inquiry on how to apply open work permit of my spouse, i am a permanent resident

[jhoi]

hello everyone,

i would like to seek help about my husband who is currently holding a work permit under tfw program and
we would like to apply for his open work permit but we cant start how to and what are the things needed to submit and how to use the forms correctly.\

we have been searching for how to apply for open work permit but we are having a hard time finding a solution.
hope we can hear something from you guys thank you.

 

[Leon]

You can only apply for an open work permit as a part of an application to sponsor him for permanent residency inland. You can find the forms to do that here: http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/information/applications/spouse.asp

In order to apply for an open work permit with your application, you should fill out a change of status form, see here: http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/information/applications/extend-worker.asp Just write that what you want is an open work permit upon his first stage approval. It should take about 6 months to get the permit and another 8 months to get his PR.

 

[jhoi]

thanks leon, we are on the forms alerady and confuse about the options there to extend as (worker, open permit, other etc.) and also what to click on item number 3 of the imm5710e indicating what type of extension like new employer, same employer, initial permit as there is no option for him to click on the icon and scared of getting the answers to be turned down by the immigration officer. thank you

 

[ataur]

please give me any work visa i am bangladeshi residens my address ataur comilla bangladesh mobile 8801714788226

 

[gus]

Hi Leon,

I have the same situation with Jhoi, just have a couple quick questions if you don't mind.
I'm a PR trying to sponsor my spouse to get PR/ Open Work Permit (OWP). currently my spouse is in Canada.

question 1:
based on your explanation, looks like we should send the PR application + OWP at the same time. So, this is allowed by immigration officer? because I checked the CIC web, it only says about live-in caregiver.

question 2:
when will they start to process OWP application?
a. right after they assess that the sponsor is OK? or
b. after they assess the applicant (my spouse) is OK?

this is important, because if it is "a", we will apply from outside Canada, so we dont need to wait too long. Right now, it will only take around 35 days for sponsor to get assessed.
but if it is "b", we will apply from inside Canada, because the total process time is basically the same.

Thanks in advance Leon,
Gus

 

[Leon]

Hi Leon,

I have the same situation with Jhoi, just have a couple quick questions if you don't mind.
I'm a PR trying to sponsor my spouse to get PR/ Open Work Permit (OWP). currently my spouse is in Canada.

question 1:
based on your explanation, looks like we should send the PR application + OWP at the same time. So, this is allowed by immigration officer? because I checked the CIC web, it only says about live-in caregiver.

question 2:
when will they start to process OWP application?
a. right after they assess that the sponsor is OK? or
b. after they assess the applicant (my spouse) is OK?

this is important, because if it is "a", we will apply from outside Canada, so we dont need to wait too long. Right now, it will only take around 35 days for sponsor to get assessed.
but if it is "b", we will apply from inside Canada, because the total process time is basically the same.

Thanks in advance Leon,
Gus

Question 1:

Open work permit is only an option for an inland application. You should only apply inland if your spouse is committed to staying in Canada throughout the processing time. It is a requirement of inland to stay in Canada.

What has recently changed with spousal inland is that earlier, they were processed in Vegreville, the same office that processes work permits and now they are processed in Mississauga. Being processed at the same office was allowing people to include an OWP application with their sponsorship requesting it upon first stage approval. Now, I don't think it would work any more because if you send the OWP with your sponsorship to Mississauga, they don't actually process WP but if you send the OWP application to Vegreville at the same time you apply for sponsorship in Mississauga, Vegreville doesn't know about your sponsorship and would probably tell you that you are not eligible for an OWP at this time. You can however wait for your inland first stage approval and then apply for an OWP which was of course also an option in earlier days.

Question 2:

First stage approval for inland takes around 9 months, see http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/information/times/perm-fc.asp and then you could apply for an OWP. You can see on the same page that for outland Mississauga is approving sponsor in 33 days but you gain no rights through sponsor approval, it just marks the date that Mississauga will forward your outland application to your local visa office.

 

[Darknightrider]

HI Leon,

I am about to get my PR. Based on your reply, it seems that I cannot apply for a spouse work permit for my spouse if she is outside Canada, isn't it?
What I can do to bring her here since PR would take a year or so to be approved?

Thanks!

 

[Leon]

Why did you add her as a non-accompanying? If you didn't get your PR visa yet, you can immediately contact the visa office and ask to change her status to accompanying. She already had the background checks and medicals so it should not be a big deal. She would then get her PR visa too. She can either land at the same time as you do or at any time after you do, however as long as her PR visa is still valid.

If you were already granted your visa, you can wait until after you land and then sponsor her for PR. I don't know if it will take a year but there is no work permit granted to a spouse of a PR except for inland after first stage approval.

If you want her to wait with you, you can apply for her visit visa and she can join you as a visitor but she would not be able to work or have health care so you would have to get insurance for her. If she is already in Canada before you apply to sponsor her and committed to staying throughout the processing time, you have the option to sponsor inland in which case it takes now around 8 months for first stage approval and then she can apply for a work permit.