Refugee work permit renewal: how to extend your work permit

By Pardeep S. Grewal, lawyer at Lawgical Law Corporation · Reviewed November 13, 2026

Published November 13, 2026

Pardeep S. Grewal is a lawyer at Lawgical Law Corporation, called to the BC bar in 2024, and a member of the Law Society of British Columbia.

Updated November 13, 2026: IRCC’s R206 instructions and its work permit page for people appealing or facing removal checked that day.

Work permits for refugee claimants and for people whose removal is on hold are issued for a limited time, usually 12 months on renewal. Renewing is not automatic. You file a new application, show you still qualify and still can’t support yourself without working, and pay the right fee. The most important thing is timing.

Lawgical Law Corporation, an immigration law firm in Surrey, Abbotsford and Vancouver, BC, prepares open work permit applications for people whose removal is stayed or cannot be carried out, and handles the refugee appeals, PRRAs, stays of removal and Federal Court reviews those permits depend on; this guide is by Pardeep S. Grewal.

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Which permit do you have?

If your claim was refused since your last permit, you are no longer renewing an S61 permit. You are applying under S62, which has different evidence and a fee. See work permits with an unenforceable removal order.

When to apply

Apply well before the expiry date. In our experience, if you already hold one of these work permits and apply to renew it before it expires, you can keep working on the same conditions until IRCC decides. If it has already expired, you have to stop working until the new permit is issued. Unlike other work permits, there is no 90-day restoration deadline here: as long as you are still in a qualifying situation, you can apply for a fresh permit. See out of status in Canada for years.

What to send

• The online application for an open work permit, with no employer.
• Your current permit and your refugee protection claimant document or other ID.
• Proof you still qualify: the claim, appeal, Federal Court or PRRA status, or a current stay order.
• Proof you can’t support yourself without working, such as bank statements, rent and pay records, or letters from people helping you.
• A current medical exam if your results have expired, or the permit will carry job restrictions.
• For S62, the $155 receipt uploaded as “Proof of Fee Exemption”.

Processing times

IRCC publishes current processing times for in-Canada work permits on its website. Renewals can take several months. Apply early, keep your submission confirmation, and show it to your employer.

Your Social Insurance Number

A temporary SIN (it starts with 9) expires with your work permit. When the new permit arrives, update your SIN record with Service Canada so your employer can keep paying you.

If your case changed

If your appeal was dismissed, the Federal Court refused leave or your PRRA was refused, you may not be able to renew, because the permit is cancelled once the removal order becomes enforceable. A new stay can make you eligible again. See a work permit cancelled at the removal interview and getting back to work after a Federal Court stay.

Why this needs a lawyer

One lawyer, one file, every step:

• checking which permit you are renewing and which evidence and fee apply;
• filing before expiry so you can keep working;
• proving the support test with the right documents;
• dealing with refusals and with a case that has changed since the last permit.

Renewals look routine, but the question is whether you still qualify. That depends on where your refugee case or stay stands.

Immigration lawyers are members of a provincial law society (in our case, the Law Society of British Columbia), and only a lawyer can represent you in the Federal Court if a work permit refusal or a removal has to be challenged there. An immigration consultant cannot appear in that court for you.

Mistakes I have seen

• Waiting until the permit has expired to apply.
• Paying the wrong fee for an S62 permit.
• Renewing as a claimant after the claim was refused.
• Forgetting to update the SIN after the new permit arrives.

Frequently asked questions

Can I keep working while my renewal is processed?

Yes, if you held one of these permits, applied before it expired, and nothing else changed. If you applied after it expired, you must stop working until the new permit arrives.

My permit expired months ago. Can I still apply?

Yes, if you are still in a qualifying situation. There is no restoration deadline for these permits.

Do refugee claimants pay a fee?

No. Claimants pay neither fee. People with a stayed removal order pay the $155 processing fee only.

Related guides: work permits with an unenforceable removal order, out of status in Canada for years, a work permit refused while facing removal, the refugee claimant work permit.

What should I do right now?

Check your expiry date today. If it is within three months, gather your proof and apply now.

Book a consultation with our immigration lawyers in Surrey, Abbotsford or Vancouver, or online from anywhere.

Ready to book? Open the booking form ↑

Sources (official)

• IRCC instructions: Applicants with no other means of support [R206, S61 and S62]
• IRCC: Work permit if you are appealing a refused claim or cannot be removed (modified May 29, 2026)
• Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations, s. 206

This article is general information, not legal advice. Every case depends on its own facts.