lisajane6884

So I've managed to find myself in the unfortunate situation that I was trying to avoid at all costs but alas, here I am!

I'm on an IEC work permit, expiring 4 June 2018. I've applied for PR under the Express Entry CEC program and have also applied for a BOWP to allow me to keep working until they make a decision on my PR application.

Because I'm on an IEC work permit, I know that implied status does not apply to me. So in the very likely situation that I won't have the BOWP before my IEC work permit has expired (current processing time appears to be 5 weeks and I don't have that long left on my IEC), then my only option is to apply for a visitor visa and stop working.

My question is, I'm presuming that if my IEC work permit expires before the BOWP is processed then I am no longer eligible for the BOWP anyway, as one of the conditions of it is that I need to still have a valid work permit. Is that correct? So then my only option is to sit and wait for my PR to be approved (hopefully!) as a visitor in Canada. OR, I can leave and go back to the UK and wait for my PR to be approved and then come back? Or does doing that impact my PR application as I've applied from within Canada?

Does anyone know how fast they are approving BOWP's or PR application's under the CEC stream at the moment? I've had friends who've had their PR apps approved within a month! If only I could be that lucky!!!

Engineer_abroad

As long as you have actually applied for PR i.e. have received an ITA and have completed the online application and have applied for the BOWP before the expiry of your IEC permit then you should be granted a BOWP. It should not matter if the IEC expires after you apply for BOWP.

This does not count if you are only in the EE pool waiting for selection.

You must stop working when your IEC expires if your BOWP has not come through.

You can use my signature line as a guide for CEC PR applications but I was around 7 months from ITA to COPR.

lisajane6884

Hello,

Thanks so much for your response. Yes I have applied for PR and my application is sitting at IP1 stage I believe. I submitted my application a month ago.

That's good news - I was worried that my IEC expiring before my BOWP was approved would mean that I was no longer eligible for it - but that's settled my nerves about that part.

Probably a stupid question, but it's mandatory to apply for a visitor visa to cover the gap between my IEC expiring and the BOWP coming through right? Just stopping work is not enough? There's no 'implied visitor status' or anything like that?

Thanks again,
Lisa

Engineer_abroad

I will let others comment on whether you actually need to change status or if stopping working is sufficient. Assuming you are a British citizen you don't need a visa for Canada so at most you would need to head across the border and when coming back ask to be admitted as a visitor. I think you would need to do the same with the BOWP.

Former Lancastrian

Once an online application is submitted for a change in status Implied Status kicks in HOWEVER you could not carry on working under the IEC work permit so you would have to stop working. You cannot do the flagpole for a BOWP.

PMM

Hi

1. BOWP CAN'T be picked up at a port of entry