Open Work Permit Who Can Work For Most Employers In Canada?

Open work permit may allow an eligible foreign national to work for most employers in Canada without a job-specific offer or Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA). However, open work permits are available only in specific situations and are not available to everyone who wants to work in Canada.

Most people applying from outside Canada cannot obtain this type of permit unless they qualify under a specific category. Applicants should confirm their category and follow the instructions for that category before applying.

What Is an Open Work Permit?

An open work permit allows the holder to work for almost any eligible employer in Canada. Unlike an employer-specific work permit, it is generally not tied to one employer, job offer or occupation.

Because the permit is not employer-specific, the employer generally does not need to obtain an LMIA, submit an offer of employment through the Employer Portal or pay the employer compliance fee.

An open permit is not unlimited. The holder cannot work for an employer on IRCC’s list of non-compliant employers or for a business that regularly offers striptease, erotic dance, escort services or erotic massages. The permit may also include restrictions on the type of work or the location where the holder may work. A medical examination may be required before the holder can work in certain occupations.

Who Can Get an Open Work Permit in Canada?

IRCC identifies several situations in which a foreign national may qualify. Each category has separate eligibility requirements.

Students, Graduates and Youth

Some graduates of eligible programs at designated learning institutions may qualify for a Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP). PGWP eligibility is not automatic. Depending on when the study-permit application was submitted and the level and type of program, applicants may need to meet language and field-of-study requirements. Applicants must also meet the applicable program, enrollment and application requirements.

Some International Experience Canada participants may receive a permit through the Working Holiday category. IEC eligibility, available countries, fees and quotas depend on the participant’s citizenship and the applicable bilateral arrangements. An IEC profile is not itself a work-permit application; an applicant generally needs an Invitation to Apply before submitting the work-permit application.

Other student-related categories, such as destitute students, have their own conditions.

Spouses and Common-Law Partners of International Students

Some spouses and common-law partners of international students may qualify for a work permit that is not employer-specific. Under the current rules, the student must generally hold a valid study permit and be enrolled in a doctoral program, a master’s program lasting at least 16 months, or a select professional degree program or other program identified by IRCC.

Studying at a Canadian institution does not by itself make a spouse or common-law partner eligible. Applicants must provide evidence of the student’s enrollment and study permit and satisfy the general work-permit requirements.

Family Members of Foreign Workers

Some spouses and common-law partners of foreign workers may qualify under IRCC’s family-member rules. Eligibility can depend on the worker’s occupation, work authorization, immigration pathway and the remaining validity of the worker’s authorization.

For the general high-skilled-worker measure, the worker will usually need to be employed in a TEER 0 or 1 occupation or in a select TEER 2 or 3 occupation, and the work authorization will generally need to remain valid for at least 16 months after the family member’s application is received. There are exceptions and special rules for certain pathways, free-trade agreements and workers recruited by Quebec.

As of January 21, 2025, dependent children are generally no longer eligible for a new permit under the general family-members-of-foreign-workers measure, although other categories and extension rules may apply. A child is not automatically entitled to work authorization simply because a parent holds a work permit.

Spouses and Family Members Sponsored for Permanent Residence

A spouse, common-law partner or conjugal partner being sponsored for permanent residence from inside Canada may be able to apply for an open work permit. The applicant generally must be living in Canada with the sponsor, be included in an eligible permanent residence application and meet the applicable acknowledgement-of-receipt and status requirements.

An accompanying dependent child may also qualify in specific circumstances. The child must meet the requirements of the applicable public policy, including the relationship, residence and permanent-residence-application requirements. A port-of-entry application is not available under this sponsorship public policy.

Permanent Residence Applicants

A bridging open work permit (BOWP), known as a bridging open work permit (BOWP), can help certain permanent residence applicants continue working while IRCC processes their application. Eligible categories can include certain Express Entry and Provincial Nominee Program applicants, but the requirements vary by program.

For example, applicants generally need to be the principal applicant, live in Canada and intend to live outside Quebec, have valid status or qualify under maintained-status or restoration rules, submit a complete permanent residence application that has passed the completeness check and receive the required acknowledgement of receipt. An Express Entry profile or pool submission alone is not a permanent residence application and is not enough for a BOWP.

Provincial nominees may also need to show that their nomination does not contain employment restrictions that prevent issuance of the permit.

Refugees, Asylum Claimants and Protected Persons

Refugee claimants, protected persons, refugees and certain family members may qualify for an open work permit under the rules applying to their situation. For example, an asylum claimant generally must have a claim found eligible for referral to the Immigration and Refugee Board and pass the required medical examination before a work permit is issued.

The required application process, fees and documents depend on the person’s status. Applicants should use the IRCC instructions for their specific refugee or protection situation rather than selecting a general work-permit category.

