Direct answer
Maintained status is a temporary bridge. It may apply when a person in Canada with valid temporary status applies to extend or change that status before it expires, and then remains in Canada while IRCC processes the application. Whether it applies at all, and what it authorizes, depends on the specific application filed, the person's prior status, the exact filing time, the conditions attached to that status and the person's travel history. It is not a substitute for restoration and it does not authorize a new employer or a new job on its own.
What maintained status means
While an eligible extension or change-of-status application is pending, a person who remains in Canada may continue on the same terms as their previous status. That is the core of maintained status. It is a continuation, not an upgrade. It does not create new authorizations that the previous status did not carry.
For online work permit extensions, IRCC must receive the application before the existing permit expires. IRCC uses UTC for the online filing deadline, so a submission that feels timely in a local time zone can still miss the cut-off. Filing timing is a technical point that deserves close attention.
Who may qualify
Maintained status is only available to a temporary resident who applied to extend or change their authorized stay before the current status expired and who remains in Canada. Temporary Resident Permit holders do not benefit from maintained status. A person who applied only after losing status does not gain maintained status.
Workers: when work can continue and when it must stop
A worker who applied in time for another work permit may generally continue working under the conditions of the original permit while the application is pending and while remaining in Canada. That continuation is tied to the original permit's conditions, including the employer, the occupation, the location and any other restrictions.
A worker who applied to change to a study permit or a visitor record must stop working when the original work permit expires. The pending application is not a work authorization in itself.
A pending extension does not permit a new employer or a new job. Beginning any new work relationship or changing employer requires separate authorization that permits the change. Working outside the original permit's conditions can lead to non-compliance findings and future refusals.
Students and study permit extensions
A student who applied to extend their study permit before it expired and remains in Canada may generally continue studying under the conditions of the original permit while the application is pending. A change from a work permit to a study permit does not authorize study until the study permit is issued.
Off-campus work authorization tied to a study permit is a specific authorization. Whether it can be exercised while an extension is pending depends on the application filed and the underlying eligibility, and it should be reviewed carefully rather than assumed.
Visitors and visitor records
A visitor who applied for a visitor record before their status expired may remain in Canada while the application is pending. Visitor status does not authorize work or study.
Travel outside Canada
Leaving Canada can affect maintained status and the ability to work or study after returning. A work or study permit application also does not automatically provide a new temporary resident visa for travel, and re-entering Canada requires a valid entry document. Before travelling with an application pending, review the file with a Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultant.
Maintained status versus restoration
Maintained status and restoration of status are different remedies. Maintained status requires an on-time filing before status expiry and preserves continuity. Restoration is a limited process for a person who has already lost status. It normally does not authorize work or study while it is being processed. Confusing the two is a common source of unauthorized work and downstream refusals.
What happens if IRCC refuses the application
Maintained status ends on refusal. Any continued work or study after that moment requires new authorization. Depending on timing and circumstances, options may include applying for restoration within the applicable window, filing a new application from outside Canada or, where appropriate, considering a reconsideration request. Each option has its own eligibility and evidence requirements.
Practical evidence a person may need
- The IRCC submission confirmation for the extension or change application, showing the date and time of filing.
- The fee receipt for the application.
- The IRCC extension letter or acknowledgement, where applicable.
- The current or most recent permit or visitor record.
- Any conditions imposed on the previous status, such as employer, occupation or location.
- Records showing continued presence in Canada during the processing period.
Employers who ask for evidence of continued authorization to work should receive a straightforward record set. Preserving these documents from day one avoids confusion later.
Official IRCC information is available at canada.ca: extend your stay in Canada and IRCC program delivery on authorized stay and maintained status. This article is general information about Canadian immigration and does not create a consultant-client relationship. Last reviewed: July 2026.
Related pages
- Work permits: extensions, employer changes and restoration questions for workers.
- Study permits: extensions and changes for students in Canada.
- Visitor visas and visitor records: staying in Canada as a visitor.
- Restoration of status: the 90-day process after status is lost.
- Temporary residence overview: how visitor, study and work rules interact.