International students
Help your spouse or common-law partner work in Canada
Recent changes to eligibility criteria
Make sure you meet the new eligibility criteria before submitting your application.
The spouses and common-law partners of some international students may be eligible for an open work permit. An open work permit lets them work for any employer in Canada, except for one that either
- is listed as ineligible on the list of employers who have failed to comply with the conditions, or
- regularly offers striptease, erotic dance, escort services, or erotic massages
On this page
Who can apply
Your spouse or common-law partner must meet the eligibility criteria listed below to be eligible for an open work permit.
Starting January 21, 2025, your spouse or common-law partner may be eligible for an open work permit if you have a valid study permit and you’re either
- studying in a master’s degree program of 16 months or longer
- studying in a doctoral degree program
- participating in an eligible program, or
- studying in one of the following professional degree programs at a university:
- Doctor of Dental Surgery (DDS, DMD)
- Bachelor of Law or Juris Doctor (LLB, JD, BCL)
- Doctor of Medicine (MD)
- Doctor of Optometry (OD)
- Pharmacy (PharmD, BS, BSc, BPharm)
- Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM)
- Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BScN, BSN)
- Bachelor of Nursing Science (BNSc)
- Bachelor of Nursing (BN)
- Bachelor of Education (BEd)
- Bachelor of Engineering (BEng, BE, BASc)
If they’re not eligible for this open work permit, they may be able to get another type of work permit.
Eligible programs
Province or territory | Program name | Eligibility period |
---|---|---|
Outside of Quebec | Francophone Minority Communities Student Pilot (FMCSP) | From August 26, 2024 |
Quebec | Le projet de reconnaissance des compétences d’infirmières et d’infirmiers recrutés à l’international | From April 30, 2024 |
Quebec |
|
From January 21, 2025 |
Ontario | Supervised Practice Experience Partnership | From January 21, 2025 |
Manitoba | Nurse Re-Entry (Red River College Polytechnic) | From January 21, 2025 |
British Columbia |
|
From January 21, 2025 |
Documents to provide
Your spouse or common-law partner must provide one of the following documents to prove your enrolment in a program of study:
- a valid letter of acceptance from your designated learning institution (DLI)
- a proof of enrolment letter from your DLI
- transcripts from your current program
If applicable, they must also provide proof that you’re participating or enrolled in one of the eligible programs, such as
- a letter from the province or territory
- a letter of acceptance from a participating DLI indicating admission to the program
We’ll also ask them to provide additional documents, such as proof of their relationship to you, the student.
How long the open work permit will be valid
Most of the time, your spouse or common-law partner’s work permit will be valid for the same period of time as your study permit.
How to apply
In most cases, your spouse or common-law partner must apply online for a work permit.
Step 1: Make sure they have what they need
To apply online, they’ll need
- a scanner or camera to create electronic copies of their documents, and
- a valid credit or debit card
Step 2: Read the instruction guide
Even if they apply online, they should read the instruction guide before they complete their application. The guide will explain how to complete each field on the form.
Step 3: Prepare their answers for the online tool
Before they can upload their forms, they must answer some questions. We use their answers to create a personalized document checklist for them.
Open work permit applications for spouses or common-law partners of students
Due to a technical issue with online applications, you must use the following instructions to apply for the open permit online:
- You must answer some questions to create a personalized document checklist.
- Answer the following questions in the tool exactly as shown based on if:
You’re applying from outside Canada
- When asked: Will you be coming to Canada under an active public policy or special measure announced by IRCC?
- Answer No
- When asked: Are you a spouse, common-law partner or dependent child of a person who has or is applying for a work permit?
- Answer Yes
- When asked: Are you a spouse or common-law partner of a person who holds a study permit?
- Answer Yes
- When asked: What type of work permit do you want to apply for?
- Answer “A work permit for a spouse of an international student, or for a family member of a worker”
You’re applying from inside Canada
- When asked: Does one of the following apply to you? I am applying for an open work permit under an active public policy or pilot program announced by IRCC.
- Answer No
- When asked: Are you a spouse, common-law partner or dependent child of a person who holds a valid work permit or is applying for a work permit?
- Answer Yes
- When asked: Are you a spouse or common-law partner of a person who holds a study permit?
- Answer Yes
Step 4: Know the fees you have to pay
In most cases, their fees will include processing fees for them and anyone they include on their application.
We’ll ask them to pay their fees at the end of their application.
Step 5: Create their online account or sign in
They need an account to apply online. They can use their account to:
- pay their fees
- submit their application
- check their status
If they can’t apply online
They can submit a paper application if either:
- they can’t apply online because of a disability
- there’s a problem with the online application
Extending an open work permit
Your spouse or common-law partner may be eligible to extend their existing open work permit under this stream if you meet the following requirements:
- You have a valid study permit.
- You’re physically in Canada or will physically be in Canada while studying.
- You’re a full-time student enrolled in a PGWP-eligible program at a designated learning institution (DLI).
- You’re not in the last term of your study program.
Additionally, your spouse or common-law partner cannot extend their open work permit under this stream beyond the expiration date of your study permit.
Documents you need
Your spouse or common-law partner must give the following documents to prove your enrolment in a program of study leading to a degree:
- proof that you’re a full-time student at one of the types of schools listed above, which can include
- a letter of enrolment from your DLI
- transcripts from your current program
- a copy of your study permit
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