Open Work Permit Canada: Categories, Fees and How to Apply

An open work permit lets you work for almost any employer in Canada, in most jobs, with no LMIA. You must fit a category, such as a spouse, PGWP, bridging or vulnerable worker permit. Most cost $255 in government fees: the $155 permit fee plus the $100 holder fee. An IRCC officer decides.

Compare the work permit categories

Last verified: November 2026

$255
Government fees for most open work permits
$155
The work permit processing fee
$100
The open work permit holder fee
$85
Biometrics per person where required, capped at $170 per family

Some categories, such as vulnerable workers and refugee claimants, have fee waivers.

How is an open work permit different from a closed one?

An open work permit generally allows you to work for almost any employer in Canada, in most occupations, without the employer needing a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA). A short list of employers is excluded, such as those who failed to comply with program conditions, and certain employers in the adult entertainment industry.

It is not a status in itself and does not lead directly to permanent residence. You must qualify for a specific category, each with its own eligibility rules, fees and restrictions, and an IRCC officer makes the final decision.

Open and employer-specific work permits
Feature	Open Work Permit	Employer-Specific (Closed)
Employer	Almost any employer	Named employer only
Occupation	Most occupations	Specified occupation
Location	Anywhere in Canada	May be location-restricted
LMIA required?	No	Usually yes (exemptions exist)
Government fee	$155 + $100 = $255	$155
Can change jobs?	Yes, generally	No, a new permit is needed

The rule

An open work permit generally lets you work for almost any employer in Canada, in most occupations, with no LMIA required.

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When can a spouse or partner get one?

Spouse of a foreign worker: Since January 21, 2025, your partner generally must hold a valid work permit in a TEER 0 or 1 occupation, or a select TEER 2 or 3 occupation on IRCC’s list, valid at least 16 months after IRCC receives your application. If your partner works in a TEER 4 or 5 job and is not on a pathway to permanent residence, IRCC says family members are not eligible. Your permit cannot be valid beyond your partner’s.
Spouse of an international student: Since January 21, 2025, generally limited to spouses of students in a doctoral program, a master’s program of at least 16 months, or another eligible program, such as certain professional programs. Spouses of most undergraduate and college students no longer qualify.
Sponsored spouse or partner in Canada: A spouse, common-law partner or conjugal partner being sponsored for permanent residence who lives in Canada with the sponsor, under the spouse or common-law partner in Canada class or the family class. You apply once you have the acknowledgement of receipt (AOR) letter.

An officer assesses whether the relationship is genuine. Our spousal open work permit guide lists the rules.

What do the bridging permit and the PGWP require?

Bridging open work permit (BOWP): It keeps you working while your PR application is processed. You live in Canada (and intend to live outside Quebec) with a valid work permit, maintained status as a worker, or eligibility to restore your status. You are the principal applicant under an eligible program, such as Express Entry (CEC, FSW, FST), a Provincial Nominee Program or the Quebec skilled worker class, your application has passed the completeness check, and you have the acknowledgement of receipt letter.
Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP): For graduates of an eligible program at a PGWP-eligible designated learning institution (DLI). It generally runs from 8 months up to 3 years, depending on the program length, and cannot extend past your passport expiry. Since November 1, 2024, the rules include language thresholds (CLB or NCLC 7 for university programs, CLB or NCLC 5 for college and other programs) and, for study permit applications made on or after that date, field-of-study requirements for programs other than a bachelor’s, master’s or doctoral degree.

Our PGWP guide covers the PGWP rules in full.

Which permits cover refugee claimants, vulnerable workers and students in hardship?

Refugee claimant: Under IRPR s.206, you are in Canada, cannot support yourself without working, and your claim has been referred to the Refugee Protection Division but not yet decided. You have passed eligibility screening under IRPA s.100 and had a medical examination. The work permit and holder fees are generally waived, and no biometrics fee is charged (IRPR s.315.1(2)(d)(vii)).
Vulnerable worker: You are inside Canada with a valid employer-specific permit, or one you applied to extend before it expired, and there are reasonable grounds to believe you are experiencing or at risk of abuse in the context of your employment (IRPR s.207.1). You include a letter of explanation. IRCC says there are no fees. Applications made at a port of entry are not accepted.
Destitute student: You hold a valid study permit, are enrolled at a designated learning institution and actively studying, and have become temporarily destitute through circumstances beyond your control and beyond the control of anyone you depend on to fund your studies (IRPR s.208(a)). No work permit fee applies (IRPR s.299(2)(d)).
Protected person: Persons granted refugee protection under IRPA s.95 can apply for open work permits while awaiting PR.

