Lost job on work permit

[Quintijn]

Hi,

My wife and I moved to Canada 2,5 years ago on a work permit through the intra-company transfer program.
I worked in Canada for a year and a half before I was laid off. We have applied for permanent residence and would like to stay in Canada indefinitely.

My work permit expires at the end of this year, which means we would have to leave the country. Is there any way to stay in Canada until our permanent residence comes through (if it does, of course...). We have two young kids, who both have Canadian passports.


Thanks
Q

[Leon]

30 days before your work permit expires, you can apply to change your status to visitor.  So you went to Canada 2.5 years ago and were laid off after a year and a half?  So you have not been working for one year?  Does your wife work?  Possibly she could get her open work permit changed to a regular work permit and you could have the open spouse work permit.

[Quintijn]

Hi Leon,

Thanks for your quick reply. I have been unemplyed for over a year now. I have had job offers, but couldn't get a LMO in each case.
My wife has recently given birth to our youngest and doesn't work at the mo.

When you talk about changing status, does this mean it's just a technicality and therefore a definite way to extend our stay in Canada for (I guess) six months? We are from the EU, so would be allowed to stay as visitors for that period anyway, although I don't think we could ever convince a border services officer that we would leave after this period.

If my wife would start working now, do you think all these workpermit changes are a realistic option?

Thanks again.

Q

[Leon]

It's not a guarantee that you would get to change your status to visitor.  You can apply for it and they can say yes or no but it takes 2-3 months to get an answer so you buy yourself a little time.  If they say no, you have to leave.  If your wife doesn't currently have a job, will it be easier for her to get a job than for you?  It's a possibility worth looking at.  I know a couple where the guy was on a temp work permit and the wife on an open one.  He was not happy at his job but hard for him to change, she was happy.  She applied for an LMO for her job and got it, got her own work permit and he got the open one so he could change jobs more easily.