Traveling while waiting for SOWP approval

[Puddingcorgi]

I am currently on LMIA WP which expires July 2026. I applied for SOWP in June 2025 after I received the AOR and I got the WP-EXT letter which actually expires before my LMIA WP expires.

My questions - am I able to travel outside of Canada and return to Canada without any issues since my LMIA WP gives me status until July 2026 or does the SOWP application revoke my current LMIA WP? In the WP-EXT letter from IRCC via my SOWP application, there is a paragraph that says "if you leave Canada before a decision is made on your application, you will no longer be authorized to continue working". My concern is if I am able to continue working under my LMIA WP when I return to Canada since it is still valid until next year?

Thanks!

 

[concepcioner]

I am currently on LMIA WP which expires July 2026. I applied for SOWP in June 2025 after I received the AOR and I got the WP-EXT letter which actually expires before my LMIA WP expires.

My questions - am I able to travel outside of Canada and return to Canada without any issues since my LMIA WP gives me status until July 2026 or does the SOWP application revoke my current LMIA WP? In the WP-EXT letter from IRCC via my SOWP application, there is a paragraph that says "if you leave Canada before a decision is made on your application, you will no longer be authorized to continue working". My concern is if I am able to continue working under my LMIA WP when I return to Canada since it is still valid until next year?

Thanks!

While you have a valid LMIA work permit, the pending SOWP application and the travel clause in the WP-EXT letter create a situation where your re-entry and continued work authorization are not guaranteed.

 

[aidenung]

I am currently on LMIA WP which expires July 2026. I applied for SOWP in June 2025 after I received the AOR and I got the WP-EXT letter which actually expires before my LMIA WP expires.

My questions - am I able to travel outside of Canada and return to Canada without any issues since my LMIA WP gives me status until July 2026 or does the SOWP application revoke my current LMIA WP? In the WP-EXT letter from IRCC via my SOWP application, there is a paragraph that says "if you leave Canada before a decision is made on your application, you will no longer be authorized to continue working". My concern is if I am able to continue working under my block blast LMIA WP when I return to Canada since it is still valid until next year?

Thanks!

While you have a valid LMIA work permit, the pending SOWP application and the travel clause in the WP-EXT letter create a situation where your re-entry and continued work authorization are not guaranteed.

 

[TSQUARE]

I am currently on LMIA WP which expires July 2026. I applied for SOWP in June 2025 after I received the AOR and I got the WP-EXT letter which actually expires before my LMIA WP expires.

My questions - am I able to travel outside of Canada and return to Canada without any issues since my LMIA WP gives me status until July 2026 or does the SOWP application revoke my current LMIA WP? In the WP-EXT letter from IRCC via my SOWP application, there is a paragraph that says "if you leave Canada before a decision is made on your application, you will no longer be authorized to continue working". My concern is if I am able to continue working under my LMIA WP when I return to Canada since it is still valid until next year?

Thanks!

If you are from a visa exempt country and only need an eTA to enter Canada, just make sure you convert your LMIA Exempt WP extension online application to a paper one (if you are on maintained status) and submit to CBSA on your re-entry, you will be fine. I have done it several times and most of my co-workers too. For others like PGWP etc, I don't know how it works.

 

[JayteeS]

If you are from a visa exempt country and only need an eTA to enter Canada, just make sure you convert your LMIA Exempt WP extension online application to a paper one (if you are on maintained status) and submit to CBSA on your re-entry, you will be fine. I have done it several times and most of my co-workers too. For others like PGWP etc, I don't know how it works.

Hi, so what you’re saying is that if you have to leave while waiting for the extension and lose maintained status you can reapply at h the port of entry via paper? Instant approval? Or am I misunderstanding?

 

[TSQUARE]

Hi, so what you’re saying is that if you have to leave while waiting for the extension and lose maintained status you can reapply at h the port of entry via paper? Instant approval? Or am I misunderstanding?

100% correct but ONLY if you are from a visa exempt country with an eTA. A lot of my colleagues from Australia and the UK went back home during this summer vacation and got their work permit renewed at the port of entry on their return. Their previous online WP extension (maintained status) was converted to paper just before their return by the company immigration lawyer and they all got their work permit renewed instantly at the POE.

 

[JayteeS]

100% correct but ONLY if you are from a visa exempt country with an eTA. A lot of my colleagues from Australia and the UK went back home during this summer vacation and got their work permit renewed at the port of entry on their return. Their previous online WP extension (maintained status) was converted to paper just before their return by the company immigration lawyer and they all got their work permit renewed instantly at the POE.

Awesome. I’m from the U.S. and we’re visa exempt. This is great news. Thank you so much for clearing this up for me! Do you know how it was converted to paper? Was it a formal process? Or just printing it?

 

[TSQUARE]

Awesome. I’m from the U.S. and we’re visa exempt. This is great news. Thank you so much for clearing this up for me! Do you know how it was converted to paper? Was it a formal process? Or just printing it?

I am not too sure as the whole process is usually handled by our company immigration lawyer. They usually forward all the completed online application documents to our email for printing and submission at the POE. I am not even sure if there is an extra fee they pay for converting the online application to paper. And one thing I like about approval at POE is that the WP extension approval date starts from the date it was approved not when the previous WP expired as it is usually done for online application.