A member applied to extend their child's study permit before its 17 Jan expiry but hadn't heard back as the date approached, and wanted to know what happens if the extension isn't approved before the permit lapses.
What the thread — including the applicant's own follow-up after calling IRCC — clarified:- Applying for an extension before your permit expires puts you on "maintained status" (implied status). IRCC confirmed by email that as long as the extension application was submitted before expiry, the applicant (in this case, the child) can continue studying under maintained status while the decision is pending — you don't need to stop attending classes or leave the country.
- You can submit your extension receipt as proof of maintained status if the school or another authority asks for confirmation that you're still legally allowed to study.
- A visitor record can be filed as an extra layer of protection while you wait. One member suggested applying for a visitor record before the original expiry date as a backup, in case the study permit extension takes unusually long — though this is optional, not required, once maintained status is confirmed.
- Processing times can vary and stretch well past the original permit's expiry — one member noted their own extension took a similarly long, uncertain wait, but resolved fine as long as the application had been submitted on time.
The practical takeaway: apply for your extension
before your permit expires, keep the application receipt as proof of maintained status, and treat a visitor record as an optional backup — not something you need to rush into if maintained status is already confirmed.