An open work permit allows the holder to work for almost any Canadian employer. They are not restricted to an employer or a specific job and so the holder does not require a job offer to obtain an open work permit.
This is an option for the spouse or common-law partners of temporary foreign workers (TFW), foreign students and students who have just graduated from a Canadian post-secondary institution provided they meet the requirements for one.
Spouses or common-law partners may be eligible if their skilled worker (principal applicant):
- Hold a 6-month minimum work permit
- Is employed in a NOC 0/A/B skill level job
- Currently resides or is intending to reside in Canada during employment
Spouses or common-law partners of international students must themselves not be full-time students and the international student (principal applicant) must:
- Be a full-time student with a valid study permit at one of the following:
- Public post-secondary institute, such as colleges or universities, or CEGEP in Quebec
- Canadian private school that legally awards degrees under the provincial law, such as Bachelors, Masters, or Doctorate degrees
- Private college-level institute in Quebec
The validity of the open work permit for spouses/common-law partners is equivalent to the length of time their spouse is permitted to work or study in Canada.