International students
Help your spouse or common-law partner work in Canada
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
Who can apply
Your spouse or partner must meet the eligibility criteria listed below to be eligible for an open work permit as your spouse or common-law partner.
If your spouse or common-law partner is applying for an open work permit on or after March 19, 2024
Starting March 19, 2024, your spouse or common-law partner may be eligible for an open work permit if you have a valid study permit and you are studying in either
- a master’s or doctoral degree program in a university or polytechnic institution, or
- 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, BNSc)
- Bachelor of Education (B. Ed.)
- Bachelor of Engineering (B. Eng., BE, BASc)
Your spouse or common-law partner must provide one of the following documents to prove your enrolment in a degree-granting 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
We will ask them to provide additional documents, such as
- proof of their relationship to you, the student
If your spouse or common-law partner applied for an open work permit before March 19, 2024
Your spouse or common-law partner may be eligible for an open work permit if you meet the following 3 requirements:
- You have a valid study permit.
- You’re eligible for a post-graduation work permit (PGWP).
- You’re a full-time student at one of these types of schools:
- a public post-secondary school, such as a college or university, or CEGEP in Quebec
- a private college-level school in Quebec
- a Canadian private school that can legally award degrees under provincial law (for example, a bachelor’s, master’s or doctoral degree)
Your spouse or common-law partner must provide the following documents to prove your enrolment in a degree-granting program of study:
- 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
If your spouse or common-law partner is applying to extend their existing open work permit under this stream
Your spouse or common-law partner may be eligible to extend their existing open work permit under this stream if you meet 3 requirements:
- You have a valid study permit.
- You’re eligible for a PGWP.
- You’re a full-time student at one of these types of schools:
- a public post-secondary school, such as a college or university, or a CEGEP in Quebec
- a private college-level school in Quebec
- a Canadian private school that can legally award degrees under provincial law (for example, a bachelor’s, master’s or doctoral degree)
Your spouse or common-law partner must provide the following documents to prove your enrolment in a degree-granting program of study:
- 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
If they’re not eligible for this open work permit, they may be able to get another type of work permit.
Find out about other work permit options.
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.
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 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
How applying online helps them
- No courier fees or mail delivery time – we get their application instantly.
- Their applications may be processed more quickly.
- It helps them make sure their application is complete before they submit it.
- They can quickly submit more documents online (if we ask them to).
- They get updates on the status of their application directly in their online account.
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.
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
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