Open work permits allow foreign nationals to work in any foreign country for any employer or business. A Canada open work permit can be obtained by a foreign national who is already in Canada. Open work permits are not available to employers who specialize in escort service, erotic massages, and stripteases.

Canada Open Work Permit Requirements

As long as the conditions are met, foreign nationals can apply for Canada's open work permit. These are the conditions that you must meet to apply for an open work permit in Canada.

• You must have a valid work/study permit
• If you have filed a claim for refugee coverage
• If the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada recognizes you as a protected individual or convention refugee
• You can apply for an open work permit in Canada, based on the Canada-United States Mexico Agreement (CUSMA), if you are a trader, investor, professional or intra-company transferee.
• You must have a valid Temporary Resident Visa, (TRV), with at least 6 months remaining before it expires.
• Parents, spouses, and common-law partners must have a valid work/study permit
• If you have already applied for Canada's permanent residence and are still waiting for the decision
• You can work in Canada legally without a permit, but you would prefer to apply to a job completely different to your current job.
• If your study permit is not expired and you meet all requirements for Canada's Post-Graduation Work Permit, (PGWP),

Application for an open permit at the port d'entrée

You can still apply for a work permit even if you haven't applied for one in your country. This opportunity is not available to all foreign nationals. Only citizens of the USA can apply at the port of entry for their Canada open work permit. You must also be eligible for an electronic travel authorization, or to enter Canada without a visitor visa.

Types and conditions of Canadian open-work permits

Open work permits can be classified as restricted or unrestricted.

- Restricted open work permits

The work permit limits the types of jobs you can apply for. This work permit also limits the area where foreign nationals may submit job applications.

- Unrestricted open work permits

The Canada open work permit doesn't limit the jobs and areas that foreign nationals can apply for. Foreign nationals can work anywhere and with any employer in Canada, thanks to this permit.

Processing fee for open work permits

You have been mandated to pay the

• Open Work Permit Fee of $155
• Open Work Permit Holder's Fee of $100

Processing Time

Canada's open work permit processing times are typically between 4 and 5 months. Despite this, the COVID-19 epidemic has had some serious impacts on CIC's processing time for open work permits and resulted in abnormal processing of applications.

Spousal Open Work Permit

Canada Spouse Open Work Permit (SOWP), is available to spouses and family members of persons who are temporarily studying or working in Canada.

Before you begin any process for the Spousal Openwork Permit application, you need to determine if you are eligible. If you are eligible, it will tell you what the eligibility factors are.

1. The spouse of a skilled worker who has been working in Canada for at minimum 6 months and is authorized to work in Canada under NOC skill types 0, A, or B.
2. The spouse of a foreign student is one who is enrolled in a public tertiary college or is undergoing study at Quebec's College d'Enseignement General Et Professionnel.
3. The spouse of an individual applying for the Atlantic Immigration Pilot Program in a job under National Occupational Classification 0, B, or C

Expand your SOWP in Canada

When your current work permit is still valid, it's best to apply for an open permit extension. Also, you need to make sure that your passport doesn't expire soon. The expiry date for your passport must be set later than the expiry date for your new work permit.

Open permit spousal sponsorship

Sponsoring a spouse/common-law partner costs $1,050. The process usually takes 12 months. Sometimes, biometric tests are required for the spouse being sponsored after they have submitted their application. You must complete the application before you can sponsor your spouse.

1. Minimum 18 years of age
2. be a permanent resident of Canada or a citizen of Canada. You can also apply if you are a citizen of India and have been registered under Canada's Indian Act. To be eligible for open sponsorship, you must be a permanent resident. Canadian citizens not living in Canada must also show proof that they intend to return to Canada and reside there once their spouse is permanent resident.
3. Be financially able to provide for your spouse's basic needs
4. You must provide evidence that you are not being provided any social assistance. This does not apply to disabled people

Bridge Open Work Permit - BOWP

Bridge Open Work Permit allows foreign nationals who are working for Canadian employers to work in Canada. This permits them to stay there while your application for permanent residence decision is made. Canada's bridging work permit is only for foreign nationals who have an existing job in Canada.

The time it takes to process a Bridging Open Work Permit depends on how your application was initiated. The processing time for your BOWP will take approximately 60 days if you apply online. This is approximately 2 months. Your BOWP processing time is 100 days if you submitted your application via paper submission.

After one year, the open work permit for Bridging is void. You would have received a decision on your application for permanent residency by this point. If you have already applied for permanent residence (Economic class), you can apply for an express entry bridging work permit that allows you to continue working for up to 4 months.

Open work permit for spouses of PGWP holders

You can use your spouse's Post-Graduation Work Permit to influence your application for an open work permit. Your spouse's work permits will expire around the same time as your work permit.

Spouse open work permit document checklist

The processing time for spouse open work permits is likely to take between 4 and 5 months. To avoid your spouse's open work permit is denied, make sure your proof of relationship is valid and complete. Your husband/wife must have a copy of the PGWP in order to apply for a work permit.

1. your spouse's open work permit
2. Their most recent pay slips
3. Your spouse's job offer letter. This letter can also be used to verify that your spouse is a worker under the National Occupational Classification 0. A or B.

Explanation

An explanation letter (also known as a letter of explanation) is also called a letter of explanation. This letter is typically prepared by foreign nationals to extend their study permits and to support their post-graduation work permits. LOE addresses Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada.

You will need to include a personal statement about your spouse and yourself in the letter of explanation for your spouse's open work permit. The letter of explanation will start with information about you, such as your name, education, qualifications, work experience, and age. You should also indicate your intentions for arriving in Canada. The letter should also include your spouse's current status and their arrival date in Canada.

You must have a minimum 2 year work permit if you are a live in caregiver in Canada. You must also have worked at least 3,900 hours, or 2 years within a 4 year period.