Changing job while holding a permit: the step people take too casually

A work permit is generally not permission to work in a country. It is permission to do a particular job for a particular employer, and that distinction becomes important the moment anything changes.

Why permits are tied

The permit was issued because a specific position could not be filled locally, as covered in the material on the labour market test. That justification attaches to that position.

A different job is a different position, which was never assessed. So the permission does not extend to it, however similar the work or however qualified you are.

Understanding this makes the rules feel less arbitrary: the permit is the outcome of an assessment, and changing the thing assessed invalidates the outcome.

Changing employer

The usual position is that the new employer must apply, and the process may involve a fresh labour market test.

Critical questions to settle before resigning:

1. Can you remain in the country while the new application is processed?
2. Can you start work before the new permit is granted, or must you wait?
3. How long does the process take?
4. What happens if it is refused — do you have a period to find something else, or must you leave?
5. Does the new employer have experience with this process?

Question two is where people most often get into difficulty. Starting the new job while the application is pending is working without permission, even though an application has been made and even though everyone involved expects it to succeed.

Question four is the one to answer before anything else. Resigning first and applying afterwards is the sequence that produces the worst outcomes, because your right to remain may depend on the employment you have just ended.

Changing role with the same employer

A promotion or a change of duties can also fall outside the permit, and this catches people who reasonably assume an internal move is an internal matter.

Whether it does depends on how the permit is drafted:

• A permit specifying a job title and duties may not cover a materially different role
• A change in salary or terms may need notification
• A move to a different location or entity within a group frequently requires action

The safe approach is to ask before the change takes effect. A notification made in advance is administrative; a change discovered later is a compliance question — the same pattern that recurs throughout this material.

If employment ends unexpectedly

Redundancy, dismissal or the employer ceasing to trade puts the permit at risk immediately, because the basis for it has gone.

What to do, in order:

1. Find out how long your status continues after employment ends — many systems allow a grace period, and its length determines everything else
2. Notify the immigration authority if required, rather than waiting
3. Begin looking immediately, since the grace period is usually short
4. Ask whether the period can be extended where an application is in progress
5. Have a departure plan in case nothing is found in time

Point one should ideally be established when the permit is first granted rather than when it is needed. Knowing the grace period in advance converts a crisis into a countdown you can manage.

What does not change with a job

Two things worth remembering because they are sometimes assumed to reset:

Accumulated residence time. Where you are working toward permanent residence, a change of employer usually does not restart the clock — but a gap in lawful status might, which is another reason gaps matter more than changes.

Dependants' status. Family members whose status derives from yours are affected by any interruption to it. This is easy to overlook when focused on your own position, and it means the timing of a job change affects more people than yourself.

Frequently asked questions