Spousal Open Work Permit

Work in Canada
with your spouse.

The Spousal Open Work Permit (SOWP) lets the spouse or common-law partner of an eligible foreign worker, international student, or Canadian sponsor work for any employer in Canada.

Latest update

April 27, 2026

WP-EXT letters now valid for 365 days

IRCC doubled the validity of work authorization support letters from 180 to 365 days. This benefits SOWP holders renewing their permit under maintained status, given that inland processing now exceeds 7 months.

General Requirements

Genuine relationship. Married or in a common-law partnership (12+ continuous months living together).
Eligible principal applicant. A foreign worker in TEER 0 or 1, an international student in an eligible program, or a Canadian sponsor.
Valid status. If applying inside Canada, the spouse must hold valid temporary resident status.
Admissibility. Pass medical and security checks. Free of any criminal or medical inadmissibility.

Spousal Open Work Permit Program guide

What is the Spousal Open Work Permit?

The Spousal Open Work Permit (SOWP) is a Canadian work permit that allows the spouse or common-law partner of an eligible foreign worker, international student, or Canadian sponsor to work for any employer in Canada. It is “open” because it is not tied to a specific employer or job offer, and it is exempt from the Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA).

The SOWP is one of Canada’s most important family reunification tools. It allows couples to build their lives together in Canada while the principal applicant studies, works, or transitions to permanent residence.

Who qualifies for a SOWP?

There are three eligibility paths under the Spousal Open Work Permit, each with its own rules.

Spouse of a foreign worker (Code C41)

Your spouse holds a valid Canadian work permit. Effective January 21, 2025, IRCC limits this category to spouses of workers in TEER 0 (managerial) or TEER 1 (professional) occupations, or in select TEER 2 or TEER 3 occupations in priority sectors such as natural and applied sciences, construction, healthcare, natural resources, education, sports, and military.

The principal worker’s permit must have at least 16 months remaining when the spouse applies. Spouses of workers under free-trade agreements such as CUSMA are not subject to these restrictions.

Spouse of an international student (Code C42)

Your spouse holds a valid study permit and is enrolled full-time in a master’s program of at least 16 months, a doctoral (PhD) program, or an eligible professional degree such as medicine, law, dentistry, nursing, pharmacy, engineering, or education.

Important update: as of March 4, 2026, IRCC refuses C42 applications when the principal student is in their final academic term.

Spouse in inland sponsorship (Code A74)

You are being sponsored by a Canadian citizen or permanent resident under the in-Canada spousal sponsorship class. After IRCC issues the Acknowledgement of Receipt (AOR) confirming the PR application is complete, you may apply for an Open Work Permit while waiting for permanent residence.

Note: dependent children of foreign workers and international students are no longer eligible for an Open Work Permit since January 21, 2025. They may still attend Canadian public school at no cost in most provinces.

Note: dependent children of foreign workers and international students are no longer eligible for an Open Work Permit since January 21, 2025. They may still attend Canadian public school at no cost in most provinces.

British Columbia update: as of March 23, 2026, spouses of workers employed under a Significant Investment Project (SIP) in BC, currently Lululemon Athletica and Microsoft Vancouver, are eligible for an Open Work Permit at any TEER level (C41 for TEER 0 to 3, C47 for TEER 4 to 5).

Step-by-step process

01 Confirm
eligibility

02 Gather
documents

03 Submit
online

04 Provide
biometrics

05 Medical
exam

06 Receive
decision

Step 01

Confirm your eligibility stream

Identify which of the three SOWP streams applies to you: spouse of a foreign worker (C41), spouse of an international student (C42), or in-Canada sponsorship (A74). Each stream has different eligibility rules. Selecting the wrong code is one of the most common reasons for refusal.

Step 02

Gather supporting documents

Collect proof of relationship (marriage certificate or statutory declaration of common-law union), the principal applicant’s permit or AOR letter, valid passports, and proof of valid status in Canada if applying inland. C42 applicants must include proof of program enrolment and duration. C41 applicants need the principal worker’s NOC, TEER level, and at least 16 months of remaining permit validity.

