Maintained (beforehand referred to as implied) standing is maybe one of the vital misunderstood ideas of Canada’s immigration system. Many mistakenly query its legality. Others fail to understand its distinctive necessities, and abruptly discover themselves with out standing. Latest procedural modifications and court docket choices in Canada have solely added to the confusion.
Implied Standing
Rules 183(5), 186(u), and 189 of the Immigration and Refugee Safety Rules (“IRPR”) present the authorized foundation for implied standing. Briefly, if a international employee, worldwide scholar, or customer information an utility to increase his (or her) standing in Canada, then he could stay in Canada on the phrases of his unique standing till Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (“IRCC”) decides on his extension utility.
Accordingly, a international employee can proceed to work, a world scholar can proceed to review, and a customer can proceed to reside in Canada throughout IRCC’s processing of the extension utility. Contemplating that as of writing customer, employee, and scholar extension functions took IRCC 75, 60, and 42 days respectively to course of, the additional time that implied standing can enable a person to hold on together with his life in Canada may be important.
So as to make the most of maintained standing, the IRPR requires that an applicant file the extension utility earlier than his present immigration doc expires. Even submitting an extension utility at some point too late will imply {that a} international nationwide can’t profit from implied standing. The results of this are sometimes fairly critical.
As effectively, an applicant will lose the advantages of maintained standing if he leaves Canada whereas IRCC processes his extension utility.
Examples
The next change between an Immigration Consultant and the Immigration Consultant Portal is an instance of how maintainedstatus works.
Query 1:
If a International Nationwide in Canada with legitimate non permanent resident standing applies to increase the interval licensed for his or her keep, per IRPR part 183(5)(a&b) will they profit from Implied Standing by operation of S.183(6) REGARDLESS of what kind of non permanent resident standing (employee, scholar, customer) they maintain after they apply to increase, and what kind of non permanent standing they’re making use of for with the extension?
Response:
Thanks to your questions.
So as to reply to your questions, we’re required to separate the questions by the problems.
Will the applicant profit from implied standing if a international nationwide in Canada with non permanent resident standing applies to increase their interval of licensed keep?
Sure. Short-term residents that apply to increase their interval of licensed keep in Canada will profit from implied standing till a choice is made on their utility by operation of legislation. It needs to be famous that if the applicant applies for a special sort of allow (i.e., altering the circumstances of their keep), they’ll not conduct any of the actions licensed by the unique allow as soon as it expires. Moreover, if the appliance is refused, the applicant could solely stay in Canada till the expiry date of their present non permanent resident standing. Implied standing is definitely non permanent resident standing granted by operation of legislation. The implied standing is triggered when a brief resident (i.e., customer, scholar, employee) applies for an extension of their licensed keep previous to the expiry of their standing.
For instance, if a international nationwide applies to increase their Short-term Resident standing as a brief employee: Part R201 permits international nationals to use for a renewal of their work allow provided that the appliance is made earlier than their current work allow expires and so they have complied with all circumstances imposed on their entry into Canada.
Paragraph R186(u) authorizes international nationals to work with no allow within the occasion that they submitted an utility below part R201, they’ve remained in Canada after the expiry of their work allow and so they have continued to adjust to the circumstances set out on the expired work allow (apart from the expiry date), and a choice on the renewal utility has not but been made.
Observe: It isn’t “implied standing” below subsections R183(5) and (6) that enables a international nationwide to maintain working whereas their utility for extension is in course of. The international nationwide should meet the necessities of paragraph R186(u) to have the ability to proceed working whereas their TR standing had been prolonged by operation of legislation. Paragraph R186(u) applies solely till a choice is made on the unique work allow renewal utility.
As soon as the unique work allow expires, the international nationwide can’t submit one other utility below part R201, as a result of they not have a legitimate work allow. Due to this fact, they can not set off the necessities of paragraph R186(u) if they’re submitting an utility for restoration with a piece allow utility.
It needs to be famous that “standing” and “authorization” are separate within the Immigration and Refugee Safety Act (IRPA). A international nationwide who submits the “Utility to alter circumstances, prolong my keep or stay in Canada as a Employee” utility kind [IMM 5710] is in impact submitting two functions in a single. The international nationwide is making use of below part R181 for an “extension of standing” and below part R201 of to “renew the work allow”. If submitted earlier than the expiry of their current work allow, this mixed utility has 3 results:
1. Ought to a choice not be made on the “utility” below part R181 earlier than the expiration of their current standing, the international nationwide can be allowed to stay by operation of legislation (implied standing) below subsection R183(5).
2. The appliance for renewal below part R201 triggers the power for the international nationwide to “work with no allow” below paragraph R186(u), until they go away Canada.
