Under Canadian immigration law, all temporary residents have an automatically imposed condition that they are required to leave Canada after their work permit expires. There is, however, section 181 of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations (IRPR) which states that temporary residents can apply to extend their authorized period of stay as long as they do so before it ends. Those who take advantage of section 181 can stay in Canada until Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) decides on their application. You will maintain your legal status as a temporary resident while you wait.