What is an Open Work Permit?

If you have a work permit that is set to expire soon, you may be eligible to apply for the Open Work Permit. Depending upon the class that you applied for in order to enter Canada, whether you entered through the Live-in Caregiver program, the Canadian Experience Class, the Federal Skilled Worker program, or as an in-land Spousal Sponsorship, there may be different eligibility requirements.

Some of these requirements are straightforward: you must be in Canada, your valid work permit will expire within four months, you must have approval in principle, and you must make an Open Work Permit Application.

If you have applied for permanent residence and received an “approval in principle”, you may apply for an Open Work Permit. An Open Work Permit is a work permit that is not job-specific; therefore, you do not need to have a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) in order to work in Canada.

Approval, in principle, is the first stage of approval in your permanent resident application. This is needed in order to apply for an Open Work Permit. Not
everyone will receive approval in principle; however, if you do, it will automatically be sent to you.

Once you have an Open Work Permit, you may work in any job with any employer. This being said, there are some conditions regarding the type of work you can do, the employer you may work for, where you can work, and how long you can work for. In addition to this, even if your Open Work Permit has no conditions, there are basic requirements that must be met. For example, you may not work in a field that might risk sexual exploitation, such as massage parlours.

Depending upon your situation, you may or may not be eligible to apply for an Open Work Permit. At Akrami & Associates, our experienced lawyers, consultants, and paralegals will be able to help you better understand the process and assist with any applications and procedural matters. Call us today to book a consultation.