How to obtain an open work permit for your partner or spouse while they are being sponsored?
Your spouse, common-law partner, or conjugal partner may be eligible for an open work permit (OWP) if you sponsor them for permanent residence in Canada.
Only after you have submitted your application to sponsor them for Permanent Residence (PR) can the sponsored individual apply for this OWP. They have to apply from within Canada for the OWP.
Your partner will be legally permitted to work for the majority of Canadian businesses in the majority of industries if they receive an OWP.
Throughout the sponsorship process, who is eligible to apply for an OWP?
If the sponsored individual is in Canada, they can apply for an Open Work Permit (OWP) through the Spouse or Common-Law Partner in Canada Class (Inland) and Family Class (Outland) sponsorship applications.
In order to qualify for an OWP, your loved one needs to be:
- Living in Canada with the sponsor: The sponsored partner must be residing in Canada with the sponsor.
- Real relationship with the sponsor: The couple must be in a genuine relationship.
- Submitted PR application: The sponsored person must have submitted an application for permanent residence (PR) and received an Acknowledgment of Receipt (AOR) from Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), confirming that the application is being processed.
- Ineligibility for OWP:
- If the sponsored person plans to apply for a work permit at a port of entry.
- If their PR application has been denied, withdrawn, or returned.
