Foreign workers can work anywhere in Canada with an open work permit.
Open work permits allow foreign workers the flexibility to choose where to work in Canada.
Foreign nationals who want to work in Canada often need a work permit . These permits may be tied to a specific employer or occupation. In contrast, open work permits allow freedom of movement, whether between workplaces, occupations, or locations in Canada.
Canadian employers do not need to conduct a Labor Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) to hire a foreign worker with an open work permit.
There are numerous ways to be eligible for an open work permit. These are some of the most prominent ways:
Graduate International Students
In 2021, the majority of LMIA-exempt work permits went to graduate international students who were eligible for a Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP).
After graduation, international students may be eligible to work in Canada for up to three years if they have completed a full-time program of study lasting at least two years. Programs of study that last more than eight months but less than two years may be eligible for a PGWP that matches the length of your program.
To be eligible, international students must go to a Designated Learning Institution (DLI) in Canada . IRCC has allowed some flexibility within the eligibility criteria as a result of the pandemic. For example, IRCC now allows international students to have completed 100% of their study program online between March 2020 and August 2022.
Citizens of foreign countries with reciprocal agreements
International Experience Canada (IEC) is designed to enable foreign youth from more than 30 different countries to work in Canada.
Young people between the ages of 18 and 35 may be eligible for a working holiday visa. Participants do not need a job offer, but will need to meet the criteria to be eligible for the IEC.
The IEC generally requires candidates to have the equivalent of $2,500 CAD to cover expenses, be unaccompanied by dependents, be admissible to Canada, among other criteria .
Spouses and common-law partners of Canadians and temporary residents
Canada offers open work permit options for spouses of Canadians, temporary foreign workers and international students.
Spouses of Canadian citizens and permanent residents may be eligible for a spousal open work permit if they apply under domestic sponsorship and live in Canada with their partner.
Spouses of temporary foreign workers can also obtain an open work permit. The temporary foreign worker must meet certain eligibility criteria, such as having a work permit that will be valid for six months after receiving the open spousal work permit, among others. The foreign worker must also meet one of four conditions: work at a National Occupational Classification (NOC) skill level of 0, A, or B; work in any occupation when accepted into an Atlantic Immigration Program (AIP) stream; work in any occupation with a provincial or territorial nomination from the Provincial Nominee Program (PNP); or work in any occupation and have a Quebec Selection Certificate(CQS). There are also other program-specific criteria that must be met depending on the temporary foreign worker's situation.
Finally, spouses of international students can obtain an open work permit if they can prove to the government that they have a genuine relationship and that the international student is enrolled in an eligible program.
Permanent Residency Applicants
Open Bridge Work Permits (BOWPs) allow people who have applied for permanent residence to remain in Canada while awaiting a decision on their application.
The following immigration programs are eligible for a BOWP:
- Federal skilled worker program.
- Canadian experience class.
- Federal Skilled Trades Program.
- Provincial nominees program.
- Quebec Skilled Workers.
- Agrifood Pilot Program .
The BOWP makes it so that foreign nationals do not have to leave their jobs or the country if their temporary status expires before their application for permanent residence is processed. It also means that employers do not have to obtain an LMIA-based work permit to keep their foreign employee.