one-year pilot OWP for spouses and common-law partners

[danny87]

Thanks all for your answers. One last question hopefully.

Like mentioned in my previous post my wife has her student visa expiring at the end of July. Since an OWP may not come for 4 months and it's possible she could be denied an OWP she would then be out of status. If that's the case would it be safe to apply for a Visitor Visa before the Student Visa expires. Does that have any affect on the OWP application?

Thanks again.

The Pilot Program OWP approval is automatic, based simply on CIC receiving the Inland application.

That is actually not true. I have seen several people who had their application for OWP denied due to mistakes made in the application form, CIC also stated that over 80% of the applicants get approval for the OWP so that must mean the other 20% gets rejected/refused. The one that got refused I can recall best is someone putting the wrong date of first entry into Canada on their application.

However, once applied for OWP and the student visa expires, she will be on implied status as a visitor until a decision has been made. If the decision is negative, you have a few months to apply for restoration of status. Once that status has been restored you can re-apply for OWP (which then should go to Vegreville directly, instead of Mississauga) with the right information and once again you can be on implied status as a visitor after the status expires, until a decision has been made on that one. In the unusual case this might happen you should include a cover letter with the second application in which you explain what happened, and mention that you have applied for Permanent Residence and put the Permanent Residence application number (FXXXXXXXXX) and both of your UCI's on there (UCI of sponsor and UCI of sponsored person).

You should be able to send multiple applications for different things to CIC, i.e. an application for an OWP, an application for PR, so also an application for a visa extension without them interfering with each other.

The thing I was told you cannot do is apply for the same thing twice at the same time. So 2 applications for a work permit, or 2 applications for a visa at the same time.

Good luck to you all!

 

[Ponga]

That is actually not true. I have seen several people who had their application for OWP denied due to mistakes made in the application form, CIC also stated that over 80% of the applicants get approval for the OWP so that must mean the other 20% gets rejected/refused. The one that got refused I can recall best is someone putting the wrong date of first entry into Canada on their application.

That doesn't make sense, because the Pilot Program OWP (which has a much different qualifier than the normal OWP for an Inland applicant) is in fact processed long before the Inland application has even started to be processed. If a person has made an error on the Inland application and it were to [eventually] be returned to the applicant, then the OWP would be null and void.

Are you sure that you're not talking about refusals for the standard OWP, which are processed only if the Inland application has been processed to AIP?

 

[danny87]

No, I am sure it is about the Pilot Program.

The OWP (Pilot) application will be forwarded from Mississauga to Vegreville, which will then process the OWP application (in which Mississauga apparently gives them a note that the person is eligible under the Pilot Program). However if any of the information on the Open Work Permit application is wrong (not on the inland application), this will be refused just like any other application. After Mississauga sends the application to Vegreville, it has no connection to the information given in the PR application.

I know it has been sent to Vegreville, because that was the sender address on the envelope in which I found my own OWP a few days ago.

 

[anr8779]

Here is an update on spouses having access to employee work benefits. I have sent an message to sunlife directly and here is their response.

My message to sunlife:

Subject: Coverage Enquiries
Date posted: 20 May 2015 at 2:33 p.m. EST

I have a question regarding applicants being added to their spouse's work benefits program.

I was under the impression that in order for an applicant to get on the spouse's work benefits program for dental/prescriptions/eye and such, the spouse must be on a provincial health care
program such as OHIP.

If it is, in fact, true, could you provide me a link or a clause or policy that states this. I haven't been able to find on your sun life website spelling out this eligibility requirement.

I like to relay this information to others who believed that an applicant does not have to be on provincial health care in order to get access to work employee benefits, specifically the spouses of the employee.

Subject: Coverage Enquiries
Message from: Customer Service
Date posted: 22 May 2015 at 12:54 p.m. EST

Message:
Dear XXXXXXX,

Thank you for contacting Sun Life Financial. I welcome this opportunity to assist you.

Under the group plan, your dependant must be your spouse or your child and a resident of Canada or the United States. To be eligible, your spouse must be legally married to you, or be your partner of the opposite sex or of the same sex who is publicly represented as your spouse. You can only cover one spouse at a time. To further qualify for Extended Health Care coverage, you and your spouse should be covered under a provincial medicare plan or federal government plan that provides similar benefits. A link for this information is not available online, for which I apologize.

