If you're on a closed (employer-specific) work permit and considering switching employers while a PR application is in progress:
- Do not start working for the new employer before your new work permit is approved. On a closed work permit, you are legally tied to your named employer, and working for anyone else before the new permit issues is not allowed.
- Expect the process to take time. One applicant reported work permit processing taking around 117 days after LMIA approval; the LMIA approval stage itself adds further, separately variable, waiting time on top of that.
- Sequence carefully: your new employer applies for and receives a positive LMIA first, then you apply for a new employer-specific work permit based on that LMIA — only once that new permit is approved can you legally begin working for the new employer.
- Talk to a regulated immigration consultant or lawyer about how an employer change may affect your in-progress PR application, since timing and documentation consistency matter for PR files tied to your current job.
Because LMIA and work permit processing times shift over time, check current IRCC and ESDC processing time estimates before planning an employer switch.