What about IEC, Francophone Mobility and the regional PR pilots?

IEC Working Holiday: citizens of participating countries aged 18 to 35, or 18 to 30 for some countries, can get an open work permit for up to 12 months in most cases, or up to 24 months for some countries.
Francophone Mobility is LMIA-exempt but primarily issues employer-specific work permits, for French speakers at NCLC 5 or higher working outside Quebec. Our Francophone Mobility guide says when a spouse may apply for an open work permit.
Atlantic Immigration Program and Rural Community Immigration Pilot permits are not open: applicants may get a 2-year work permit tied to the employer who offered them the job. The Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot is closed.

How do you extend an open work permit?

Most open work permits can be extended if you continue to meet the rules of the category under which it was issued.

Apply before your current permit expires; IRCC says to apply at least 30 days before the expiry date.
You cannot change from an employer-specific to an open work permit unless a new OWP category applies.
The PGWP is a one-time permit and cannot be extended to add time. The one exception: if IRCC issued it only to your passport expiry date, you can renew your passport and apply on paper to extend it for the remainder of the period you were eligible for.
A family member in Canada whose permit is shorter than the worker’s can apply to extend it.
You can leave Canada while a BOWP application is processed, but if you leave after your work permit expires, you cannot work until the new application is approved.

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What is the difference between an open and closed work permit?

An open work permit lets you work for almost any employer, in most occupations, anywhere in Canada. A closed (employer-specific) work permit ties you to the employer, occupation and sometimes the location named on it. To change employers on a closed permit, you generally need a new permit. Our Work Permit Guide covers both types.

How much does an open work permit cost in Canada?

Most open work permits cost $255: the $155 work permit fee plus the $100 open work permit holder fee. Biometrics add $85 where required, capped at $170 per family, for about $340 CAD in total. Vulnerable worker permits are generally free, and refugee claimants generally pay no processing or holder fee. Our Fee Calculator adds up the fees for your family.

What is the open work permit processing time in Canada?

It varies by category, by where you apply and by IRCC volumes, so no single figure applies. For each category, check IRCC's published time for that permit type rather than a fixed estimate. A complete application avoids the most common delays. Our processing times dashboard summarizes the latest IRCC data.

Can I get an open work permit for my spouse?

Only in certain cases since January 21, 2025. A spouse of a foreign worker generally needs the worker to hold a permit in a TEER 0 or 1 job, or a select TEER 2 or 3 job on IRCC's list, valid 16 months or more after IRCC receives the spouse's application. A spouse of a student generally needs the student in a doctoral program, a master's of 16 months or more, or another eligible program. Our Spousal Open Work Permit guide lists the rules.

Can I get an open work permit during spousal sponsorship?

Yes, if you are a sponsored spouse, common-law or conjugal partner who lives in Canada with your sponsor. This applies under the spouse or common-law partner in Canada class and under the family class (sponsored overseas). You apply once you have the acknowledgement of receipt letter. An officer decides eligibility in each case. Our Inland vs Outland Sponsorship guide compares the two routes, including work rights.

What is the open work permit for vulnerable workers?

It is an open work permit for a worker who is experiencing, or at risk of, abuse linked to their job or employer in Canada. You must be inside Canada and hold a valid employer-specific work permit, or one you applied to extend before it expired. IRCC says there are no fees for this permit. It has an expiry date and cannot be renewed. The standard is reasonable grounds to believe the abuse or risk exists.

How do I extend an open work permit?

Apply before your current permit expires, and keep meeting the rules of the category that gave you the permit. If you apply in time, maintained status generally lets you keep working under the same conditions until IRCC decides, as long as you stay in Canada. If your permit expires first, you must stop working and may apply to restore status within 90 days. The PGWP is issued once; the one extension IRCC allows is for a permit cut short by passport expiry. Our How to Extend Your Work Permit guide covers the steps.

Does an open work permit lead to permanent residence?

Not on its own, because it is temporary status. The Canadian work experience it gives you can support a separate PR application, for example through the Canadian Experience Class or a Provincial Nominee Program. The bridging open work permit exists to keep you working while a submitted PR application is processed. You still must qualify under a PR program. Our Express Entry page explains how Canadian experience counts.

Part of:Working in Canada Work permits

Official sources

This page is based on law and policy published by the Government of Canada.

IRCC: Work in Canada temporarily