Step 03

Submit your application online

Submit through your IRCC Secure Account and pay the government fees ($155 work permit processing + $100 open work permit holder fee). Applications can be filed from inside or outside Canada. Inside-Canada applicants relying on maintained status should avoid international travel during processing, as leaving may affect the ability to keep working when they return.

Step 04

Provide biometrics

Most applicants must provide biometrics (fingerprints and photo) within 30 days of receiving the biometric instruction letter. The fee is $85 CAD per applicant. Biometrics are valid for 10 years and are not required again if you have already given them within that period for a previous application.

Step 05

Complete a medical exam (if requested)

IRCC may request a medical exam if you intend to work in a job where public health must be protected, such as healthcare, child care, elder care, or close contact with vulnerable populations. An exam is also required if you have lived in or travelled to a designated country for six months or more in the year before coming to Canada and plan to stay longer than six months. The exam must be performed by an IRCC-approved panel physician.

Step 06

Receive the decision

The decision appears in your IRCC online account. If approved inside Canada, the physical permit is mailed to your Canadian address. If approved from outside Canada, you receive a Port of Entry Letter of Introduction and the actual permit is issued by a border officer when you enter Canada.

Government fees: $155 work permit processing + $100 open work permit holder fee = $255 CAD. Biometrics: $85 if required.

Estimated processing times (2026)

Inland (in Canada)

8–9 months

SOWP submitted from inside Canada under codes C41, C42, or A74.

Outland (visa office)

3–6 months

Varies by visa office and country of residence.

BOWP (code A75)

2–4 months

Bridging Open Work Permit for economic class PR applicants.

Why hire an RCIC

The Spousal Open Work Permit has changed substantially since January 2025, with stricter TEER-based eligibility for worker spouses and program-based eligibility for student spouses. A second update on March 4, 2026 narrowed eligibility further for student spouses in their final term. Choosing the right code (A74, A75, C41, or C42) and meeting the specific requirements of your stream is critical to avoiding refusal.

Under Canadian law, paid representation before IRCC is restricted to Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultants (RCICs), lawyers, and Quebec notaries. RCICs are licensed and regulated by the College of Immigration and Citizenship Consultants (CICC).

Megrez Immigration Consultants is a CICC licensed firm and has operated in Vancouver since 1996.

Frequently Asked Questions Spousal Open Work Permit

Only if you already had a valid work permit and applied before it expired. In that case, you have “maintained status” and can keep working under the same conditions of your previous permit while IRCC processes the new application, as long as you stay in Canada. If this is your first work permit in Canada, you cannot work until the SOWP is approved. Leaving Canada during processing may cause you to lose this work authorization.

Yes. The SOWP is also available to common-law partners who have lived together in a marital relationship for at least 12 continuous months. Evidence must be more substantial than for married couples: joint leases, shared bank accounts, insurance policies naming each other as beneficiary, photos over time, and statutory declarations. IRCC also requires Form IMM 5409 (Statutory Declaration of Common-Law Union) signed before a notary.

Only if you are enrolled in an eligible program. Since January 21, 2025, the SOWP for spouses of international students (C42) is limited to master’s programs of 16 months or longer, doctoral (PhD) programs, eligible university professional programs (medicine, law, dentistry, nursing, pharmacy, engineering, or education), and select provincial pilot programs. If your program is a regular bachelor’s, college diploma, or shorter, your spouse no longer qualifies. As of March 4, 2026, IRCC also refuses C42 applications when the principal student is in their final academic term.

On January 21, 2025, IRCC tightened eligibility: spouses of foreign workers (C41) now require the principal to work in TEER 0/1 or in select TEER 2/3 priority sectors, with at least 16 months of remaining work permit validity; spouses of students (C42) only qualify if the student is enrolled in eligible programs. On March 4, 2026, IRCC began refusing C42 applications when the principal student is in their final academic term. On March 23, 2026, an exception was approved for British Columbia: spouses of workers under Significant Investment Projects (currently Lululemon Athletica and Microsoft Vancouver) qualify at any TEER level. On April 27, 2026, IRCC extended the validity of WP-EXT letters from 180 to 365 days, benefiting those renewing their SOWP under maintained status.

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