(Historical: this thread concerns the temporary IRCC policy that lifted the 20-hour off-campus work cap for students, announced October 7, 2022. The specifics below are time-bound — check current off-campus work rules.)A student whose permit expired in December 2022 applied for an extension before expiry and asked whether they could still work — and whether the temporary 40-hour (unlimited hours) policy applied. Members explained:
- You can keep working on maintained status. Applying for the extension before the permit expired preserved the right to work while the application was processed.
- But the temporary full-time policy had a cutoff date. The lifted cap only covered students who had applied (or applied to extend) on or before October 7, 2022. Filing an extension after that date meant losing the benefit — back to 20 hours per week off campus during sessions.
- The cap applied even on maintained status. Members were explicit that being on maintained status didn't restore the exemption; the filing date governed, and IRCC published instructions detailing this.
- SIN expiry follows the permit. With a new permit, the SIN tied to the expired document also needed renewal — plan for that alongside the extension.