07/07/2026
The Dangerous Trend of โDummyโ Work Permit Extensionsโ-The Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations (IRPR) do provide circumstances in which a foreign national may apply for a work permit extension where there is a genuine LMIA application in progress with Service Canada. In such cases, the application should be supported by appropriate evidence, such as proof that the LMIA has been submitted and the applicable processing fee has been paid.
That is a legitimate legal pathway.
The concern arises when a work permit extension application is filed without a genuine legal basis, simply to โbuy timeโ while someone attempts to locate a pre-approved LMIA later.
Unfortunately, this strategy is often driven by understandable fears:
โข โI donโt want to stop working.โ
โข โI donโt want to lose my provincial health coverage.โ
โข โI have bills to pay.โ
โข โI just need a few more months.โ
These are real concerns, and I empathize with anyone facing them.
However, good intentions do not create a legal pathway.
If the expected LMIA never materializes, the consequences can be severe:
โข Refusal of the work permit application.
โข Loss of temporary resident status, if no other valid status exists.
โข The need to apply for restoration, if eligible, within the prescribed restoration period.
โข If no qualifying work permit or other temporary status is available, the individual may ultimately have to leave Canada.
The hardest conversations I have with clients are often with those who were told, โDonโt worry, weโll figure it out later.โ
Immigration law is not based on hope. It is based on eligibility, evidence, and compliance.
As regulated professionals, our responsibility is not to tell clients what they want to hear. Our responsibility is to explain the law honestlyโeven when the answer is difficult.
Sometimes the most ethical advice is not the easiest advice.
Clients deserve strategies that protect their future, not simply delay difficult decisions.
Integrity in immigration practice isnโt measured by how long we can postpone a problem. Itโs measured by whether the advice we give can withstand legal scrutiny.