Some BOWP questions while I wait for PR

[AK114]

Hello,

Like a lot of you, I have now been waiting for PR for over a year and it seems like it will be many more months of wait due to Covid-19. If any of you have successfully applied for BOWP recently, please help me answer the follow doubts.

For context - My open PGWP expires in Nov 2020. I want to be extra careful as my husband had his WP extension rejected last year (restored now).

Questions about BOWP:
1) While filling out the 'Come to Canada' questionnaire, I answered 'Yes' to the question 'Applied for Permanent Residence to an office in Canada and was determined to be eligible for Permanent Resident status (first stage approval)' since I have my AOR and provincial nomination. the system found me eligible to apply for an OWP. Is that correct?

2) In the documents list I am required to fill Form IMM5710e, but this form only has four options for reason of application. The only option that applies to me is 'Apply for a work permit with the same employer'. Is this the correct form and correct option? Even though I have an open WP and am applying for an open WP?

3) Other documents required in the list are passport, medical exam, photo and marriage certificate. I feel like this is not enough, should I be seeing more document requests? Of course, I will be uploading my AOR, nomination and current PGWP in client information. Please suggest any other documents I should upload. How about job offer and salary slips?

4) In the optional documents it suggests me to fill out Schedule 1 (applying outside of canada), but I am guessing that is not required?

5) My AOR is just an email from the IRCC confirming receipt of my application along with my UCI, application number and date, is that sufficient? They did not send me a pdf or letter in the mail. But it does have the following sentence: "This confirms that your application for permanent residence in Canada has been received by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) on 2019/xx/xx."

Thank you all!

 

[primaprime]

That's the right form and it seems they don't care whether you tick the box about applying for a work permit with a new employer or the same employer. If they're unhappy with your documents they'll let you know and ask for more.

 

[AK114]

That's the right form and it seems they don't care whether you tick the box about applying for a work permit with a new employer or the same employer. If they're unhappy with your documents they'll let you know and ask for more.

Thank you, that helps a lot!

 

[danlb34]

Hello,

Like a lot of you, I have now been waiting for PR for over a year and it seems like it will be many more months of wait due to Covid-19. If any of you have successfully applied for BOWP recently, please help me answer the follow doubts.

For context - My open PGWP expires in Nov 2020. I want to be extra careful as my husband had his WP extension rejected last year (restored now).

Questions about BOWP:
1) While filling out the 'Come to Canada' questionnaire, I answered 'Yes' to the question 'Applied for Permanent Residence to an office in Canada and was determined to be eligible for Permanent Resident status (first stage approval)' since I have my AOR and provincial nomination. the system found me eligible to apply for an OWP. Is that correct?

2) In the documents list I am required to fill Form IMM5710e, but this form only has four options for reason of application. The only option that applies to me is 'Apply for a work permit with the same employer'. Is this the correct form and correct option? Even though I have an open WP and am applying for an open WP?

3) Other documents required in the list are passport, medical exam, photo and marriage certificate. I feel like this is not enough, should I be seeing more document requests? Of course, I will be uploading my AOR, nomination and current PGWP in client information. Please suggest any other documents I should upload. How about job offer and salary slips?

4) In the optional documents it suggests me to fill out Schedule 1 (applying outside of canada), but I am guessing that is not required?

5) My AOR is just an email from the IRCC confirming receipt of my application along with my UCI, application number and date, is that sufficient? They did not send me a pdf or letter in the mail. But it does have the following sentence: "This confirms that your application for permanent residence in Canada has been received by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) on 2019/xx/xx."

Thank you all!

1) Yes. However, you should also make sure that you already had a positive Eligibility access in your PR application (this doesn't happen always at the same time as you receive the AOR). Check for "Paper APR Determining if a positive eligibility decision has been made" in this link: https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/corporate/publications-manuals/operational-bulletins-manuals/temporary-residents/foreign-workers/provincial-nominees-permanent-resident-applicants/bridging-open-work-permits.html

I would advise to order GCMS notes for your PR application 1 month before you reach the 4 months to expiration of your current work permit. That way you can check that you already passed through "Eligibility". Without GCMS notes, a good indication for that would be if you receive PAL (i don't have a link for that, but observing the forum usually people has passed Eligibility when they receive PAL. In my GCMS notes, I noticed that Eligibility was turned to "Passed" in the same day I got a PAL). A photocopy of the 2 first pages of your GCMS notes, that summarizes your application and what was already evaluated, would be a good extra document to attach on "Client Information".

