sugoidesne said:
Hi! I have a question on this.
My LMIA work permit is also expiring this coming August and I applied for PR under CEC inland at the end of April.
My friend who went through the PR process in the past advised me to apply for BOWP but apply it until the last possible date, but I don't quite understand why. He also told me I don't have to work for my current LMIA employer if I do this process.
I have "LMIA" work permit which allows me to work at the certain employer only. But when we say "BOWP," it stands for bridging OPEN work permit.
1)Does this mean ONCE or AFTER my LMIA wp expires, I can work for any employer until the decision is made? 2) Or Does this mean I can work for any employer THE MOMENT I applied for BOWP? 3) Or neither of those 2 choices but stay working at the current employer until PR decision is made?
I am so confused.. Can someone help me please..!!
Thanks a bunch!
Ab
The rule says
To be eligible for a BOWP, foreign nationals must
be currently in Canada;
have valid status on a work permit that is due to expire within the next four months;
be the principal applicant on an APR under the FSWC, the CEC, the FSTC, the PNC (see note below), or one of the two caregiver classes;
have completed one of the following APR stages:
their electronic application for permanent residence (e‑APR) submitted under Express Entry has passed the R10 completeness check; or
they have received a positive eligibility assessment on their paper APR submitted by mail under one of the economic classes above;
have applied for an open work permit;
have paid the work permit processing fee and the open work permit holder fee; and
have provided, as applicable, evidence (e.g., nomination certificate) that their provincial nomination is unrestricted.
So its required that you passed the R10 check. Usually R10 happens within 2-3 weeks of application submission (when Back ground check is marked as Not Needed from In-Progress). Since you submitted in April, hence by now you would have completed R10 check. You can apply for BOWP immediately.
If you are on open work permit, you can work for any employer. But I am not sure how it works with BOWP for LMIA permit holder. If there is any restriction it will be mentioned on the BOWP.
http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/resources/tools/temp/work/prov/bridging.asp
Determining if nomination has employment restrictions
In order to determine whether the applicant is subject to restrictions on employment, a nomination template letter has been provided to all provinces and territories. Different versions of the letter have already been implemented by several provinces and territories and are in the process of being implemented by all other provinces and territories.
This letter contains one of the following boxes, which IRCC officers can use to determine whether there are employment restrictions on the nomination. Provinces and territories have been instructed to choose “Yes” or “No” in the Restrictions on employment field, as this will provide IRCC officers with confirmation of whether the nominee is, in fact, eligible to apply for a BOWP.
Provinces and territories may include an employer or the name of the occupation and the National Occupational Classification (NOC) code, and still indicate that there are no employment restrictions. In these cases, the applicants are eligible for an open work permit, provided they meet the other eligibility criteria. A separate letter from the applicant or the nominating province to confirm that no employment restrictions exist should not be requested.
For previous versions of nomination letters (not template letters), if there is no specific indication on the letter that there are employment restrictions, the applicant is eligible for an open work permit, provided they meet the other eligibility criteria. A separate letter from the applicant or the nominating province to confirm that no employment restrictions exist should not be requested.