What is Meant by Open Work Permit?

[muthu.india]

Hai Expert's,

Myself Muthu and Iam living in India. Recently I have been selected by a company in Edmonton, Canada. They told me that, they have applied a open work Permit once it received they will call back me to canada. Now my question is, what is meant by open work permit? how many days it will take for processing? what are all the procedure to obtain open work permit? Please clarify my questions. Thanks in advance.

Regards,
Muthu

 

[fkl]

OWP means you will not be tied to your sponsoring employer. Rather you can work for any employer without any legal requirements.

Your employer doesn't apply for owp, rather they apply for LMO (unless you are LMO exempt), once they receive LMO they will send it to you and you will apply at your local embassy for OWP. You will have to show your credentials (education / experience) relevant to the job that you are being hired for and if Embassy is convinced, they will issue you a temp open work permit. This means you will be allowed to work in Canada for a max up to 4 years.

The details requirements are listed on cic website. The process could take any where between 3 months to 7-8 months in general.

 

[PMM]

Hi

Hai Expert's,

Myself Muthu and Iam living in India. Recently I have been selected by a company in Edmonton, Canada. They told me that, they have applied a open work Permit once it received they will call back me to canada. Now my question is, what is meant by open work permit? how many days it will take for processing? what are all the procedure to obtain open work permit? Please clarify my questions. Thanks in advance.

Regards,
Muthu

1. It is unlikely that they are applying for an open work permit.
2. If you paid money to this company, I would bet that it is a scam.

 

[muthu.india]

I didn't paid money to them and they also didn't ask money. Already my friend working in that company, because of his reference only I got that Job. Same question I posted in some other forum also, I got replied that 'it is not Open Work Permit its name is LMO'. What is meant by LMO? Please advise.

 

[fkl]

LMO stands for Labor Market Opinion (you should google that). Once an employer extends you a job offer, they apply to HRSDSC i.e. Govt of Canada to obtain permission to bring a foreign worker and have to prove that they are not taking away a job that could be done by Canadians.

Note that employer pays fee for this and has to apply on behalf of employee. If an LMO is issued, then the tentative employee applies for Work permit (whether closed or open - though i must say it is unusual to have an open work permit here) at his local embassy along with a copy of LMO. Closed work permit allows you to ONLY work for the employer who applied for LMO and if you leave the job, you either have to return OR have to do the same process again i.e. another employer applies for LMO on your behalf, gets it approved, then you apply for work permit along with that LMO.

So why would any employer who took the trouble to get LMO for an employee would just let you work for any one else? Generally open work permits are either issued to spouse of skilled workers who themselves are on closed work permit OR People who obtained a degree from Canada such as Masters and is called a post graduate work permit etc.