3. Any circumstances imposed on the preliminary work allow carry over into the implied standing interval below subsection R183(6). For instance, if an individual held an open work allow, they could proceed working for any employer till the brand new work allow is issued or the appliance is refused.
Query 2:
A secondary query that arises from the primary query:
Is implied Standing thought of Legitimate Standing typically, and extra particularly for the needs of an Inside Canada Class SCLPC utility that features an utility for an open work allow below the Spousal open work allow pilot program?
Doable situation: (assuming that the Work Allow utility is full and the right charges are paid) A principal applicant who has legitimate VISITOR standing in Canada, applies inside the SCLPC class and features a Work Allow utility. Their SCLPC utility was obtained by a processing workplace BEFORE their Customer Standing expired. Their Customer standing expires PRIOR to issuance of the Open Work Allow. Is that this hypothetical shopper nonetheless eligible to learn from the 4 month processing of the open work allow, by advantage of getting utilized to increase their non permanent standing in Canada previous to the expiry of their present non permanent standing in Canada?
Response:
Sure. Implied standing is taken into account legitimate standing by operation of legislation.
All non permanent residents who apply for an extension of their standing below R181 have entry to”implied standing”. 181 (1) A international nationwide could apply for an extension of their authorization to stay in Canada as a brief resident if
(a) the appliance is made by the tip of the interval licensed for his or her keep; and
(b) they’ve complied with all circumstances imposed on their entry into Canada
There isn’t a discretion or resolution made to provide implied standing it’s completed mechanically by legislation.
Short-term resident standing is maintained by the appliance for an extension of licensed keep earlier than the expiry of their current standing and through implied standing. It might be misplaced and restored; on restoration, the international nationwide regains legitimate non permanent resident standing.
Query 3:
Extra particularly, does this shopper stay in legitimate standing? (assuming the Open work allow is processed and accredited. I’m not speaking about cases the place the appliance technically by no means existed due to errors made or incorrect charges paid).
Response:
Sure. The international nationwide stays in legitimate standing by operation of legislation till a choice is made on their open work allow utility.
Query 4:
Does this shopper have to use to increase their VISITOR standing so as to stay in legitimate standing? regardless of having utilized to increase their non permanent standing in Canada, per S.183(5)(6) by means of a Work Allow utility) Does something change if the shopper is already in Canada on legitimate standing as a WORKER previous to the submission of the SCLPC + IMM5710 utility? (Aside from the truth that as a result of they’re going from Employee to Employee, they’ll preserve working till a choice is made on the extension utility).
Response:
No. As indicated above, “standing” and “authorization” are separate within the Immigration and Refugee Safety Act (IRPA). A international nationwide who submits the “Utility to alter circumstances, prolong my keep or stay in Canada as a Employee” utility kind [IMM 5710] is in impact submitting two functions in a single.
Within the case of an SCLPC applicant who entered Canada as a customer and is now making use of for an open work allow, the international nationwide is making use of below part R181 for an extension of standing. They’re additionally making an preliminary work allow utility below part R199(f) which successfully requests authorization to alter their class to incorporate permission
to work.
Within the case of an SCLPC applicant who’s already in Canada as a employee, there may be little change. The international nationwide is making use of below part R181 for an extension of standing and below part R201 to alter circumstances of their keep as a employee.
We belief this data will help you.
Implied STatus
Conclusion
Because the above ought to hopefully point out, maintained standing is a really sophisticated space of Canadian immigration legislation. It’s always evolving. Nevertheless, it’s completely authorized, isn’t an abuse, and it’s unbelievably vital that or not it’s completed proper.
Additionally it is potential, regardless of persistant web rumors on the contrary, to go on implied standing after having been on an Worldwide Expertise Canada work allow. That is affirmed on the IRCC web site right here –

Implied Standing and Making use of for a Work Allow Upon Re-Entry
Because of the Federal Courtroom of Attraction resolution in Brito v. Canada (Minister of Citizenship and Immigration), 2003 FC 1379, non permanent residents from visa-required nations who’ve implied standing and are searching for re-entry to Canada following a go to solely to america or St. Pierre and Miquelon are nonetheless thought of to be visa exempt, as per subparagraph R190(3)(f)(ii). On this case, their interval of licensed keep is prolonged, pending a choice. As such, if they’re eligible, they could apply for a brand new or subsequent work allow on the port of entry.
Dispute over Date Utility Submitted
In Razafintsalama v. Canada (Citizenship and Immigration), 2024 FC 926, Justice Ahmed dominated that there was proof that IRCC’s GCMS was incorrect relating to when an utility was obtained by IRCC.

