work permit, or alternate federal authorization to work fulltime, throughout the entire processing of their permanent residence application.

PROCEDURES:

1. The nominee will request a work permit extension letter of support from their designated IPDO. The IPDO will take this opportunity to verify that the nominee’s personal information remains current, including address, dependent information, employment information, etc.
2. The IPDO will also verify the employment status of the nominee with their current employer.
3. If the IPDO is satisfied that the nominee’s work conditions remain the same, they will refer the request to the Manager of Immigration Programs. The Manager of Immigration Programs will either approve or deny the request for an extension, based on the assessment provided in writing by the IPDO. This assessment and a record of the decision will be placed in the nominee’s file.
4. If the Manager approves the request to extend the work permit, the IPDO will generate a letter of support (extension) from the Online Application Portal. The IPDO will then send the letter to the nominee, along with instructions regarding their work permit application.
5. If the Manager is not satisfied the work permit should be extended and more information is needed from the nominee, an email will be sent to the nominee to provide more supporting documents within ten (10) business days.
6. If after receiving the supporting documents (or in case of lack of response from the nominee within 10 business days) the decision is still not to extend the work permit, The Manager will consult with the Director and provide rationale behind recommended refusal.
7. If the Director is satisfied, the IPDO will be directed to communicate the refusal to the nominee, indicating the grounds of refusal. This direction and the grounds of refusal will be documented in the nominee’s file.

EXCEPTIONS TO POLICY:

Dependents of nominees do not require their own work permit support letter to extend their work permit. They may use the original nomination extension to apply for their extension.