Spousal Open Work Permit in Canada
A spousal open work permit lets the spouse or common-law partner of certain temporary residents work for almost any employer in Canada. Since January 21, 2025, it goes mainly to partners of workers in TEER 0 or 1 jobs, or select TEER 2 or 3 jobs, and of students in a master’s of 16 months or more, a PhD or an eligible professional program.
$255
The open work permit fee, including the $100 holder fee
$85
Biometrics per person, to a maximum of $170 per family
16 weeks
IRCC’s published time for a work permit applied for inside Canada
16 months
How long the worker’s permit must stay valid after IRCC receives the spouse’s application
IRCC times applications made from outside Canada country by country (IRCC, November 4, 2026). Our Fee Calculator adds up the fees for a whole family.
Which workers’ spouses can apply?
Since January 21, 2025, a spousal open work permit for the partner of a foreign worker is generally limited to spouses of workers employed in a TEER 0 or TEER 1 occupation (management or professional roles), or in a select group of TEER 2 or TEER 3 occupations that IRCC lists by NOC code, in natural and applied sciences, health, education, sports, the military, trades and transport, and natural resources.
Whichever the occupation, the principal worker’s work permit or authorization to work generally must be valid for at least 16 months after IRCC receives the spouse’s application. The eligible-occupation list can change, so confirm the worker’s exact occupation against the current IRCC eligibility page before applying.
Spouses of workers in TEER 2 and 3 roles that are not on IRCC’s list, and spouses of workers in TEER 4 or TEER 5 occupations, are generally no longer eligible. IRCC’s page says that if the worker is in a TEER 4 or 5 job and is not on a pathway to permanent residence, family members are not eligible.
The same page lists separate routes, among them:
- Workers who applied for permanent residence under an economic program
- Free trade agreement permit holders
- As of June 5, 2026, spouses of temporary workers who applied for permanent selection under Quebec’s Programme de sélection des travailleurs qualifiés
The rule
Whether your spouse qualifies depends mainly on the principal applicant's occupation (its TEER level) or program of study, not on your relationship.
What is the Significant Investment Project path?
Effective March 23, 2026, IRCC added a separate path. Generally, if the principal worker holds a valid work permit (or a letter of introduction for one) issued in connection with a designated Significant Investment Project (SIP) and is working or has a job offer, their spouse or common-law partner may apply for an open work permit at any TEER level.
This is a narrow route limited to specific employers designated as Significant Investment Projects in British Columbia, rather than a general loosening of the rules. The worker’s occupation can be at any TEER level, including TEER 4 or 5, and the 16-month-remaining requirement does not apply.
Because this route is limited to designated employers and uses special application coding, confirm the current details and instructions on the IRCC page before relying on it.
Which students’ spouses can apply?
Eligibility for the spouse of a student also narrowed on January 21, 2025. Generally, only the spouse or common-law partner of a student who holds a valid study permit and is enrolled in one of these may qualify:
- A master’s degree program of at least 16 months
- A doctoral (PhD) program
- Certain eligible professional or select pilot programs, for example certain law, medicine or other regulated-profession degrees on IRCC’s list
A one-year master’s shorter than 16 months may not qualify. Spouses of students in undergraduate (bachelor’s) degrees, college diplomas and most shorter programs are generally no longer eligible under the 2025 rules. The list of qualifying programs is defined by IRCC and can be updated.
How do you apply?
Show the relationship
The applicant must show the genuine relationship to the principal applicant, for example a marriage certificate, or proof of at least 12 continuous months of cohabitation for a common-law partner.
Show that the principal meets the conditions
Provide evidence that the principal meets the worker or student conditions, such as the principal’s work permit and a letter from the employer, or the study permit and a letter of enrolment.
Apply online
A spousal open work permit is usually applied for online through the IRCC secure account. A spouse already in Canada with valid temporary status may be able to apply from within Canada; for a spouse outside Canada, the application is processed through a visa office.
$255
Give biometrics
Biometrics are usually required. IRCC lists the biometrics fee as $85 per person, to a maximum of $170 per family.
$85
Wait for the decision
A final decision is always made by an IRCC officer.
16 weeks
A spouse in Canada whose SOWP is shorter than the worker’s permit can apply to extend it, even after January 21, 2025, but IRCC cannot issue it beyond the expiry of the worker’s permit.
What if your spouse does not qualify?
