OPEN WORK PERMIT ADVANTAGE

Open work permits are also available through the Post-Graduation Work Permit Program for international students.

In addition, a pilot program introduced in December, 2014, allows spouses and common-law partners being sponsored through the Inland Spousal/Common-Law Partner Sponsorship Category of the Family Class to be granted an open work permit while the application for permanent residence is being processed.

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The holder of an open work permit can work for any Canadian employer, without first having a confirmed offer of employment. An open work permit is not job-specific.

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Under Canada immigration regulations, open work permits may be applied for by:

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• the spouses or common-law partners of foreign temporary workers;

• the spouses or common-law partners of foreign students;

• international students who have graduated from a Canadian post-secondary institution.

 

To be eligible for an open work permit, graduating international students must meet the requirements under the Post-Graduation Work Permit Program.

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To be eligible for an open work permit, the spouse or common-law partner of a foreign temporary worker must demonstrate that:

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• the principal temporary foreign worker has employment in Canada that is at a management level, or a job in a professional occupation, or as a technical or skilled tradesperson. In other words, the skill level of the principal temporary foreign worker’s job must be level TEER 0, 1 or 2, according to the National Occupational Classification (NOC). This skill level requirement does not apply to principal temporary foreign workers who have been nominated for permanent residence by a province (provincial nominees).

• the principal temporary foreign worker is permitted to work in Canada for a period of at least six months.

 

To be eligible for an Open Work Permit, the spouse or common-law partner of a foreign student cannot themselves be full-time students and must demonstrate that:

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• the foreign student is studying full-time at a diploma/degree-granting, publicly-funded post-secondary educational facility; or

• the foreign student has graduated and is the holder of a valid work permit for a job related to his or her studies.

 

For spouses and common-law partners, open work permits are generally issued with a validity date that coincides with the period of time that their spouse is permitted to work or study in Canada, as the case may be.

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Open work permits are also available to candidates for the International Experience Canada program.