@hardy30
I will try to answer your questions.
- Confusion is what to apply - open work permit for spouse of international student or visitor visa?
As your friend's wife has recently graduated i.e. not employed/no further studies, IMO, her chances of an approval for an SOWP are extremely weak. That's also because your friend's personal financial situation is weak + his wife has almost zero chances of finding employment when she comes to Canada.
That said, her chances of a TRV/visitor visa are not bright either.
his wife recently passed out of college and doesnt really have money to prove she has enough to cover her trip costs because she never worked. Can her parents fully sponsor her for visitor visa or SOWP?
Yes, her parents can support her visit financially.
or for eg. if she applies for visitor visa with her parents fully sponsoring her trip, she decides to opt for SOWP in canada, how to show proof of funds that time?
It must be in financial instruments which can be accessed/used in Canada
- if she applies SOWP, I think she would get visa till my friend's study permit expires. But what happens after that? Would she need to switch to visitor visa (not sure whats that called - visitor record or a new trv applied inside canada) until he finds a job in NOC O, A or B with 3 pay slips (checked that on CIC website)? and then switch back to SOWP from visitor visa? if yes, how thats done and what docs required?
One step at a time. You're thinking way too much in advance.
- when filling up the eligibility questions - what to select - visit for more than 6 months or less than 6 months? how does what option you select matter as long as you are inputting the dates from and to in the form?
It matters. The visa office can decide whether your friend's wife is a genuine visitor or not.
is more than 6 months option there just for medicals? or for super visa only?
Any applicant can be asked to do medicals, even short stay visitors who intend to visit for just a few days.
Super visas are irrelevant here because your friend is not a PR/citizen + super visas are only for parents/grandparents and not for spouses.
or its always better to apply for more than 6 months and do medical regardless? This part is bugging me because say if apply for visitor visa and you select the less than 6 months option, and you get the visa, then once you are in canada and decide to opt of extension or SOWP, what do you select then? work for more than 6 months? would you need to do medical in Canada then?
Any stay of more than 6 months, would require medicals to be done.... this is whether the applicant is extending his/her visitor status beyond 6 months or applying for an SOWP.
- can the same medical performed for visitor visa be used for SOWP application later on if its still valid? or medicals of worker is different? does the acknowledgement of medical say anything - visit or worker?
Again, medicals are NOT required for a TRV/visitor visa. If required, the visa office will let you know.
Medicals are valid for 12 months. If she is asked to do medicals for a TRV, those medicals would be valid when she changes to an SOWP (i.e. if she applies within the validity of those medicals. If not, she is required to redo the medicals)
Cheers