Spousal sponsorship/open work permit

[tands]

Hi,
I'm currently working in Canada with the International Experience Canada work permit, valid until mid August 2013. I was offered a 3 year contract, accepted, and began working in December. When I asked HR about how to proceed with permanent residency, they told me they should have requested an LMO and weren't sure if they needed to re-advertise my job. They also told me that it was highly unlikely for me to get an LMO with the type of job I'm currently doing. They would process it anyway though. We were totally devastated and thought the worst was over. We had been planning on getting married next summer but decided to expedite the process and apply for spousal sponsorship. Today, the lawyer told us that if we apply for spousal sponsorship and an open work-permit, at the very least the open work permit should be processed by August/September, and that I might be able to work under implied status until then. After that, we would simply wait for the spousal sponsorship to be processed.
However, upon looking into it, I'm not sure how I can apply for the open work permit. When I go through the "are you eligible" process, it offers me the work permit option, which requires the LMO. Any advice? I want to stay with my partner but I can't afford to be here and not work. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Gary_87]

Your job would need to advertise for two weeks yes.

You cannot work under implied status from the iec.

An lmo is a closed work permit not an open one.

You can get a regular owp after stage 1 of inland processing only which takes about 6 months.

I was in the same boat dude.

 

[tands]

It's the most confusing/frustration process. Is an open work permit automatically given to me if I get through stage one? Because I can't find the application anywhere.
Also, if I took strategic holidays (e.g., at the end of August as my work permit expired, hoping the open work permit would be issued), do you think that would save my job?

 

[Gary_87]

Not automatically. You need to complete a form for it and submit it with your application. Olive never done this so I can't help you. But it isn't automatic.

It is worth looking into outland. With me for example, my iec expires mid march. I've applied outland. If I applied inland I could have an owp by august. But I applied outland. Why? Because I could have the entire pr process completed and over with by then!