The spousal open work permit

The spouses, common-law partners and conjugal partners of Canadian citizens or permanent residents may receive a spousal open work permit while their sponsorship application for permanent residence is being processed.

Sponsored persons may work for any employer they choose in Canada, so that they can support themselves and their family financially throughout the immigration application process.

Overview of the open work permit

A detailed article aboutThe Open Work Permit.

An Open Work Permit allows eligible foreign nationals to work for any employer in Canada.

The greatest advantage of holding an open work permit is the freedom to work in the occupation, or for the employer, of your choice.

The spousal open work permit

Thespousal sponsorshipprogramme forms part of the family immigration class, under which a Canadian citizen or permanent resident (the sponsor) may sponsor their spouse, common-law partner or conjugal partner (the sponsored person) to become a Canadian permanent resident.

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC)aims to process applications under the spousal sponsorship programme within 12 months.

The open work permit for spouses, common-law partners and conjugal partners eases the financial and emotional strain of a lengthy application process by removing the need to choose between staying with a spouse or common-law partner and being able to work.

The spousal open work permit — and open work permits in general — is not tied to a particular employer or job, and allows the holder to work for almost any employer in Canada without needing a job offer confirmed in advance.

Eligibility for the spousal open work permit

To be considered for a spousal open work permit, a foreign national must:

• Be the principal applicant who has applied for permanent residence under the Spouse or Common-Law Partner in Canada class; or be a spouse, common-law partner or conjugal partner under the family class, whose application has been accepted for processing by IRCC after passing the completeness check and has not been refused or withdrawn.
• Have applied for a work permit with a maximum requested work permit duration of 2 years.
• Be the subject of a sponsorship application submitted by a spouse, common-law partner or conjugal partner who is a Canadian citizen or permanent resident.
• Share the same residential address as the sponsor in Canada at the time of application.
• Hold valid temporary resident status in Canada, or be eligible for and have applied to restore their status.
• The applicant and the sponsor must meet all the eligibility requirements of the spousal or common-law partner sponsorship programme.

Find out more about the spousal open work permit on the government website athere.