Please note that this information is based on your current contract with Sun Life Financial. If there are changes to your contract or your coverage terminates, you will no longer be eligible for benefits.

Should you require further information or clarification, we encourage you to contact us through our Web site at www.mysunlife.ca or by telephone at 1-800-361-6212. This line is available Monday to Friday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. (ET).

Sincerely,

Gail Evans
Customer Care Centre
Sun Life Financial Canada

Thats messed up my dude....but i anit saying nothing lol

I be like what claim?

 

[GustavesF]

No, I am sure it is about the Pilot Program.

The OWP (Pilot) application will be forwarded from Mississauga to Vegreville, which will then process the OWP application (in which Mississauga apparently gives them a note that the person is eligible under the Pilot Program). However if any of the information on the Open Work Permit application is wrong (not on the inland application), this will be refused just like any other application. After Mississauga sends the application to Vegreville, it has no connection to the information given in the PR application.

I know it has been sent to Vegreville, because that was the sender address on the envelope in which I found my own OWP a few days ago.

Ah, you're talking about the work permit application being filled out incorrectly... That makes sense.

 

[Ponga]

Agreed.

The OWP approval is automatic if the OWP is filled out correctly.

 

[danny87]

Exactly! And apparently that happens to 1 in 5 people who apply for the OWP.

So make sure the information is 100% accurate! Use your passport to check when your original (very first!!) entry into Canada was.

 

[chrismgallen]

Exactly! And apparently that happens to 1 in 5 people who apply for the OWP.

So make sure the information is 100% accurate! Use your passport to check when your original (very first!!) entry into Canada was.

... thinking of mistakes ... think I made a big one.

Have just noticed that the version of the OWP form I sent was dated "03/2015" but that the latest version on the website is "04/2015"... Now, I personally can't see any difference between the two, but I'm just wondering if this is likely to cause me issues... or rather, how serious an issue... :/

 

[cuttingman]

you R RIGHT. Sun life declined my wife's medical claim before, because of no provincial health insurance. Now she got AHCIP (alberta health) card and everything OK.

 

[xxxma3dl]

I have a question re provincial health insurance. Is it just in Ontario, or in all provinces of Canada?

 

[Ponga]

I have a question re provincial health insurance. Is it just in Ontario, or in all provinces of Canada?

The requirements for provincial health insurance varies by province. It sounds like Onterrible, er...I mean Ontario is one of the more difficult ones to qualify for.

 

[xxxma3dl]

The requirements for provincial health insurance varies by province. It sounds like Onterrible, er...I mean Ontario is one of the more difficult ones to qualify for.

Lol I thought so ;D
Thanks Ponga!

 

[frenzie2]

Hi All,

Is there a best practice to how this all should be organized? Should it be separated into 3 envelopes (sponsor / application / proof) for the PR and 1 for the OWP or 1 for each? If you can share that information in detail that would be greatly appreciated as well.

Thanks

 

[ssdn]

hi all,
i just read this thread and wanna ask for my wife who will be coming here in Canada as a tourist from Italy ( Indian National - hope she gets Trv ). I am here on work permit based on Lmia until apr 2017, and applied under EE few days ago, so can i apply for her open work permit under because of

1. I have got a work permit under noc b ?? can it be done all online or we have to send paper application to vegreville ??
or
2. Because i applied for express entry and have a file n. starting with E000xxxxxx, so i can apply for her open work permit ?? Always can it be done online or paper based application must be sent to vegreville ?

i am confused between c41 and pilot ?? may be ??

and also between Inland / outland ? my wife will be Inland if she will be applying from Within Canada, right ?

hope my pr file will be finalized in 4/5 months, thats the standard time going for express entry now, in that case i think we can go for flagpole and all should be well, but just to be sure if there is a possibility i would like to change her status.

another silly question, can we still send pr application without Express entry ? i thought every pr app. under fsw, cec and skillled trades goes through express entry now ;D.
Thanks for ur support.

 

[canuck_in_uk]

i just read this thread and wanna ask for my wife who will be coming here in Canada as a tourist from Italy ( Indian National - hope she gets Trv ). I am here on work permit based on Lmia until apr 2017, and applied under EE few days ago, so can i apply for her open work permit under because of

Post your question in the Express Entry section of the forum. This section is for Canadian citizens/PRs sponsoring their spouses. The pilot program referred to in this thread does not apply to your situation.