Open Work Permit

[Tuggie]

Hello everyone. I have been posting here for a few weeks or so, but haven't really given much of my background.

I am from the USA and married a Canadian citizen in April 2008. I am a CPA, so I found a job at a local accounting firm and obtained a temporary work permit that restricts me to working for that firm only. I have been working at this firm since July 2008. I have renewed my work permit twice. The last time I renewed it, they only gave me a one-year extension even though I requested two years. So, my temporary (restrictive) work permit expires January 31, 2012.

I filed for permanent residency under the spousal application. My application was received in early July 2010 at Vegreville (Inland) and began processing mid-September 2010.

I recently figured out that I may be waiting 18 months, instead of the 9 that I was expecting, to receive my PR status. This means I would receive PR status in January 2012.

I was wondering if I should send in an application for an Open Work Permit. I do not know anything about it. Would that give me the ability to work anywhere in Canada while waiting the final 9 months of my PR processing? How long do the open work permits normally get approved for (i.e. one year, etc.?).

If anyone has knowledge or experience with open work permits, please reply.

Thanks!

Tuggie

 

[kiwikris]

Hi Tuggie,

You should receive AIP within 8-9 months...well that is the first stage processing time as of today. Once you have this you can apply for an OWP. I applied for OWP with the application so when I received my letter there was also the OWP. Mine is valid for 2 years so Oct 2012! I have heard others have been valid for 4 months so not sure how they work it out?!?! The only restriction is that you are not allowed to attend university, so you wouldn't have to stay with your same employer. So you could send it in now to be attached to your current application or wait till AIP. I think it takes between 30-90 days for work permit, but as you know dates and time lines change.

If your visa runs out before you get AIP(which is not the case for you) then you are on implied staus and maintain working where you are and cannot change jobs or leave the country as then when you come back it would be as a visitor(or whatever visa you get depending on your passport) and it would be illegal for you to work. I had 2 months of implied status.

Hope this helps, best of luck.

 

[SaugaBoss]

is it easy to get a work permit? I got a job offer... do i ask the Canadian company to help me with the work permit

 

[RobsLuv]

You should have submitted your extension application for your restricted work permit, even though it wasn't due to expire, WITH your inland PR application - to protect your status and ensure that you could continue working. Doing that would have also resulted in them issuing you an Open Work Permit (so you can work for anyone) as soon as you reach first stage approval (8-9 months). That would become your new temporary status document.

You can still submit the extension/OWP ap to Vegreville. Include your client ID#, a copy of your current work permit, and proof that you have submitted an inland PR application. Choose the "work permit" box, and write across the top of the Application to Extend/Change Conditions: "Open Work Permit Application - Inland Spousal PR ap in process. DO NOT PROCESS until first stage approval". This will cover you until first stage approval and you won't have to apply for another work permit when the current one expires. Be sure, though, that you track delivery of the extension ap and get signature confirmation. That proves that you have "implied status" to continue working while waiting for first stage approval - even after your current permit expires (if it comes to that).

 

[Tuggie]

Hi!

Thanks for the excellent replies. I really appreciate it.

CIC extended my restricted work permit until January 31, 2012, so I should receive AIP by then. In April 2011 (9 months after they received my application) when I hope to have received AIP, I plan to send in a request for an open work permit. I plan to follow the advice you have offered here, so I will then have implied status until my PR application is approved.

Thanks!

Tuggie

 

[Devin]

Hello

I have a question related to the open work permit that you all received after being approved for first stage approval. My wife and I have applied “in Canada” for permanent residence for me, (she is a Canadian), and we sent in all the applications i.e.: opw, sponsorship etc... Altogether.
We received letters in the mail stating that my wife has been approved as a sponsor and also that my OWP has been approved. They also said that my formal documents will follow the letters that we received last week.
Problem is that they got our address wrong for some reason and now I am worried that my ‘formal’ documents have gone missing along the way, considering they sent them with the wrong address.
My question is whether you all received the work permit with the letters of approval, or did you also have to wait for the actual permits to come separately? If yours also came separately, how long after receiving the approval letters did it take for you to receive the actual permits? The reason I ask is because Canada post miraculously managed to deliver the letters of approval with the wrong address as the first part of it was correct. I just want to know how long it took for everyone else before I start to panic as i really would like to start working again.
The approval letters were sent out on the 22 November. I have called the call centre and they said that before they will even consider re – sending the permits, i have to wait another 4 weeks and then call them, and then i have to wait another month for them to re – issue the permits, so in other words i will have to wait another 2 months before i can work even though it is their fault. Kind of amusing, but what can i do...
Thanks

 

[kiwikris]

I received all my letters on the same day but in different envelopes. May go to the address and knock on their door or try going to the local post shop as they may have it there?

Good luck hope you find it!

 

[Devin]

Thanks, I will go and ask at my local post office, see what they say.