scylla said:That's correct. You only qualify for an open work permit if you apply inland (once the first stage of processing has been successfully completed - currently 9/10 months). There is no OWP when you apply outland. Instead (as rjessome explained), you qualify to work in Canada once you have been approved as a PR and have landed.
Hope this helps.
Thank you scylla. That is helpful .. albeit not very encouraging. I keep on hearing that an outland spousal application is so much quicker and I heard from another immigration specialist while in Canada that assured me that it would definitely not take as long as 18 months for an outland spousal application no matter where I was from .. but that's what the cic website says for my nearest visa office in Pretoria. Are the processing times as shown by the website realistic?
If so we might consider doing the application inland .. does this stop me from being hired as a foreign worker via the normal process (positive LMO etc) after making the application, and if so would there be a way to work it subsequently to get implied status as a worker eg by withdrawing the application and reapplying?
Thank you for your help
Et