An applicant on implied status (ITA received, PR application submitted) needed to urgently travel to India while their original work permit was expiring soon. They asked whether they could enter on a visitor visa afterward and get a TRV stamped abroad, and specifically how a Bridging Open Work Permit (BOWP) factors in.
What the thread clarified:- Check your BOWP's specific terms for what happens if you leave Canada — BOWP conditions around travel and re-entry aren't uniform, so review the permit's stated conditions (or ask IRCC/a consultant) rather than assuming it behaves like a regular work permit.
- A critical, hard-won lesson from the thread: a BOWP extension becomes void once you leave Canada. One member who had already secured a BOWP extension valid to August 2024 confirmed that leaving Canada nullifies that extension — meaning you cannot rely on re-entering later and resuming work under it.
- Given that, if you must leave Canada before your PR is finalized and you're relying on a BOWP, plan on your status changing to visitor/TRV-based on re-entry rather than assuming your work authorization carries over.
This is a high-stakes gap many applicants don't anticipate — confirm your specific permit's leave-and-return conditions with IRCC or a licensed consultant before travelling.