Who can obtain an open work permit as the spouse of an international student?
Recent Discussion on Spousal Open Work Permit for International Students!
If you are the spouse or common-law partner of an overseas student, you could be eligible for an open work permit (OWP). This open work permit allows you to work for most employers and sectors in Canada. It can be provided for a time up to the expiration of your partner’s study permit.
You may be eligible for an Open Work Permit (OWP) if your spouse or common-law partner is an overseas student enrolled in one of the programs listed below:
- A doctoral program.
- A master’s program of 16 months or longer.
- An eligible professional program:
- Doctor of Dental Surgery (DDS, DMD).
- Bachelor of Law or Juris Doctor (LLB, JD, BCL).
- Doctor of Medicine (MD).
- Doctor of Optometry (OD).
- Pharmacy (PharmD, BS, BSc, BPharm).
- Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM).
- Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BScN, BSN).
- Bachelor of Nursing Science (BNSc).
- Bachelor of Nursing (BN).
- Bachelor of Education (BEd).
- Bachelor of Engineering (BEng, BE, BASc).
In addition, spouses of international students must be medically and criminally admissible in Canada.
Work permits for spouses of overseas students cannot be provided for more than the period of the student’s study permit. Spousal employment permits cannot be extended if the student is in their final semester of studies.
You are considered a spouse once you have been lawfully married anywhere in the globe. If you haven’t been officially married, you can be considered common law if you’ve been living together in a conjugal relationship for at least 12 months, with only brief periods of separation.
Additional Eligible Programs:
Finally, spouses and partners of certain overseas students in qualified programs may be eligible for an OWP, as long as the student is enrolled in one of the following programs and the spouse applies after the relevant eligibility period begins:
| Program name | Province or territory | Eligibility period |
|---|---|---|
| Francophone Minority Communities Student Pilot (FMCSP) | Outside Quebec | From August 26, 2024 |
| Le projet de reconnaissance des compétences d’infirmières et d’infirmiers recrutés à l’international | Quebec | From April 30, 2024 |
| Projet de reconnaissance des compétences d’inhalothérapeutes formés à l’étranger | Quebec | From January 21, 2025 |
| Projet de recrutement et reconnaissance des compétences de technologistes médicaux formés à l’étranger | Quebec | From January 21, 2025 |
| Supervised Practice Experience Partnership | Ontario | From January 21, 2025 |
| Nurse Re-Entry (Red River College Polytechnic) | Manitoba | From January 21, 2025 |
| Internationally Educated Midwives Bridging Program (The University of British Columbia) | British Columbia | From January 21, 2025 |
| Canadian Pharmacy Practice Program (CP3) (The University of British Columbia) | British Columbia | From January 21, 2025 |
| Post-Degree Diploma: Nursing Practice in Canada (Langara College) | British Columbia | From January 21, 2025 |
How to Apply?
You can apply for a work permit as an international student’s spouse.
- Before completing an application, read the instruction guide to learn how to answer each field on the application form.
- Use the IRCC tool to generate a personalized document checklist:
- Note that technological issues demand that some questions within the tool be answered in a specific way.
- Create an account using the IRCC portal or sign in to an existing one.
- Pay the required costs and apply online:
- You can use this website to obtain an estimate of what costs you might have to pay.
To apply for an OWP, the spouse or common-law partner must show confirmation that the international student to whom they are married or partnered is enrolled in a degree-granting program. These documents include:
- Proof of full-time enrollment at an eligible institution, such as
- A letter of enrollment from the student’s designated learning institution (DLI); or
- Transcripts from the student’s current study program;
- A genuine copy of the student’s study permit.
How to extend a work permit?
A spouse or common-law partner of an overseas student may be eligible to extend their current open work permit under this stream if the following conditions are met:
- The student has a valid study permit.
- The student is physically present or will be physically present in Canada while studying.
- The student is enrolled full-time in a DLI program that is eligible for a Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP); and
- The student is not in the last term of their course of study.