Hello All,
My PGWP expired on 19Dec2021. To be able to legally stay and work in Canada beyond 19Dec2021, I did the following:
1. Applied for Visitor Record on 18Nov2021.
2. Applied for LMIA based Work Permit on 17Dec2021. However, my LMIA application was in process, i.e., I had not yet received a positive LMIA.
The reason I applied for both Visitor Record and Work Permit was because I thought that if Work Permit application gets rejected then I won't have to leave Canada since Visitor Record application will be in process.
Since I applied for LMIA work permit before my PGWP expired I was on implied status and I thought I could continue working post 19DEC2021. Hence, I continued working in January 2022 till now.
However, a consultant recently told me that whichever application I apply for first is the one I have to abide by. Since I first applied for Visitor Record and then LMIA based Work Permit according to the consultant I would be considered a visitor post PGWP expiry hence I should not have worked in 2022. Does anyone know if this is correct? If you or someone you know has been in similar situation then what did they do? I'm worried it will impact my PR application.