What to check when a work permit renewal has been pending for months

A question we see a lot, usually from somebody who has already stopped being paid. **Check the posted processing time first.** A service request raised before your case passes the normal processing time for the office handling it is closed without action — which is why so many people report that raising one did nothing. **Then the automatic extension.** Some renewal categories keep you authorised to work while the renewal is pending, provided your underlying status is still valid. People have gone unpaid for months while entitled to keep working, simply because nobody told them. **Then an expedite, if you have grounds.** Severe financial loss to you or your employer is a recognised one, and it needs a letter stating the specific loss rather than a general plea. Which of these applies depends on your category and your dates, and that is worth twenty minutes with somebody qualified before you spend three months waiting.