Spousal Open Work Permit

Are you wondering if your spouse can apply for the open work permit and come to Canada? As a foreign national authorised to work in Canada, you may want your spouse and dependent children to join you in Canada. A spousal open work permit can make this situation possible.

A spousal work permit allows your spouse to engage with the local community, earn income from gainful employment and allows for family unification. It also allows your children to study in Canada in preschool, elementary, middle or higher secondary school levels.

Spousal work permits can be applied along with the principal work permit application. The spousal open work permits allow your spouse to work for any employer in any kind of job. In certain cases, the employer of the spouse may need to apply for a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA).

We can help you prepare the work permit applications to ensure your desired outcome.

Requirements for the Spouse Open Work Permit

Few requirements need to be met at the time of applying for the spousal open work permit:

• Your principal work permit validity should be a minimum of six (6) months (if the validity is less than six months, the application for a spousal work permit cannot be done)
• Job requirements must match the minimum skill level required for the job (if the principal work permit is issued under the NOC codes of C or D, then spousal open work permit cannot be applied for)
• Any inadmissibility issues render you unable to apply for a spousal open work permit (any medical, criminal concerns are included here)