Open Work Permit

[ilovemma]

My wife is on a 2 year closed work permit at the moment and she came to canada on a study visa. We are planning on filing her Permanent Residence. At the moment she works as a Personal Support Worker.

So the million dollar question is that when we file her P.R, will she be able to get Open Work Permit and do she had to cancel her Closed Work Permit.

Please share your experience or ideas. Would be much appreciated.

Thank you in advance

 

[Ponga]

How is she applying for PR? Family Class (spouse or common-law sponsorship)?

If you file an Inland application, she can include an OWP, but it would not be issued until you [sponsor] have received stage 1 approval [AIP] which is currently taking ~10-11 months to receive.

I'm not sure about the CWP issue, sorry.

 

[ilovemma]

Thank you Ponga for your reply .

I am a Permanent Resident, so she will be applying PR under Spousal category. And it would be inland application. Would she be able to apply for OWP the same day she files her PR or she had to wait. And how long will OWP will take?

According to Stage 1 approval [AIP] part, you mean to say that she won't even get a OWP before she gets her medical, security and all other requirements met for the PR process. Is that what you trying to say? Correct me if I am wrong.

Would be much appreciated.

Thank you once again.

 

[Ponga]

You should apply for the OWP at the same time that you send in the application for Spousal sponsorship. Be sure to write (in big letters across the top of the first page: OWP WITH IN-CANADA SPOUSAL SPONSORSHIP. PROCESS AFTER AIP. You have to do this because if they process the OWP before the spousal sponsorship application, it would be denied. I suggest putting the OWP in a separate envelope (within the big envelope that you mail) because it goes to a different building.

She cannot get the OWP until YOU have been approved as her sponsor (stage 1/AIP). This has nothing to do with her medical or security (PCC), so whether she sends them up front, or waits for CIC to ask her for them, it doesn't matter. CIC wouldn't ask for them until after you have AIP anyway. It will take approximately 11 months (maybe a bit faster) before she would have her OWP.

As I said, I don't know how OWP works after someone has had a closed work permit, so you'll need someone else to tell you which form to use.
I think it might be IMM5710, since she's not extending her CWP.

 

[Leon]

There is no specific form for open work permit. Use the temporary worker change of status/extend status form to apply.

 

[Matthew Iwama]

Use IMM 5710 and send it in to the "Permanent Residence Applications" address along with a cover letter including the UCI# of the sponsor.

Be detailed and write well, include the $150