Open Work Permit Canada: Who Qualifies, How to Apply and How Long It Takes

Part of: Work Permits in Canada

An open work permit in Canada lets you work for almost any employer, and you do not need a job offer to apply. The catch is that IRCC gives one only in specific situations, such as graduates, certain spouses, permanent residence applicants and workers facing abuse. This open work permit Canada guide explains each route in short, then links to our detailed guide for that route. Every IRCC rule below was checked on official pages on 14 November 2026.

What is an open work permit, and how is it different from an employer-specific (closed) permit?

An open work permit lets you work for any employer in Canada, except employers on IRCC’s non-compliant list and those that regularly offer striptease, erotic dance, escort services or erotic massages, and you do not need a job offer to apply. An employer-specific (closed) work permit lets you work only under the conditions listed on it, such as the employer, location and occupation, and most of those jobs need a labour market impact assessment (LMIA).

What this means in practice:

• No employer paperwork. With an open work permit, your employer does not need to apply for an LMIA, submit an offer of employment or pay the employer compliance fee.
• Some limits can still apply. An open work permit may list restrictions on the type of work (for example, some jobs need a medical exam) or where you can work. IRCC’s example: an open work permit under the provincial nominee class may let you work only in one province.
• You cannot pick the type. IRCC says you can’t choose which type of work permit you need: you can apply for an open work permit only if you are eligible, while most people are eligible for an employer-specific permit, which needs a job offer.

Who can get an open work permit in Canada?

Only people who fit one of the specific situations IRCC lists can get one, such as post-graduation work permit applicants, Working Holiday participants, certain spouses and family members, sponsored spouses, permanent residence applicants, refugees and asylum claimants, and workers facing abuse. IRCC says most people applying from outside Canada can’t get an open work permit, and most open work permit applicants must apply in Canada.

The table gives the main routes. Each one has its own rules, explained briefly below with a link to our detailed guide.

Graduates and young people

• Post-graduation work permit (PGWP). It is for graduates of eligible designated learning institutions; graduating from one does not automatically make you eligible. You generally apply within 180 days of confirmation that you completed your program. Details: our PGWP eligibility guide.
• IEC Working Holiday. The Working Holiday category lets you apply for an open work permit; the other two IEC categories give employer-specific permits.
• Destitute students. A study permit holder who can no longer pay for day-to-day needs or tuition for reasons beyond their control, such as war or a banking collapse, may be eligible. IRCC asks for a letter of explanation, and an officer will need to interview you.

Spouses, partners and family members

• Spouse or partner of a foreign worker. Since January 21, 2025, the main measure covers spouses of workers in TEER 0 or 1 occupations, or select TEER 2 or 3 occupations, and the worker’s permit must usually be valid for at least 16 months after IRCC receives the spouse’s application. Other measures exist for workers on a pathway to permanent residence (a 6-month test) and under some free trade agreements. Details: spousal open work permit and the 16-month vs 6-month rule.
• Spouse or partner of an international student. Since January 21, 2025, this generally needs the student to be in a master’s program of 16 months or longer, a doctoral program, an eligible program, or one of the listed professional degrees.
• Sponsored spouse or partner in Canada. If your Canadian or PR spouse is sponsoring you, you can apply once you have the AOR letter for your permanent residence application, are in a genuine relationship and live in Canada with your sponsor. This applies if you have valid temporary resident status; if you do not and your PR application is processed under the spousal public policy, IRCC says you must wait for your approval in principle letter before you apply. You can apply without an AOR only if your permit or status expires in 2 weeks or less and you applied as a spouse or partner in Canada or as a sponsored overseas spouse or partner. You cannot use this route if the PR application was refused, withdrawn or returned. For the sponsorship itself, see our spousal sponsorship page.

Permanent residence applicants

• Bridging open work permit (BOWP). It lets you keep working while you wait for a decision on an eligible PR application, such as one through Express Entry (including the Canadian Experience Class) or the Provincial Nominee Program. A profile in the Express Entry pool is not enough: you need a complete PR application that passed the completeness check. Details: our BOWP guide and BOWP after your PGWP expires.
• Other PR programs. IRCC lists separate work permits for some PR programs, and some of them give employer-specific permits instead. For example, people who have already applied under the now-closed Hong Kong PR pathways may get an open work permit valid for up to 3 years, while the Start-up Visa open work permit has been closed to new applicants since December 19, 2025 (current holders may be able to extend).

