Open Work Permit For Spouse Outside Canada
Married or living common law with a temporary foreign worker? If your spouse is currently residing outside of Canada, there are several options for them to legally work inside the country. In this article, we’ll take a look at the Open Work Permit for Spouse Outside Canada.
With the latest rule changes, married/common-law partners in Canada are now entitled to an open work permit which allows them to take a job in any Canadian province or territory they wish. Previously, they were only allowed to work in the same specific province as their spouse. This can be a significant change and have significant positive impacts on households with spouses who want to advance their careers (and salary) by working outside of the location they are currently living. You can read more about this change here:
The Modernization of the International Mobility Program (IMP) has now made it possible for your spouse to come to Canada and work with an open work permit. This means that spouses will no longer have to be tied down to one employer, but can find gainful employment alongside you.
Open Work Permit For Spouse Outside Canada
When you are granted permanent residency status in Canada, one of the immediate benefits is getting a Work Permit for your spouse. The Work Permit opens up numerous opportunities to your spouse, but it can only be applied after you become a permanent Canadian Resident. So here are the latest updates on how to get this opportunity at the earliest.
Applying from OUTSIDE of Canada
- Scenario A: Together with your Study Permit Application OR
- Scenario B: Separate from your Study permit Application
For the two above scenarios, you would apply online.
Applying Online
1. Go to the Apply online page of the Immigration Canada website and fill out the Check your eligibility to apply questionnaire.
2. Write down the personal reference code you are given at the end of the questionnaire.
3. Log on to MyCIC (or register for an account – also known as a “GC Key” – if you don’t have one already)
- Be sure to include your UCI (Universal Client ID – which can be found on your Study Permit)
4. Complete the PDF Application Form provided
- Save it to your desktop, and upload it to your application (the electronic signature is not needed).
- No job offer is necessary when applying for a spousal work permit. You can indicate “not applicable” in fields requesting this information.
- No Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) is necessary for the above work permits; you can leave this section blank. NOTE: McGill’s CIC Designated Learning Institution number (DLI#) is O19359011033
5. Upload required documents
- Upload your saved IMM5710 form to your application
- When asked to upload your passport, be sure to include ALL stamped/marked pages of your passport. These should all be scanned into 1 document.
- If you were required to do a medical exam as part of your work permit application, upload proof of this (i.e. a receipt) in the additional documents section.
** IMPORTANT: Immigration Canada plans to expand their biometrics program. Your spouse may be required to provide biometrics when applying for their open work permit, for more information please see our News page.
6. Pay the required fees:
- Spousal work permit = $155 + new $100 fee (as of Feb. 21, 2015) = $255
7. Wait to receive your online work permit approval notice (Letter of Introduction).
- You can check IRCC to find out how long it will take before you get your Work Permit. Processing times vary according to volume and time of year.
- Having problems with your CIC online application? Contact your visa processing office.
