LMIA exempt closed work permit - lay off - employer restricted

[Vaishnavi123]

Hi everyone,

Just wanted to share my story and any inputs will be immensely valuable. I came to canada with my husband and he had applied under Non express entry PNP in August 2024 , where his nomination was employer restricted and has LMIA exempt closed work permit expiring in 2026 Jan.

We got AOR on Jan 2025 but lay off in Feb. Every consultant suggested to not continue with the application due to employer restriction could cause issues and timeline for non express entry was huge. Our CRS with maximum gets us 485. I’m currently on SOWP recently got a full time job and not eligible for any streams. Since our work permits expire early 2026. We don’t have much time.

We both are trying for sponsored jobs but due to market changes we are impacted and employers are not willing to sponsor.

Any guidance or any advise will be helpful. Been going through a tough time.
Thanks much!

 

[scylla]

Hi everyone,

Just wanted to share my story and any inputs will be immensely valuable. I came to canada with my husband and he had applied under Non express entry PNP in August 2024 , where his nomination was employer restricted and has LMIA exempt closed work permit expiring in 2026 Jan.

We got AOR on Jan 2025 but lay off in Feb. Every consultant suggested to not continue with the application due to employer restriction could cause issues and timeline for non express entry was huge. Our CRS with maximum gets us 485. I’m currently on SOWP recently got a full time job and not eligible for any streams. Since our work permits expire early 2026. We don’t have much time.

We both are trying for sponsored jobs but due to market changes we are impacted and employers are not willing to sponsor.

Any guidance or any advise will be helpful. Been going through a tough time.
Thanks much!

Learn French to a CLB7 level across all four categories so that you qualify for the French draw. People here have done that from scratch on an accelerated basis where getting PR was a priority for them.

Alternatively both of you need to continue to look for jobs that offer sponsorship so that PNP might be an option.

 

[Vaishnavi123]

Yes we are trying that thank you so much

 

[canuck78]

Hi everyone,

Just wanted to share my story and any inputs will be immensely valuable. I came to canada with my husband and he had applied under Non express entry PNP in August 2024 , where his nomination was employer restricted and has LMIA exempt closed work permit expiring in 2026 Jan.

We got AOR on Jan 2025 but lay off in Feb. Every consultant suggested to not continue with the application due to employer restriction could cause issues and timeline for non express entry was huge. Our CRS with maximum gets us 485. I’m currently on SOWP recently got a full time job and not eligible for any streams. Since our work permits expire early 2026. We don’t have much time.

We both are trying for sponsored jobs but due to market changes we are impacted and employers are not willing to sponsor.

Any guidance or any advise will be helpful. Been going through a tough time.
Thanks much!

Not informing IRCC but f the job loss is not an option. Some provinces do give you a time period to find other employment. He was laid off in February so you should have already informed IRCC about the lay off.

 

[Vaishnavi123]

Not informing IRCC but f the job loss is not an option. Some provinces do give you a time period to find other employment. He was laid off in February so you should have already informed IRCC about the lay off.

We had to withdraw our application unfortunately. Since the nomination was restricted to employer and we couldn’t secure a job in 6 months. He had closed work permit which made it even more tougher.

 

[daivion]

That’s a tough situation, sorry you're going through it. From what I’ve read, if your work permit is employer-specific and you’re laid off, you unfortunately can’t work for another employer unless you apply for a new work permit. You might want to look into whether you're eligible to switch to an open work permit or apply under a different stream. It’s definitely worth calling IRCC or speaking with an immigration consultant just to be sure of your options.

 

[canuck78]

That’s a tough situation, sorry you're going through it. From what I’ve read, if your work permit is employer-specific and you’re laid off, you unfortunately can’t work for another employer unless you apply for a new work permit. You might want to look into whether you're eligible to switch to an open work permit or apply under a different stream. It’s definitely worth calling IRCC or speaking with an immigration consultant just to be sure of your options.

IRCC can’t give you immigration advice. There is no pathway to an OWP in this situation.