Not qualifying for a spousal open work permit does not mean your spouse cannot work in Canada at all; it means another route is needed. They may still be eligible for an employer-specific work permit if they have a job offer supported by an LMIA or falling under an LMIA-exempt category, or they may qualify in their own right as a student or, in some cases, a visitor. Each of these paths has its own eligibility rules, processing and conditions.
Some open work permits exist outside the spousal category entirely, for example for certain post-graduation work permit holders or applicants in specific immigration streams. The Open Work Permit guide covers those categories, and the LMIA-Exempt Work Permits guide covers employer-specific permits without an LMIA.
Which free tool checks your own case?
- NOC FinderYour occupation code and TEER level
- Fee CalculatorCurrent government fees, itemized
- Processing TimesIRCC wait times by program
Free, with no account. What you enter in a tool stays in your browser.
What do people ask?
What are the spousal open work permit requirements in Canada?
The requirements turn on the principal applicant. Since January 21, 2025, the worker generally needs a TEER 0 or 1 job, or a select TEER 2 or 3 job on IRCC’s list, with a work permit valid at least 16 months after IRCC receives the spouse’s application. A student needs a master’s program of 16 months or more, a doctorate or an eligible professional program. You also prove a genuine marriage or common-law relationship. The NOC Code Finder shows a job’s TEER level.
What are the new rules for the spousal open work permit in Canada?
The new rules apply to applications submitted on or after January 21, 2025. They limit the permit to partners of higher-skilled workers and of graduate or professional students; earlier applications followed the older, broader rules. On March 23, 2026, IRCC added a narrow path for partners of workers under a designated Significant Investment Project, open at any TEER level and without the 16-month rule. The Open Work Permit guide covers the other open permit categories.
What is the spousal open work permit processing time inside Canada?
IRCC’s published time for a work permit applied for inside Canada is 16 weeks, in its figures of November 4, 2026. That one figure covers open, employer-specific and post-graduation work permits made from inside Canada. IRCC times applications made from outside Canada country by country, so that wait depends on where you apply. The figures change every week. Our Processing Times page shows the current figure for each route.
Can I apply for a spousal open work permit from outside Canada?
Yes. A partner outside Canada applies online through an IRCC secure account, and a visa office processes the file. A partner already in Canada with valid temporary status may be able to apply from inside Canada instead. Either way, the application needs proof of the relationship and proof that the principal meets the worker or student conditions, such as their permit and an employer or enrolment letter. The Work Permit Guide explains the application steps.
What are the spousal open work permit fees?
The IRCC fee for an open work permit is $255, which includes the $100 open work permit holder fee. Biometrics usually add $85 per person, to a maximum of $170 per family. The permit is not tied to one employer, so the application needs no LMIA. Confirm the amounts on IRCC’s fee page before you pay. Our Fee Calculator adds up the fees for a whole family.
Can the spouse of a student get a spousal open work permit in Canada?
Only for some programs. Since January 21, 2025, the student must hold a valid study permit and be enrolled in a master’s program of at least 16 months, a doctoral program, or an eligible professional or pilot program. Partners of students in bachelor’s degrees, college diplomas and most shorter programs generally can no longer get one. IRCC can update the program list. The Working While Studying guide covers the student’s own work rights.
My spouse is in a TEER 4 job. Can I get a spousal open work permit?
Generally no, under the main rules. Since January 21, 2025, IRCC says that if a TEER 4 or 5 worker is not on a pathway to permanent residence, family members are not eligible. IRCC lists separate routes, among them a designated Significant Investment Project (any TEER level since March 23, 2026), a worker who applied for permanent residence under an economic program, and free trade agreement permit holders. Otherwise, an employer-specific permit may fit; the LMIA-Exempt Work Permits guide explains those.
Can my common-law partner apply, not just a married spouse?
Yes. A common-law partner, meaning two people who have lived together in a conjugal relationship for at least 12 continuous months, applies on the same basis as a married spouse. The application needs proof of the relationship, such as proof of living together, plus the documents that show the principal meets the worker or student conditions. An officer decides whether the relationship is genuine. The Common-Law Sponsorship guide explains the evidence IRCC reads.
Part of:Working in CanadaWork permits
- Open Work Permit Eligibility: Who Qualifies in Canada?
- Why Canada Work Permits Get Refused
- LMIA Process Explained: What Employers Need to Know
The textbook on this subject
Volume 2: Immigrating to Canada $79
The economic and family pathways to permanent residence, explained from the published criteria.
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This page is based on law and policy published by the Government of Canada.