Vulnerable open work Permit process time
- Thread starter Arungaur
- Start date
Hello, i would like to contact you regarding my immigration matter. I am in Canada on Closed work permit. Let me know as how to contact you. Thanks
You’ll have to leave Canada or you can remain until your WP expires but can’t work.
Hi! I'm adding my experience in case someone is still looking for some info.
Backstory: I am here on employee specific work visa and been working at the same firm for 4 years. my current LMIA exempt work permit is valid till OCT 2023. My husband is Canadian and I am American. I was forced to resign after refusing to continue work 60+ hours per week without any sort of overtime compensation. I was threatened that I either do it or they will terminate me knowing that my status here is ties to my job. I have my family and home here, and nowhere to go if forced to leave.
APRIL 04, 2022
I contacted IRCC and was told that I qualify for the Vulnerable open work permit.
While on the phone with IRCC agent, I got a call from my boss and was told to give my two weeks notice, and that they are disconnecting my email/remote access effective immediately. The agent even said what he said was egregious and sent me a link with list of required paperwork. I filled everything and sent it back the same day.
APRIL 05, 2022
I received an email from IRCC saying that my current work permit is extended till April 2022. (when the one I had on hand was valid for over a year passed Apr 2022)
I am very confused about the nature of this email. IRCC knows that I've been terminated. we have been unable to contact anyone for an answer. Our guess is since I've been terminated, my work permit became invalid. this letter is buying me 4 months to receive a decision from IRCC and stay here despite no longer being employed. especially the first requirement to apply for a VOWP is to have a valid work permit.
So we are speculating that IRCC made my current work permit valid so they can process VOWP.
APRIL 18, 2022
It has been well over 5 business days and no contact. No updates, or even a schedule for the interview. Money is getting really tight and I'm getting more and more anxious each day.
As an American, I do not need biometrics and have medical exemption, so I am hoping that will expedite this process.
has anyone had a similar experience?
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It's quite normal not to hear updates. I expect the next communication you get from IRCC will be the work permit approval. Processing times are a bit hard to guess right now since these aren't common applications. Some people get approved in a matter of days and in other cases it take take well over a month. IRCC is dealing with a large number of emergency visas related to the situation in Ukraine right now so this may be causing delays to other applications.
Any chance your husband has already sponsored you for PR given he is Canadian? If so, did he apply inland and what stage is your application in?
Yes, we have a plied for PR true spousal sponsorship in land. We originally mailed our documents in February 2020 and waited for over a year thinking that it’s taking so long to get even a confirmation due to Covid and lockdowns. We finally confirm that our documents was never received by the Mississauga office. And we received a refund and had to apply and pay the fees again and this time submitted digitally on March 1, 2022. So far we have only received the confirmation of the payment.
HI, Can you please share how manu days it took before you recieve your Open Work Permit. Thank you so much
Hi, IRCC called you for an interview? That was fast appoval hopefully my application will get approve in soon. I applied Jan.27 and got e-mail last Jan.30. Since then I haven't recieved any update.