Workers facing abuse (vulnerable worker open work permit)

If you hold a valid employer-specific work permit and are being abused or at risk of being abused in relation to your job in Canada, you may qualify for an open work permit for vulnerable workers. IRCC says abuse can be physical, sexual, financial or mental, and the rule sits in section 207.1 of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations.

• You must apply from inside Canada, and your employer-specific permit must be valid or you must have applied to extend it before it expired.
• IRCC says there are no fees for this work permit.
• It is temporary: it has an expiry date and can’t be renewed, so you must apply for another work permit before it expires if you want to keep working.
• Family members who came with you to Canada may also be eligible if your application is approved.
• If you are in danger right now, call 9-1-1 or your local police.

Refugees, asylum claimants and other routes

• Asylum claimants. The regulations allow a work permit for a claimant whose claim was referred to the Refugee Protection Division, or who is subject to an unenforceable removal order, if they cannot support themselves without working; some claimants must wait until 180 days after their claim was referred. IRCC says you can ask for a work permit in your claim or apply separately, with no fees.
• Protected persons and inland spouses. The regulations also allow a work permit for a protected person, a member of the spouse or common-law partner in Canada class, and their family members.
• Temporary resident permit holders. A TRP valid for at least 6 months may make you eligible, and you are exempt from the $100 open work permit holder fee.
• Smaller groups. IRCC also lists Quebec investors with a Quebec Notice of Intent to Select, Indigenous people separated by Canada’s border and people covered by special measures for crises. The open work permit for recent Hong Kong graduates is closed to new applicants.

Not sure which route fits? IRCC’s questionnaire tells you if you are eligible and whether special instructions apply. Our work permits hub compares the employer-specific routes too.

Can visitors or PR applicants get an open work permit just by being in Canada?

No: being in Canada as a visitor, or having applied for permanent residence, does not by itself make you eligible for an open work permit. IRCC says most people can’t apply for a work permit from inside Canada, its list of people who can does not include visitors, and PR applicants qualify only through a specific route such as the bridging or sponsored spouse open work permit.

IRCC’s own list of who can apply from inside Canada includes, among others: people with a valid work or study permit; spouses, partners or children of a valid work or study permit holder; people eligible for a PGWP whose study permit is still valid; people waiting on a PR decision in the spouse or common-law partner in Canada class or the overseas family class; refugee claimants and protected persons; and holders of a temporary resident permit valid for 6 months or more (IRCC, checked 14 November 2026).

So, in short:

• Visitors. A visitor record alone is not on the list, unless another listed situation applies to you, such as being a sponsored spouse or partner in Canada with an AOR. More on this in visitor visa to work permit in Canada.
• PR applicants. Applying for PR does not give you a work permit. You need to meet a route such as the BOWP or the sponsored spouse permit, and IRCC tells PR candidates not to let a work permit expire while waiting for an invitation to apply. For the PR side, see moving from a work permit to PR.

How do you apply for an open work permit from inside Canada?

Most people apply online through their IRCC secure account: you answer the questionnaire, upload the forms and documents on your personalized checklist, pay the fees and give biometrics if IRCC asks. The usual fees are $155 for work permit processing plus the $100 open work permit holder fee, and $85 for biometrics where needed (up to $170 for a family), although some routes are fee-exempt.

