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Open Work Permits

SAAB Immigration Services Inc. | Immigration Experts for Canada   →  Visa   →  Work in Canada   →  Open work Permits   →  Open Work Permits
Open Work Permits | SAAB Immigration Services, RCIC R536007

Overview of Open Work Permits

What this page covers

The family open work permit rules narrowed in January 2025 and again since. If you were told a spouse or child could work here, check the current position before anyone relies on it.

Open work permits allow foreign nationals to work for any employer in Canada without needing a specific job offer at the time of application. Unlike closed work permits, open work permits are not tied to a specific employer, making them flexible and highly beneficial for the permit holders.

Why Does an Open Work Permit Matter?

  • Flexibility
    Permit holders can switch jobs and employers without needing a new work permit.
  • Opportunities
    Increases job opportunities and mobility within the Canadian labor market.
  • Spousal Support
    Often available to spouses of international students and skilled workers, facilitating family unity and support.

Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP)

The Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP) allows international students who have graduated from a designated learning institution (DLI) in Canada to gain valuable Canadian work experience.

For more detailed information about the PGWP, including eligibility criteria, application process, and FAQs, please visit our dedicated PGWP page.

Read more

Key Information

  • Duration
    Valid for up to three years, depending on the length of the study program.
  • Pathway to PR
    Work experience gained can help qualify for permanent residency through the Canadian Experience Class (CEC) within Express Entry.

Bridging Open Work Permit (BOWP)

The Bridging Open Work Permit (BOWP) allows individuals who have applied for permanent residency to continue working while their application is processed.

Read more about bridging open work permits
Eligibility for BOWP

Must have applied for PR and hold a valid work permit that is set to expire within four months.

Which Open Work Permits Still Exist in 2026

An open work permit lets you work for almost any employer in Canada, without an LMIA and without being tied to one company. They are not granted on request. Each one belongs to a defined category, and several of those categories were narrowed sharply in 2025.

Categories Currently Available:

  • Post-Graduation Work Permit, for eligible graduates of Canadian institutions
  • Spousal open work permit, now substantially restricted, see below
  • Bridging Open Work Permit, for those with a qualifying permanent residence application in progress
  • International Experience Canada, including the working holiday category
  • Open work permit for vulnerable workers, where abuse relates to your employment

Further Categories:

  • Refugee claimants and protected persons, subject to eligibility, medical and biometrics being complete
  • Destitute students, in exceptional circumstances only
  • Certain in-Canada permanent residence applicants, including humanitarian and compassionate and spouse in Canada cases
  • A temporary public policy in force since 27 March 2026 for certain foreign nationals whose refugee claims are ineligible for referral

Most open work permits carry the open work permit holder fee in addition to the work permit processing fee.

The January 2025 Restrictions on Family Open Work Permits

This is the change that most often surprises clients, because the previous policy was so much broader. Since 21 January 2025 a spouse no longer qualifies simply because their partner holds a permit.

Spouses of Foreign Workers:

  • The principal worker must be employed in a TEER 0 or TEER 1 occupation
  • Or in a selected TEER 2 or 3 occupation in a shortage sector such as health care, construction, natural and applied sciences, natural resources, education, sports or the military
  • The principal worker must have at least sixteen months remaining on their work permit when the spouse applies
  • Dependent children of foreign workers are no longer eligible at all

Spouses of Students:

  • The student must be in a master’s program of sixteen months or longer, a doctoral program, or an eligible professional degree
  • College diplomas and undergraduate degrees no longer qualify for new permits
  • From 10 March 2026 a spouse cannot apply or extend while the student is in their final term
  • A program described as running twelve to eighteen months does not satisfy the sixteen month rule
  • Spouses covered by free trade agreements, and family members of applicants transitioning to permanent residence, are exempt from these restrictions

If you already hold one. Existing permits remain valid until they expire. Renewals, however, are assessed against the current criteria, so a permit that was straightforward to obtain in 2024 may not be renewable on the same basis.

Where Do People Lose Status While Waiting?

Maintained status, previously called implied status, is one of the most misunderstood parts of the system, and misunderstanding it is how people end up working without authorization.

How Maintained Status Works:

  • It applies only if you applied to renew before your current permit expired, and you remain in Canada
  • You may keep working under the conditions of the expired permit until a final decision is made
  • Leaving Canada and returning ends that work authorization
  • The interim proof of work letter now runs for 365 days rather than 180, and its expiry is evidentiary only, so authorization does not end when the letter does

Where It Does Not Apply:

  • Restoration is not maintained status. If you apply to restore, you may not work or study while it is pending
  • Restoration must be applied for within ninety days of losing status
  • Since 1 May 2026 out of status workers and students may restore as a visitor, which was not previously possible
  • A visitor in Canada can no longer apply for a work permit inland, as that public policy ended on 28 August 2024

Applying a few days before expiry rather than a few days after is frequently the difference between continuing to work lawfully and being unable to work for several months. If your permit expires within the next ninety days, this is worth a conversation now rather than later.