Don't forget for type of work permit you're applying to be "Open Work Permit" (Actually check as well the section for 'Issuing a BOWP' in the operational bulletin manual of the link above, because it states how the officer should evaluate your application).

2) "Work permit with same employer" Or "Work permit for for the first time or new employer".

3) The job offer, pay slip, and even bank statements are not mandatory for Bowp. However, you can include them as proof of income, I would just not add the job offer to avoid confusions.

As I said before, if you have the GCMS notes for your PR application the 2 first pages would be good ( in theory, again, they should go and look the GCMS notes to check your PR application status anyway). You can also do a print screen of the Bowp requirements according with their manual bulletin (link I posted above), just as a reminder of what you followed to make sure you reach the Bowp requirements.

If your provincial nominee certificate marks "no" for "employment restriction" but indicates a name of an employer/noc, I would also include a print-screen of the section of the operational bulletin manual that states that this is totally fine and I would point that in your letter of explanation with a link to the manual website. Officers shouldn't make confusion and think that you have employment restrictions, but it's better to do it to guarantee that they won't evaluate this requirement wrongly.

Don't forget a letter of explanation to show clearly how do you meet the Bowp requirements. And do a list of attachments in this letter. Create a single pdf with the LOE, + attachments. I would add the mandatory documents first, and the additional later (officers have like around 10 minutes to review an application, it's better to make things easier as possible for them to read). Not mandatory, but to avoid the officer forget to check an attachment you can name your pdf like: "LetterOfExplanation, AOR, nomination letter, work permit, etc...pdf" that way becomes more clear what are your attachments.

4) I believe this is optional and better to avoid. To you get the TRV after the work permit, it would be pretty fast (less than 1 month - at least before covid 19).

5) Yes, the email is the AOR.

 

[AK114]

1) Yes. However, you should also make sure that you already had a positive Eligibility access in your PR application (this doesn't happen always at the same time as you receive the AOR). Check for "Paper APR Determining if a positive eligibility decision has been made" in this link: https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/corporate/publications-manuals/operational-bulletins-manuals/temporary-residents/foreign-workers/provincial-nominees-permanent-resident-applicants/bridging-open-work-permits.html

I would advise to order GCMS notes for your PR application 1 month before you reach the 4 months to expiration of your current work permit. That way you can check that you already passed through "Eligibility". Without GCMS notes, a good indication for that would be if you receive PAL (i don't have a link for that, but observing the forum usually people has passed Eligibility when they receive PAL. In my GCMS notes, I noticed that Eligibility was turned to "Passed" in the same day I got a PAL). A photocopy of the 2 first pages of your GCMS notes, that summarizes your application and what was already evaluated, would be a good extra document to attach on "Client Information".

Don't forget for type of work permit you're applying to be "Open Work Permit" (Actually check as well the section for 'Issuing a BOWP' in the operational bulletin manual of the link above, because it states how the officer should evaluate your application).

2) "Work permit with same employer" Or "Work permit for for the first time or new employer".

3) The job offer, pay slip, and even bank statements are not mandatory for Bowp. However, you can include them as proof of income, I would just not add the job offer to avoid confusions.

As I said before, if you have the GCMS notes for your PR application the 2 first pages would be good ( in theory, again, they should go and look the GCMS notes to check your PR application status anyway). You can also do a print screen of the Bowp requirements according with their manual bulletin (link I posted above), just as a reminder of what you followed to make sure you reach the Bowp requirements.

If your provincial nominee certificate marks "no" for "employment restriction" but indicates a name of an employer/noc, I would also include a print-screen of the section of the operational bulletin manual that states that this is totally fine and I would point that in your letter of explanation with a link to the manual website. Officers shouldn't make confusion and think that you have employment restrictions, but it's better to do it to guarantee that they won't evaluate this requirement wrongly.

Don't forget a letter of explanation to show clearly how do you meet the Bowp requirements. And do a list of attachments in this letter. Create a single pdf with the LOE, + attachments. I would add the mandatory documents first, and the additional later (officers have like around 10 minutes to review an application, it's better to make things easier as possible for them to read). Not mandatory, but to avoid the officer forget to check an attachment you can name your pdf like: "LetterOfExplanation, AOR, nomination letter, work permit, etc...pdf" that way becomes more clear what are your attachments.

