I did extend while I was in the process for PR (I'm still waiting, 16 months in process). If you are holding a CSQ and waiting for your PR, you can get an employer-specific work-permit. Here are the steps I took in summary:
- My current employer submitted an offer of employment (LMIA-Exempt) through his employer portal and paid a fee around 200$
- Once that was approved, my employer gave me the approved LMIA-Exempt file number
- I filled an online work-permit application, included the file number, paid the associated fees and submitted the application
- I was granted with the employer-specific work-permit within 2 month (9 Sept 2017 - 8 Nov 2017)
- The expiry date of the work-permit matched validity of my passport
Please consult
this page for the detailed procedure.
Note that this work-permit (like any other permit) will allow you to remain in Canada. If you wish to travel outside and come back to Canada, you will need a visa. You need to apply for that separately after you are given the permit. For me, it took about 3 month to get the visa (6 June 2018 - 24 Aug 2018).
In case your CSQ expires before you get your PR, you can renew your work-permit (this is the case I might need to deal with too). Please see the following information from CIC. See the associated links for more info.
- The permanent residence application should normally be finalized within 1 year (complex cases may take longer). If a permanent residence application is in process but has not been finalized, a work permit extension will be considered on a case-by-case basis through the normal extension process at the Case Processing Centre. The validity limitation on an extension past the original 2 years is one year only.
- The CSQ must be valid when the applicant submits an application for permanent residence to IRCC (Centralized Intake Office [CIO] in Sydney). If the applicant’s CSQ expires before the receipt of the application at the CIO, the application is incomplete and must be returned to the applicant. The applicant must submit a new application for a CSQ to MIDI. If the applicant’s CSQ is valid at the receipt of the application at the CIO, the CSQ will be considered valid until a decision is rendered on the permanent residence application by IRCC.