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The short answer
If you applied to extend your work permit before it expired and you stay in Canada, IRCC says you may continue working under the same conditions as your previous permit while the application is decided. This is maintained status. Service Canada says you can keep working with your expired SIN until IRCC makes a decision, so payroll should not need to stop. Leaving Canada, or having applied for a different type of permit, changes that.
Work permit extensions can take months. For many Nigerians in Canada the worry is less the decision than the gap: the old permit has expired, the new one has not arrived, and the employer's HR system flags the date. Here is what IRCC's own guidance says and what to prepare.
What maintained status means
IRCC's operational instructions explain that under section 183(5) of the immigration regulations, a temporary resident who applies to extend before their status ends keeps their legal stay while the application is pending. IRCC calls this maintained status. For work permit holders, section 186(u) adds that if you applied to extend as a worker before your permit expired and remain in Canada, you "may continue working under the same conditions" as your previous permit.
- Same conditions. Same employer, occupation and location if your old permit was employer-specific. The page does not cover changing employer while on maintained status, so check with IRCC or a licensed adviser before you move jobs.
- Only while you stay in Canada. IRCC says maintained status ends when you leave.
- Only for the same type of permit. If a work permit holder applied to extend as a visitor or student instead, IRCC says they must stop working when the current permit expires.
Will payroll stop?
It should not, if you meet the conditions above. Service Canada's page for temporary residents says that if you applied to extend your permit, "you can continue working with your expired SIN until IRCC makes a decision." Your 9-series SIN expires with your permit, but that does not by itself end your right to work.
Employers do need evidence, though, because they are responsible for checking that staff can work. Most will ask for proof that you applied before the old permit expired.
What to give HR
- A copy of your expired work permit.
- Your IRCC submission confirmation, showing the date you applied. Make sure it is before the permit's expiry date.
- Your acknowledgement of receipt, when it arrives.
- A short note citing maintained status under R183(5) and R186(u) of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations, so HR can check it.
- Your new permit and updated SIN record as soon as you have them.
What ends maintained status
| Event | What IRCC's guidance says |
|---|---|
| A decision is made | You are in status until the day the decision is made |
| The application is refused | The 90-day restoration period under R182 begins on the date of refusal |
| You leave Canada | Maintained status ends; you cannot resume work after re-entry until the renewal is granted |
| You applied for a different status (visitor or student) | You must stop working when the current work permit expires |
| You applied only for a temporary resident permit | No maintained status; you cannot continue working until a decision |
After a refusal there is no pending extension left for section 186(u) to rely on, so do not assume you can keep working. Get advice from a regulated Canadian immigration consultant or lawyer the same day; restoration is a separate application with its own rules. IRCC's page also contains a second passage that counts the 90 days from when status expired, so check the dates with an adviser.
Planning for the gap
- Do not book travel to Nigeria while waiting. A December trip home would end your maintained status.
- Keep a cash cushion in case an employer pauses pay while HR checks your documents.
- Update your SIN record once the new permit arrives; see what a SIN starting with 9 means.
- If you are self-employed on the side, check how your permit's conditions apply; see running a business on a work permit.
If your employer is unsure
Smaller employers may not have seen maintained status before. A calm, documented approach usually resolves it.
- Send HR your documents before the old permit expires, not on the day.
- Ask them to note your file that an extension is pending and the date you applied.
- Offer the link to IRCC's operational instructions so they can read the rule themselves.
- Ask for any decision to pause pay in writing, with the reason, so you can respond.
If your employer is registered with a payroll provider, the provider's own compliance team may also be able to confirm that an expired SIN with a pending extension does not stop pay, in line with the Service Canada page.
If PR is the next step, read updating your SIN after permanent residence. This guide is information, not immigration advice.
Where Pryme fits
If pay is delayed while HR checks your papers, commitments at home do not stop. With Pryme you can see family transfers and naira balances in one app and send money only when you are ready, with the rate and fee shown before you approve.
Questions people ask
Can I work while my work permit extension is processing in Canada?
Yes, if you applied before your permit expired and stay in Canada. IRCC says you may keep working under the same conditions as your previous permit.
What do I show my employer on maintained status?
Your expired permit and the IRCC submission confirmation showing you applied before expiry, then the acknowledgement of receipt.
Does my SIN expiry stop me working?
No. Service Canada says you can keep working with an expired SIN until IRCC makes a decision on your extension.
Can I travel to Nigeria on maintained status?
IRCC says maintained status ends when you leave Canada, and you cannot resume work after returning until the renewal is granted.
Sources
- IRCC operational instructions: Maintained status (implied status) when extending a stay (modified 28 May 2025) · accessed Oct 2026
- Service Canada: SIN for temporary residents (modified 2 Jun 2026) · accessed Oct 2026
This article is general information, not financial, legal or tax advice. Products described are provided under the terms on this site and are subject to regulation and eligibility.