Important Changes to Spousal Open Work Permits Coming Soon
The good news is that IRCC has announced that PR pathway is coming later this year for certain TEER 4 and 5 workers.
But for balance(?) IRCC is also going to make it more difficult for spouses and common law partners of work permit holders to get a Spousal Open Work Permit (SOWP).
On September 18, IRCC quietly announced, among other things, that it will be:
- Limiting work permit eligibility later this year to spouses of foreign workers in management or professional occupations (which is TEER 0 and 1 – not TEER 2 or 3 where trades or supervisory positions fall) unless those jobs fall within sectors with labour shortages (not announced yet) —under Canada’s work permit programs (TFWP and IMP)
If you or your partner’s work permit is due to expire and you have some time left on yours – now is the time to apply for a SOWP before the rules change.
There’s some helpful information on this topic in our blog post on couples’ sharing work permits: Open Work Permits for Spouses and Partners of IEC Participants.
The article is aimed at Working Holiday participants, but the same rules apply to the holder of any work permit and his/her spouse or partner.
Act now before it’s too late!
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