It’s an exciting time. Your spouse or common-law partner has earned the right to work or study in Canada. But what about you? If you can’t afford to sit idle, then the Open Work Permit program can help. These permits are also available for international students through the Post-Graduation Work Permit program.
The Open Work permit program is relatively new; it was launched in December of 2014. These permits allow you to work for any Canadian employer and are available whether or not you have a confirmed offer of employment. CIP can help you make a strong case for attaining one of these permits.
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.
Under Canada immigration regulations, open work permits may be applied for by:
- 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.
To be eligible for an open work permit, the spouse or common-law partner of a foreign temporary worker must demonstrate that:
- 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 trades person. In other words, the skill level of the principal temporary foreign worker’s job must be level 0, A or B, 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:
- 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.
Open work permits are also available to candidates for the International Experience Canada program.
Let CIP put you to work.
Don’t try to navigate the open work permit program alone. If you do, you might find your permit revoked or called into question at the worst possible moment. Instead, let the experts at CIP guide you through the process of attaining and keeping your work permit. Take the first step towards attaining financial stability in Canada. Contact CIP today.
