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Opt-in for Valid Open Work Permit Holders

powereng1982

powereng1982

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Jun 4, 2021
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x11chandrasekhar@iima.ac. said:
My understanding of the rules are as follows (again, disclaimer, I am not a expert/lawyer, but this is from experience).

If the Opt-in was provided for the Primary applicant (not the spouse), then the primary applicant upon receiving the extended WP can then apply for either a new OWP for their Spouse, or extend their Spouse's OWP to the same end date as the primary applicant's newly extended WP.

If the Opt-in was provided for the Spouse's Open Work permit (SOWP), then that extension validity is only for the spouse. This is because the conditions under which the initial permit were granted was that there was a primary applicant who sponsored the spouse application , and this primary applicant held either a SP, WP or CWP before arriving to Canada. If you make a fresh application, most likely the office will note that you were the primary applicant even though you will be filing your application as a dependent. While there are no links I could find, I really think the whole undertaking is risky and stands a chance of being rejected. But if nothing else is happening and you are forced to go into "Visitor" mode, might as well as give it a try.
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But again, how can a primary applicant get this opt-in extension? They always come with a employer-specific work permit or a study permit
 
x11chandrasekhar@iima.ac.

x11chandrasekhar@iima.ac.

Hero Member
Jun 3, 2020
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Category........
PNP
powereng1982 said:
But again, how can a primary applicant get this opt-in extension? They always come with a employer-specific work permit or a study permit
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Not all get and it is subject to another public policy. For example, there is one currently in force for PGWP holders valid til Dec 31st 2023 : https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/corporate/publications-manuals/operational-bulletins-manuals/temporary-residents/foreign-workers/pgwp.html. Not sure about Closed work permit holders.
 
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approvalplease

Star Member
Jun 20, 2023
196
22
Hchopra218 said:
I am still waiting for the response. I have just opt-in through regular process, applied june14. No response yet.

When did you apply?
anyone else out there waiting??
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When you say opt-in through regular process, do you mean submitted a work permit extension application? If so, how did you indicate that your application is for the 18 month extension special measure.
 
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sarab1402

Star Member
Jul 28, 2017
160
22
powereng1982 said:
But again, how can a primary applicant get this opt-in extension? They always come with a employer-specific work permit or a study permit
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You can try flag-polling the worst will be the officer will deny it. If officers approve it by checking your spouse's extended work permit then it's a win-win situation.
Currently, you hold a valid closed permit so coming back to Canada won't be an issue for you.
 
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visacan21

Newbie
Jul 26, 2023
2
0
I opted for "Opt-in" on 7th June. I've not received anything until today.
On 17th July, I've received an email stating about technical issues at their end related to address so I updated my address again on the same day.
But when I was trying to check the status, it is still giving me the similar error as follow in both Passport and Address field:

Error: Cannot retrieve client information

Anyone facing the same or Anyone has a solution for the same?
 
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AleenaRooben

Member
Mar 28, 2023
10
1
I applied for normal sowp extension when i was waiting for the result i got the opt in email and i applied for both. Now I got my sowp extended till December 1/2024 and through opt in the another work permit got updated today till 3/30/2025. Which work permit to consider now.
 
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vivekvargh

Star Member
Oct 22, 2020
63
9
x11chandrasekhar@iima.ac. said:
Congrats to those who are getting approvals this week. Have you received the "Correspondence Letter" as well ? So you should get a letter in GCKey , but the contents of those are very confusing as it states that you need to bring documents with you for IRCC to grant you the extended permit. The point is that all of us are inland applicants, so whats this all about ? I thought that they were supposed to send the WP by postal mail to you address.
I got approval last week on June 19th (wednesday), but its already 1 week now and I still havent got the hard copy to my address yet. Wondering if there is something that needs to be done ............
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I am also confused.. my spouse's optin extension was also approved and she got a correspondence letter today
 
powereng1982

powereng1982

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Jun 4, 2021
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AleenaRooben said:
I applied for normal sowp extension when i was waiting for the result i got the opt in email and i applied for both. Now I got my sowp extended till December 1/2024 and through opt in the another work permit got updated today till 3/30/2025. Which work permit to consider now.
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Check in Gckey if both work permit counterfoil are valid, then you should consider the one with maximum length. Usually after extension of work permit, previous counterfoil is marked invalid in gckey
 
powereng1982

powereng1982

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Jun 4, 2021
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sarab1402 said:
You can try flag-polling the worst will be the officer will deny it. If officers approve it by checking your spouse's extended work permit then it's a win-win situation.
Currently, you hold a valid closed permit so coming back to Canada won't be an issue for you.
Click to expand...
I agree with you and wouldnt hesitate in trying it.

For flag-polling, should we apply first and go there or we can also apply on-site after getting consultation with visa officer to confirm the eligibility?
 
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