The steps IRCC lists:

1. Check for special instructions. IRCC says certain open work permits have special instructions for the questionnaire and the form; IRCC’s questionnaire tells you which apply.
2. Fill in the form. The in-Canada form is the Application to Change Conditions, Extend my Stay or Remain in Canada as a Worker (IMM 5710). Select “Open work permit” as the type of work permit (IRCC repeats this on the BOWP and TRP holder pages).
3. Upload the evidence for your route. If the system asks open work permit applicants for employment documents, IRCC says to upload a blank document with the words “Not applicable”. The proof that matters is the proof for your category, such as an AOR letter for a BOWP or sponsored spouse permit.
4. Pay the fees. IRCC’s fee list shows $155 for a work permit and $100 for the open work permit holder fee (fee list dated November 10, 2026), and the in-Canada apply page adds $85 for biometrics, or up to $170 for a family. Exceptions: vulnerable worker and asylum claimant work permits have no fees, and TRP holders skip the $100 fee.
5. Submit a complete application, then give biometrics if asked. IRCC says an application may be refused if documents or information are missing, and it cannot issue a work permit valid for longer than your biometrics.

You can apply on paper only in limited cases, such as a disability that prevents you from applying online. IRCC can also refuse an application for reasons such as medical or criminal inadmissibility or misrepresentation, and you must show enough money to support yourself and your family.

How long does an open work permit take?

IRCC’s processing-time tool, checked on 14 November 2026, shows 10 weeks for “Work permit extension in Canada” if you apply today, a line IRCC says includes new post-graduation work permits, bridging open work permits and changes of conditions. The tool’s separate “Work permit in Canada” line shows 16 weeks, a figure based on how long most past applications took, not counting biometrics.

The figures and their dates, from IRCC’s processing-time tool:

• Work permit extension in Canada: 10 weeks if you apply today, including the time to give biometrics; last updated November 7, 2026, with about 187,900 people waiting.
• Work permit in Canada: 16 weeks, based on past applications, not including biometrics; last updated November 12, 2026.
• International Experience Canada, current season: 5 weeks, based on past applications; this line covers all three IEC categories, and only Working Holiday gives an open work permit. Last updated November 12, 2026.

IRCC does not publish a separate time for each open work permit route, so a sponsored spouse or vulnerable worker cannot assume these figures apply to them. IRCC says these times are not a maximum or a guarantee. For how to read each line, see our work permit processing time guide.

Can you extend an open work permit, and can you keep working while the extension is pending?

You can extend an open work permit only if you still fit an open work permit route, and IRCC says to apply at least 30 days before your current permit expires; some open work permits, such as the one for vulnerable workers, can’t be renewed. If you apply before your permit expires and stay in Canada, you have maintained status and can keep working under the same conditions until IRCC decides; the right to keep working is set out in section 186(u) and the extended stay in section 183(5) of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations.

IRCC’s rule, word for word: “You must keep working under the same conditions of your current work permit.” For open work permits, IRCC adds: “If you’re an open work permit holder, you can usually change employers, jobs or locations, unless you have specific conditions listed on your work permit” (IRCC, what to do if your work permit expired). So an open permit’s conditions are wider than an employer-specific permit’s, but whatever conditions it carries still apply.

Points to check before you rely on maintained status:

• Stay in Canada. Maintained status lasts as long as you stay in Canada. IRCC’s BOWP page warns that if you leave Canada after your work permit expires, you can’t work until your new application is approved.
• Apply for the right thing. If you applied for a study permit or a visitor record instead of a work permit, you can keep working only until your work permit expires.
• Applied too late? If your permit expired before you applied, you should have stopped working. You may be able to restore your status within 90 days of losing it; the restoration fee is $246.25 on top of the work permit fees. See restoration is not maintained status.
• Temporary resident permit holders. IRCC says TRP applicants can’t maintain temporary resident status while their application is being processed, so maintained status does not protect them.
• Spouses of workers. A family member’s open work permit can be extended in some cases even after January 21, 2025, for example if it is shorter than the principal applicant’s permit and they apply before it expires.

More detail: work permit extension and maintained status and what maintained status means.

Where can you get help choosing the right open work permit route?

Start with IRCC’s work permit questionnaire, which tells you whether you are eligible for an open work permit and whether special instructions apply. If your situation is not clear-cut, for example your status is about to expire or you are unsure which category fits, a licensed RCIC can review your status and documents before you apply.

Reviewed by Usman Khalil, RCIC R709592, after a fact check against IRCC and Justice Laws sources on November 14, 2026. General information, not advice for your case.