2-year work permit expires

[iskandaria]

hi, everyone)

I have a question. I am working in Canada with a 2-year work permit that expires in November. The construction company I am working for does not issue new work permits for foreign workers.
Can I apply for permanent residence and when I should do that? In November? Along with my visa, my driver's licence and my credit card expire in November.
Thank you for your help)

[Leon]

Do you qualify to apply under some immigration class?  What is your skill level?  If you qualify for FSW, you could apply under category 3 right now for having been in Canada more than 12 months.  If you are looking to apply under CEC, it would have to have been a skilled job that you have been doing and then you would have to finish your 2 years before you can apply.

[iskandaria]

Thank you for your answer.
i am an ironworker. I need 24 months of experience.

The problem is that I will lose a job (and income) after my work permit expires. I am going to apply for Residence as a CEC. But I have no idea how to survive within those months till the answer comes.
I do not know if I am eligible for unemployment benefits (insurance that I am paying every month) after my work permit expires.

If someone has been in that kind of situation, I would appreciate your advice.

[Leon]

You can apply for CEC and then go home.  You are even allowed to apply for CEC after you have already left Canada, for up to a year after you left.  Your other option, try to find another employer who will take you on and apply to extend your permit.  If you can not find another employer but you want to stay in Canada after your permit expires to wait for CEC which may take months to process, you would have to apply to change your status to visit status.

TFW's usually can not get EI because one of the criteria is that you are able to take another job if it comes along.  Since you would need an LMO and a new work permit, you are not able to take another job that comes along.  The only cases I know of TFW's getting EI while unemployed were people who still had valid work permits and were laid off temporarily by their employer with a call-back date.  In that case, it was said that it's not reasonable for them to need to find another job if they are only laid off for a month.  Other people who have been laid off permanently even with valid work permits have been denied, even after appeals.  Getting EI with an expired work permit, I don't think that is going to happen.