Concerned0ne

Hello Mr. Miller,


I am a temporary resident in Canada living on a post graduate workpermit. I came to Canada on a study permit 4 years ago and graduated from UW here. After that I got a FT permanent Job with one of the major banks and got my restricted post grad work permit. Now this permit is about to expire in 10 days, and my employer has refused to co-operate with regards to Labour Market Opinion. I tried inteviewing with other banks, got the job but they did not agree to apply for an LMO either.
Curently I am negotiating with a telecom company to go the LMO route however they are hesitant to do this as well. They are willing to provide me a job offer and a letter stating their willingness to hire me once I become landed immigrant. I had sent my papers for immigration to the Buffalo office back in Feb and haven't heard anything yet.

In this situation what should I do? how can I stay in the country after the expiration of my work permit? How shall I convince the telecom company to go the LMO route? why are companies so hesitant when it comes to HRSDC approvals?

Please help...

Thanks,
Worried and Concerned!

ann m

Appreciate you are concerned and worried - but I can't see anyone sorting out this situation in the next 9 days. I would suggest the one thing you do not need to occur is to be in the country illegally. That could put the kybosh on then applying for anything through legal channels.

I have to ask how you got to within 10 days of an expiration date with no solution? Did you think you had something else lined up, has someone let you down, or was it just poor planning?

Concerned0ne

not once but twice! first my company they took the longest while to reply, then the interview process at the other companies, finally I was told by immigration canada that I can apply for a change of status from Worker to visitor and send the application to Alberta, and remain in the country on the implied status till the processing time. Not sure if this way would work either! The telecom company said they'd have no issues arranging for a work permit, but now apparently they freaked out!

Andrew Miller

Sorry, but there is nothing you can do in such short period of time in order to be able to legally work after your permit expires.

But you may try to send application to extend stay and change conditions to visitor - as long as application is received by Vegreville before current permit expires you'll be able to remain in Canada on implied status (but not work) until you get decision from Vegreville.

Concerned0ne

Thank You Mr. Miller, I was thinking along the same lines, however, what shall I state as my reason for extension? I do have a job offer, as well as the fact that my immigration is in process. Are these reasons good enough to allow me to able to get the visitor status? Furthermore, say I do get the visitor status, would I then be able to go out of the country and apply for a workpermit say from Buffalo office based on my current job offer?

On a separate note, if i decide to leave the country by the 19th of Oct, would that effect my immigration process in anyway? Will the case still reside with the Buffalo RPC where I had initially applied, or would it move to the embassy back home?

I am sorry for bombarding you with so many questions, but I am just trying to figure out my best course of action.

Thanks.

Andrew Miller

Fact that you have PR case pending, or fact of having job offer are not valid reasons for extension of stay as visitor.

Job offer alone won't be enough for work permit - you need positive LMO obtained by employer before you apply for work permit.

Your PR case remains in Buffalo, no matter where you go.