SIN & OPEN WORK PERMIT

[eyeoftheocean]

Today I had a bizzare moment with a government agency helping me find work, They seem to think that a temporary resident CANNOT work on a SIN number begining with 9 and a work permit that I explained it is an OPEN WORK PERMIT.They are saying only an employer can open a work permit ! and I could have probably been working illegally for the past couple of years on my OPEN WORK PERMIT. ???

Now on my OPEN WORK PERMIT it says on the left hand side ....

Any Employer

Open EA.

valid until July 2011



Can someone clarify that my opinion of my open work permit is to work any where for any employer with the number 9 as my SIN number ?

 

[suenim]

You are correct. I have been working on OWPs with my "9" SIN since 2006. The agency doesn't know what it's talking about.

 

[eyeoftheocean]

Thankyou, thats what I thought too, I also have been employed by an agency and they too confimed I am fully legal to work the agency said that the government agency need to know these facts as many more people use the govermnent agencies.

 

[Leon]

Agency is wrong. You will not get a permanent SIN until you are PR. In the meantime, there are loads of people working on open permits with SIN's starting with 9. Some of them are spouses or live-in caregivers who have gotten first stage approval on their PR applications and some of them are spouses or dependents of skilled temporary workers or international students.

 

[eyeoftheocean]

Agency is wrong. You will not get a permanent SIN until you are PR. In the meantime, there are loads of people working on open permits with SIN's starting with 9. Some of them are spouses or live-in caregivers who have gotten first stage approval on their PR applications and some of them are spouses or dependents of skilled temporary workers or international students.

I know I cannot get a permanent SIN until I am a PR, I am going through spousal sponsership and have AIP 2 years ago, have passed all my admissable checks just waiting for the big day now.

The agency told me I am legal to work on my open work permit . which I know from my past 3 OWP's as I have been working with the agency. As long as OPW says on it its open to any employer. So do the agency still have it wrong ? it was the goverment agency that told me I should not have been working on either :

 

[Leon]

The agency told me I am legal to work on my open work permit . which I know from my past 3 OWP's as I have been working with the agency. As long as OPW says on it its open to any employer. So do the agency still have it wrong ? it was the goverment agency that told me I should not have been working on either :

It is the government agency that is wrong. What they told you about an employer being able to open a work permit is BS. An employer can apply for an LMO and you could get a work permit tied to that employer based on that LMO but the employer has absolutely no control over your work permit nor can they make it open at any point. Open work permits are only given to people in certain conditions like yours. If your SIN did not start with 9, it would mean that you are PR already and would not need a work permit.

 

[eyeoftheocean]

Thanks Leon , I thought the gov agency was BS info ! I must say the women was adamant I should not work on either of these , then she has the cheek to say I have an aggressive attitude like most Brits and that I should drop it this was before I mentioned the OWP and SIN

 

[kelKel]

Then what what be the point of even having that type of work permit open or not if you couldn't work with it. "WORK" permit lol.

 

[Leon]

Yes, it would be fun to ask that government employee what she thinks is the purpose of an open "work" permit if you can't work with it

Sounds like she doesn't know her job but maybe she was new there.

 

[angelbrat]

She works for the government, what do you expect?

Lets be honest here, the amount of rubbish information given out by CIC call center workers, should tell us all that government employees have no idea about anything.

She is wrong!!!!! Everyone here knows that, I would complain to her supervisor and suggest they train their employees a little bit better.

 

[potcakes]

WOW what a crazy situation, one would think that asking someone who was a government employee for info, they would know what they were talking about. I have had so many conflicting bits of info it gets frustrating. Thank goodness for forums like these!!!!

 

[eyeoftheocean]

Her boss gave her the advise LOL which is even funnier !! will see what happens Monday when I fax them my OWP lol , they say their waiting for answers from the federal and provincial gov...to be continued !

On her buisness card it says she is managing director The town I live in is full of IRISH and named after an Irish town ..so I hope to god we are all singing from the same hymn sheet here

 

[eyeoftheocean]

So today , the gov agency called me and said, her boss said he has never heard of any body who isnt sponsered by a proffessor of a university to have an OPEN WORK PERMIT ..this is crazy !!!! she told me to call service canada to see if I can work with a 9 SIN ..after explaining yet again to this women I am legal to work with 9 and OWP , so just to satisfy the gov agency I called Service Canada only to be told YES I can work with 9 SIN and OWP ..FFS this gov agency are bonkers LOL....

 

[waynevega]

the incompetency of some government employees in this country never ceases to amaze me... u'd figure they would know about SINs that start with a 9 and OWPs...
I almost didn't get the health card myself with the OWP and AIP letter but fortunately this person corrected herself when she read the line on the OWP that reads: initially approved for PR...
These people owe u an apology at the minimum....
good luck, eyeoftheocean.

 

[Jurjen]

If the agency has so much trouble to have their information straight and to believe other people, I would strongly suggest those people to call the Services Canada callcenter themselves. In the worst case, send a complaint letter about this agency to the minister. He's the one with the end responsibility.