4) I believe this is optional and better to avoid. To you get the TRV after the work permit, it would be pretty fast (less than 1 month - at least before covid 19).

5) Yes, the email is the AOR.

Hey, thanks a lot for the excellent reply!
I have already requested the GCMS notes so hopefully they come back in the next couple of weeks.

 

[danlb34]

Hey, thanks a lot for the excellent reply!
I have already requested the GCMS notes so hopefully they come back in the next couple of weeks.

You're welcome. I would also apply as soon you reach the 4 months and don't let to last, they should process it in 3 months or less (that would give u the opportunity to reapply in case there's some error and the application is refused).

 

[angelangel]

Hello,

Just trying to understand this and I am more confused. If one has to extend their WP but have not received an AOR these are the options:
1. Apply with Compliance portal job offer from employer- This is closed wp
2. Apply with AOR/file number if you have received it- so Open work Permit
3. Apply without AOR and submit your AOR after.

Are these the 3 options or more options are available?

 

[danlb34]

Hello,

Just trying to understand this and I am more confused. If one has to extend their WP but have not received an AOR these are the options:
1. Apply with Compliance portal job offer from employer- This is closed wp
2. Apply with AOR/file number if you have received it- so Open work Permit
3. Apply without AOR and submit your AOR after.

Are these the 3 options or more options are available?

Yes, I think it summarizes the options regarding the "AOR". You would also add some other documents in your application (Letter of explanation, certificate of provincial nomination, photocopy of the old work permit, etc...).

 

[lynly_r]

Yes, I think it summarizes the options regarding the "AOR". You would also add some other documents in your application (Letter of explanation, certificate of provincial nomination, photocopy of the old work permit, etc...).

Hi. Can you please advice? My husband´s AR is August. Got laid off in Sept. Still waiting for AOR. His work permit will expire soon. Can he apply for BOWP without AOR and just send it to IRCC as soon as he gets it? Thank you so much.

 

[Miss bee]

Hi. Can you please advice? My husband´s AR is August. Got laid off in Sept. Still waiting for AOR. His work permit will expire soon. Can he apply for BOWP without AOR and just send it to IRCC as soon as he gets it? Thank you so much.

Yes you can certainly apply without AOR with help of letter of explanation but not guaranteed it will be accepted. You can certainly take risk .

 

[danlb34]

Hi. Can you please advice? My husband´s AR is August. Got laid off in Sept. Still waiting for AOR. His work permit will expire soon. Can he apply for BOWP without AOR and just send it to IRCC as soon as he gets it? Thank you so much.

Yes. In this case, as in the reply above, you should give this information in the Letter of Explanation in a very clear and straightforward way (that your application package for Pr was received in August, and you will send them the Aor through webform as soon as u receive it). There are many successful cases in the forum.

In addition, I would say that in your scenario is worth to apply for the Bowp just 1 month (or even 1 week or days) before the work permit expiry date. Because this will give you more time to receive the AOR. I saw in your "postings" that your husband work permit will expiry in March 21, right? I believe you will receive the AOR before it.

 

[lynly_r]

Yes. In this case, as in the reply above, you should give this information in the Letter of Explanation in a very clear and straightforward way (that your application package for Pr was received in August, and you will send them the Aor through webform as soon as u receive it). There are many successful cases in the forum.

In addition, I would say that in your scenario is worth to apply for the Bowp just 1 month (or even 1 week or days) before the work permit expiry date. Because this will give you more time to receive the AOR. I saw in your "postings" that your husband work permit will expiry in March 21, right? I believe you will receive the AOR before it.

March 1, 2021 is the expiry date. Thank you so much.

 

[danlb34]

March 1, 2021 is the expiry date. Thank you so much.

You're welcome. Yes, there's a good time until the expiry date. Hopefully you'll get the AOR in next December or January.

 

[CripplingYogi194]

I am also in the same situation. PGWP is about to expire and awaiting nomination by the province. If I get a nomination and I submit PR application, I cannot get the AOR in time to apply to the BOWP. I am thinking of forgetting the nomination because I won't be able to get the BOWP in time to maintain my current work. PGWP expiring in mid December. I am submitting paper based PR

What do you guys think I should do?

 

[Miss bee]

March 1, 2021 is the expiry date. Thank you so much.

Also for your other question here is answer about job loss.
https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/corporate/publications-manuals/operational-bulletins-manuals/permanent-residence/economic-classes/provincial-nominees.html