Open Work permit for spouse of PGWP holder
- Thread starter androme
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Hi mdd2011 and kat765,
I wish I could help you but I don't want to give you false information. My wife applied once and was rejected with letter saying she's not eligible because I'm not a student which is ridiculous and we are thinking of getting a lawyer too. As I said in the previous posts, I called the call center a couple of times and they gave different answers regarding the eligibility of spouse of PGWP holders. If you want to give it a shot, make sure you have your employer write you an employment letter specifying your job title, NOC number and salary and duties etc to prove you are a skilled worker. And maybe also include a copy of page 70-71 (section 5.38) of foreign worker manual. (search foreign worker manual on google). And maybe even a description of your job duties on the NOC website to show that you are skilled worker of NOC 0,A,B. That's what I can think of. I have heard of people both granted and refused OWP and I have no idea how CIC agents do work. It seems to me that a lot of them do not know what they are doing. The form I used was APPLICATION TO CHANGE CONDITIONS, EXTEND MY STAY OR REMAIN IN CANADA. Hope that helps.
I wish I could help you but I don't want to give you false information. My wife applied once and was rejected with letter saying she's not eligible because I'm not a student which is ridiculous and we are thinking of getting a lawyer too. As I said in the previous posts, I called the call center a couple of times and they gave different answers regarding the eligibility of spouse of PGWP holders. If you want to give it a shot, make sure you have your employer write you an employment letter specifying your job title, NOC number and salary and duties etc to prove you are a skilled worker. And maybe also include a copy of page 70-71 (section 5.38) of foreign worker manual. (search foreign worker manual on google). And maybe even a description of your job duties on the NOC website to show that you are skilled worker of NOC 0,A,B. That's what I can think of. I have heard of people both granted and refused OWP and I have no idea how CIC agents do work. It seems to me that a lot of them do not know what they are doing. The form I used was APPLICATION TO CHANGE CONDITIONS, EXTEND MY STAY OR REMAIN IN CANADA. Hope that helps.
Hello all,
I think we can now finally answer the question- Can a spouse of a PGWP get an open work permit?
The answer is YES - BUT the PGWP must hold a job in skill level 0, A or B.
Previously others have "theorized" that this rule that is posted on the cic website only applies to temporary work permits with closed work permits. But others on this thread and myself included now have OWP for our spouses, while we hold a PGWP. So I hope others out there find this thread and do not have to stress as much as we did.
Also, note that others have used lawyers, other have not. I did not use a lawyer, only a simple letter from the employer stating my job title, I also asked them employer to indicate the NOC category.
Good luck everyone. Hopefully CIC can add this to their FAQ for international students/working after graduation and stop the confusion and ambiguity. Also please note that some of you may have some unique circumstances such as your spouses not residing in Canada at the time of the application. My above comment relates to my experience with spouse residing in Canada.
wan
I think we can now finally answer the question- Can a spouse of a PGWP get an open work permit?
The answer is YES - BUT the PGWP must hold a job in skill level 0, A or B.
Previously others have "theorized" that this rule that is posted on the cic website only applies to temporary work permits with closed work permits. But others on this thread and myself included now have OWP for our spouses, while we hold a PGWP. So I hope others out there find this thread and do not have to stress as much as we did.
Also, note that others have used lawyers, other have not. I did not use a lawyer, only a simple letter from the employer stating my job title, I also asked them employer to indicate the NOC category.
Good luck everyone. Hopefully CIC can add this to their FAQ for international students/working after graduation and stop the confusion and ambiguity. Also please note that some of you may have some unique circumstances such as your spouses not residing in Canada at the time of the application. My above comment relates to my experience with spouse residing in Canada.
wan
Hello people,
This is why I like CIC - they are quite transparent. A while back I suggested we should advocate for CIC to clarify the vague issue of whether spouses of PGWP can apply for an open work permit and many of us posted here trying to find the answer. Well CIC has finally clarified the issue! Under working temporarily SPOUSES it is now clear that yes spouses of Pgwp who meet the criteria can apply see here http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/work/arriving.asp#spouse
I hope this thread helps others avoid the hassle some of us went through.
Wan
This is why I like CIC - they are quite transparent. A while back I suggested we should advocate for CIC to clarify the vague issue of whether spouses of PGWP can apply for an open work permit and many of us posted here trying to find the answer. Well CIC has finally clarified the issue! Under working temporarily SPOUSES it is now clear that yes spouses of Pgwp who meet the criteria can apply see here http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/work/arriving.asp#spouse
I hope this thread helps others avoid the hassle some of us went through.
Wan
Hi All
Q1 -> How to apply for OWP ? It is okay to apply online ? If not where to apply physically in canada ? I am in toronto.
Q2 -> How long OWP takes ?
My Case - I am on closed work permit W1 and my wife dependant. My job is skilled so I should be eligible to apply OWP for my wife. I asked for OWP at port of entry. The immigration officer said it cannot be done here.
Regards
Gaurav
Q1 -> How to apply for OWP ? It is okay to apply online ? If not where to apply physically in canada ? I am in toronto.
Q2 -> How long OWP takes ?
My Case - I am on closed work permit W1 and my wife dependant. My job is skilled so I should be eligible to apply OWP for my wife. I asked for OWP at port of entry. The immigration officer said it cannot be done here.
Regards
Gaurav
u can apply online. the cic website has all the instructions. otherwise u need to mail the app pkg.
check the link for processing times. http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/information/times/temp.asp
Hi All,
I have applied online, for a work permit. My spouse is a skilled professional (skill A) currently employed at a firm. The online application is much different than the paper application. It basically asks straight forward questions and I had to type in the answers. For the supporting documents, however, there was a catch. They only asked for a scanned copy of my passport. There were no additional fields where I could upload or attach other files (like work permit, offer letter etc.)
I thought it would be best to scan attach my passport, marriage certificate, my spouse's work permit, Offer Letter from her employer, Pay stubs and the job posting (showing the NOC category). I managed to create a single file containing all of the above documents, and attached it in the online application, where they only asked for the passport.
I submitted the application on Sep 19 and waiting for the response. I am quite worried about CIC's inconsistent accept/reject decisions, as shared by many of the forum member here. Can an experienced / senior member advise if my supporting documents are sufficient or not.
M
I have applied online, for a work permit. My spouse is a skilled professional (skill A) currently employed at a firm. The online application is much different than the paper application. It basically asks straight forward questions and I had to type in the answers. For the supporting documents, however, there was a catch. They only asked for a scanned copy of my passport. There were no additional fields where I could upload or attach other files (like work permit, offer letter etc.)
I thought it would be best to scan attach my passport, marriage certificate, my spouse's work permit, Offer Letter from her employer, Pay stubs and the job posting (showing the NOC category). I managed to create a single file containing all of the above documents, and attached it in the online application, where they only asked for the passport.
I submitted the application on Sep 19 and waiting for the response. I am quite worried about CIC's inconsistent accept/reject decisions, as shared by many of the forum member here. Can an experienced / senior member advise if my supporting documents are sufficient or not.
M
