The Open Work Permit
Under
Canadian immigration regulations, foreign spouses and common-law partners of
temporary foreign workers and foreign students, who themselves want to work in
Canada, will need an open work permit.
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.
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
tradesperson. 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.
·
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.
To
know more about Eligibility to apply under this category, about the financial requirement,
to do an evaluation of your case and for a consultation, please contact us
+1 647 673 7979 or email tocanada@canamericaimmigration.com