Would a Considered View on Your Open Work Permits Options Help?

Most applicants have more than one route available and rarely the same one they arrived expecting. SAAB Immigration Services Inc. offers a complimentary ten minute consultation to set out the options that genuinely apply to your situation. There is no obligation.

Ask us to take a look

Spousal Open Work Permit (SOWP)

Spousal Open Work Permits allow the spouses of certain international students and skilled workers to work in Canada. This program supports family unity and provides financial stability for families during their stay in Canada.

Read more
Eligibility Requirements

  • International students enrolled full-time at a Designated Learning Institution (DLI) studying Master’s or Professional Degree or Doctoral degree program and Participating in an eligible pilot program.
  • Skilled workers in TEER levels 0, 1, 2, or 3 occupations.

Open Work Permit for Sponsored Spouse or Common-Law partner in Canada

An Open Work Permit allows the sponsored spouse or common-law partner of a Canadian citizen or permanent resident to work in Canada while their application for permanent residence is being processed. This facilitates family reunification and provides the opportunity for financial stability during the immigration process.

For more information about this program’s eligibility requirements, FAQs, and more, please visit our dedicated Open Work Permits page.

Read more about the spouse in Canada open work permit
Who Can Apply?

  • Spouses or Common-Law Partners Living in Canada
  • Principal Permanent Residence Applicants
  • Dependent Children

Open Work Permit for Vulnerable Workers

This permit is designed to protect foreign workers experiencing abuse or at risk of abuse in their workplace. It allows them to leave their employer and seek new employment without the need for a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA).

For more detailed information about this program’s eligibility requirements, FAQs, and more, please visit our dedicated Vulnerable Workers Open Work Permit page.

Read more
Eligibility Requirements

  • Must be in Canada on a valid work permit
  • Must be experiencing or at risk of abuse in the context of your job
Application Process
  • Gather evidence of abuse or risk of abuse
  • Submit an application online or by paper

Open Work Permit for Destitute Students

This permit is for international students in Canada who are facing financial hardship due to unforeseen circumstances. It allows them to work off-campus without restrictions to support themselves. Students must continue to meet the conditions of their study permit while holding and working with the open work permit, namely to remain enrolled in a designated learning institution and actively pursue their studies.

For more detailed information about this program’s eligibility requirements, FAQs, and more, please visit our dedicated Destitute Students Open Work Permit page.

Read more
Who Can Apply?

  • Must be an international student with a valid study permit
  • Must be experiencing financial hardship due to unforeseen circumstances
  • Must be enrolled in a DLI and be actively pursuing studies at the time of application

Frequently Asked Questions

Can my spouse get an open work permit if I have a work permit?

Only in narrower circumstances than before. Since 21 January 2025 your spouse qualifies if you are employed in a TEER 0 or TEER 1 occupation, or in a selected TEER 2 or 3 occupation in a shortage sector, and you have at least sixteen months remaining on your work permit when they apply. Dependent children of foreign workers are no longer eligible at all.

Can I work for any employer on an open work permit?

Almost any. You are not tied to a named employer, but you still cannot work for an employer on the ineligible list, which includes businesses offering striptease, erotic dance, escort services or erotic massage.

Does applying to restore my status let me keep working?

No, and this is the most costly misunderstanding we see. Maintained status lets you keep working while an extension you filed before expiry is decided. Restoration does not. If you have fallen out of status you may not work or study while the restoration application is pending.

What is the difference between maintained status and implied status?

They are the same thing. IRCC renamed implied status to maintained status in 2021. If you see implied status used on a website, that content has not been updated in several years.

I am a visitor in Canada with a job offer. Can I apply for a work permit here?

No. The temporary public policy that allowed visitors to apply inland ended on 28 August 2024 and has no replacement. You would generally need to apply through an outside-Canada stream.

How long does an open work permit take to process?

In-Canada work permit processing was running at approximately 124 days as at July 2026. Because that is well over three months, applying early rather than close to expiry is what protects your ability to keep working.

Plan Your Open Work Permits Application Properly, the First Time

A refused application follows an applicant into everything that comes after it, which is why the preparation matters more than the submission. We will review your circumstances and documents together, address the risks before they reach an officer, and set out exactly what is required.

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Related Pages

Other pages on this site that deal with closely connected questions.

© SAAB Immigration Services Inc. 2026