Workers Experiencing Abuse

A temporary foreign worker who is experiencing abuse or is at risk of abuse in relation to employment in Canada may qualify for a permit for vulnerable workers. The applicant generally must hold an employer-specific work permit, hold a permit issued under the Seasonal Agricultural Worker Program, or have applied to renew one of those permits, and must provide information or evidence supporting the abuse or risk.

There is no application fee for this vulnerable-worker permit. It is a temporary measure, has an expiry date and cannot be renewed as the same type of permit. The holder must generally apply for another work permit before it expires if they wish to continue working in Canada.

Anyone in immediate danger should call 9-1-1 or local police. Workplace concerns may also be reported through the federal temporary foreign-worker reporting channels.

Other Specific Categories

Other possible categories include certain temporary resident permit holders, Indigenous people in circumstances covered by IRCC instructions, Quebec investors and applicants covered by specific public policies or permanent-residence pathways.

Some options are temporary and have their own deadlines. For example, eligible applicants under the temporary resident to permanent resident pathway may apply for an open work permit until December 31, 2026, subject to the policy’s detailed requirements. This measure applies to eligible applicants and family members connected to the 2021 pathway applications; it is not a general open-work-permit program.

Open Work Permit Fees in Canada

For most regular applications, the applicable fees are:

Fee	Amount
Work permit processing fee	CA$155
Open work permit holder fee	CA$100
Biometrics fee for one applicant, if required	CA$85
Biometrics fee for a family, if required	Up to CA$170

Some applicants are exempt from one or more fees, including certain refugee claimants, protected persons, vulnerable workers, destitute students and applicants covered by specific public policies.

If an application is refused, IRCC generally refunds the CA$100 open work permit holder fee but does not normally refund the CA$155 processing fee after processing has started. Additional fees, such as restoration fees or program-specific fees, may apply.

How to Apply for an Open Work Permit

The application process depends on whether the applicant is applying from inside Canada, outside Canada or at a port of entry. Most applicants must apply online, although limited exceptions exist. Most foreign nationals cannot apply at a port of entry.

1. Identify the specific category that may make the applicant eligible.
2. Use IRCC’s questionnaire and category-specific instructions.
3. Complete the required forms and upload supporting documents.
4. Pay the applicable processing, open-work-permit and biometrics fees, unless exempt.
5. Provide biometrics if IRCC issues a biometrics instruction letter.
6. Continue complying with the conditions of any existing permit while the application is processed.

Supporting documents may include a passport, proof of temporary status, relationship evidence, study or work-permit copies, proof of enrollment, a permanent-residence acknowledgement of receipt, a nomination document or evidence of abuse. Applicants may include a letter of explanation where the eligibility category is not clear from the standard checklist.

Can You Work While Waiting for Approval?

Submitting an application does not automatically authorize every applicant to begin working.

A person who applies to extend a work permit before it expires may benefit from maintained status and may generally continue working under the conditions of the previous permit while IRCC processes the application. The exact rule depends on the application and the person’s status.

Travel can affect work authorization. If a work permit expires while the holder is outside Canada, or the holder leaves Canada after the permit expires, the person may not be able to work after returning until the new permit is approved. Applicants should check the travel and maintained-status rules for their category before leaving Canada.

Validity and Restrictions

The validity period depends on the category, the applicant’s passport, biometrics and individual circumstances. IRCC generally cannot issue a permit beyond the passport’s expiry date or the maximum period allowed by the applicable program.

A permit may restrict medical work, the type of work or the location where the holder may work. For example, an open permit issued under a provincial nominee-related category may contain a provincial or location restriction. The conditions printed on the permit control what the holder may do in Canada.

Common Application Mistakes

• Applying without first identifying an eligible category.
• Assuming every spouse of a student or worker qualifies.
• Using an outdated family-member rule without checking the worker’s occupation and remaining work authorization.
• Confusing an Express Entry profile with a complete permanent residence application for BOWP purposes.
• Failing to apply before an existing permit expires when maintained status may be important.
• Leaving Canada without checking whether travel will affect status or work authorization.
• Uploading incomplete relationship, status, enrollment, nomination or abuse-related evidence.
• Ignoring restrictions printed on the approved permit.

What Applicants Should Check Before Applying

Applicants should confirm the current IRCC category rules, application location, fees, document checklist, status requirements and any program-specific deadlines before filing.

Provincial and territorial rules may also matter for regulated occupations, professional licensing and access to local services. An open work permit can provide flexibility, but it does not guarantee permanent residence, a job, a particular occupation or a future permit extension.

Frequently Asked Questions

Fact-Checked: Reviewed against current IRCC open work permit, family-member, vulnerable-worker, permanent-residence applicant and fee guidance available on October 7, 2026.

Disclaimer: Immigration eligibility depends on the applicant’s facts and the rules in force when the application is submitted.