In the year 2025, the Open Work Permit (OWP) program of Canada offers an open roadmap to skilled workers, international students, and family members who are appropriate to reside and work in any section of the country without having to be allocated a permit by the employer. The new policies that will be put in place by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) in 2025 will streamline the application process, reduce the eligibility and help in prioritizing labor market especially in areas where there is a deficiency like in healthcare, Information and technology and skilled trades.
Eligibility to the Open Work Permit of 2025?
OWP 2025 program is primarily aimed at:
Dependent spouses, and partners of the dependent students such as the international students and temporary foreign workers enrolled in programs that are approved. Spouses may qualify based on new regulations effective January 21, 2025, either due to the occupation of a primary worker that is in a high-demand TEER 0 or 1 or due to the occupation being a job in TEER 2 and 3 such as a healthcare technician, IT support, electricians or construction trades.
OWPs are applicable to the spouses of the international students having a master degree of 16 months or more, doctorate or any special professional degree (medicine, law, pharmacy, nursing).
The language requirements are stricter (minimum CLB 5) and the applicants are expected to submit online applications at a fee of CAD 155 and other CAD 100 open work permit holder fee.
How to Apply
– Fill online the official IRCC site and submit paperwork to support the connection, a work or study permit of the main applicant and identity check.
– Process the application and allow holder fees online.
– Check the progress of your application; it can be 6 to 10 weeks.
– The applicants are able to commence employment on an interim basis awaiting the processing of their full permission and they avoid gaps in income.
Important Changes and Tips
The OWP 2025 regulations capped the number of the annual permits (around 85,000) and tightened the documentation checks and increased the support to the French-speaking workforces in Quebec and other communities that speak the French language.
The corresponding dependent children do not receive the OWPs on the automatic basis anymore; children are to request individual study permissions.
The sourcing and cautious documentation are also required at very initial phase as the eligibility criteria are highly demanding and the process is extremely scrutinized.
Open Work Permit in Canada: Key Data 2025
| Aspect | Information |
|---|---|
| Application Fee | CAD 155 + CAD 100 OWP fee |
| Processing Time | 6–10 weeks |
| Language Requirement | Minimum Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) 5 |
| Priority Occupations | TEER 0, 1, select TEER 2 & 3 roles |
| Application Mode | Online only |
FAQs
Q1: The question is as follows: can spouses of any international student apply to an OWP?
No, but when the student is pursuing high degrees or other professional courses and student meets the eligibility requirements.
Q2: Is the open work permit of the children?
No, the children who depend on it must independently apply to obtain permits, which in the vast majority of cases are study permits.
Q3: Does an applicant have the potential to work during the period that OWP is being handled?
Yes, the applicants may start working because their permit is being processed according to the 2025 policy on the interim work.
