Canada targets to welcome 82,000 new permanent residents under the Spousal Open Work permit and the partner and child sponsorship program annually.
With Canada’s goal to welcome an outstanding number of around 460,000 new immigrants each year, Canada aims to invite more immigrants’ spouses and family members to come to their country.
According to the new Immigration Levels Plan released by the federal department of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), Canada invites an average of 115,000 immigrants that belong to the family immigration class to the country. They project to welcome 240,000 immigrants under the category of spouses, partners, and children by 2025.
Furthermore, if your partner is already in the country, they might qualify to apply for a spousal open work permit.
Spousal Open Work Permit (SOWP)
Canada not only welcome an immigrant’s spouse to be reunited with their partners in the country, but Canada also aims to have them employed for them to be able to sustain living in the country.
An open work permit does not limit an immigrant to a specific employer, instead, it allows immigrants to legally stay in Canada and find employment from any employer in any industry. This allows the spouse or partner to be professionally active and enter the Canadian labor market
This means that the partner or spouse can work full-time in Canada while they are waiting for the result of their permanent residency application – this is advantageous to immigrants with spouses living with them in Canada.
How to be Eligible for a SOWP?
There’s a high probability of being granted a Spousal Open Work Permit, especially if you hinge it on Canada’s trend of welcoming immigrants through this program. However, applying for one does not always mean that you or your spouse or your sponsoring partner are eligible for a SOWP.
To obtain a spousal open work permit, you must meet certain criteria that Canada has imposed.
For you to be eligible, you must have already submitted your spousal/common-law partner sponsorship application for permanent residence; you must have valid temporary resident status as a visitor, student, or worker.
Moreover, the applicant and sponsor must meet all eligibility criteria for spousal/common-law partner sponsorship; and as the one being sponsored, you must already be in Canada and living with your partner. Applicants who have applied for spousal sponsorship but live outside of Canada are not eligible.
What are the advantages of a SOWP?
The goal of the Spousal Open Work permit is to lessen the emotional burden of the principal applicant, as the SOWP allows couples to live together in Canada. If an immigrant doesn’t have a temporary work permit, they won’t or might have a lesser likelihood of being allowed to stay in Canada. Thus, it is necessary that they apply for a temporary work permit, ideally, Spousal Open Work permits for immigrant partners.
In addition, an Open Work Permit allows the principal applicant’s partner to enter the Canadian workforce – mitigating the economic burden while waiting for the permanent residency application process.
Immigrants will also be immersed in the Canadian labor force, allowing them to develop their skills and proficiency in Canada’s major languages. Other than that, they can also establish themselves in Canadian communities and gain professional connections.
In a nutshell, the Spousal Open Work permit allows immigrants to gain experience and have significant earnings once they enter the workforce, develop their language skills, and strengthen their credentials – these are among the key points that IRCC specifically looks into in selecting new permanent residents. Hence, the advantages gained from the Spousal Open Work permit are crucial in applying for permanent residence in Canada.
Applying for a Spousal Open Work permit
Spousal Open Work permits are indeed tailor-made for foreign spouses that are career-oriented. Canada invites foreign couples that prioritize career advancement and the overall improvement of their lives together.
Since Canada is targeting to welcome around 82,000 new immigrants under the Spousal Open Work permit, this news is timely for immigrants that are yet to be reunited with their partners through this pathway to Canada.
Foreign spouses will have the opportunity to build both of their careers and have a higher probability of being retained together as permanent residents in the country.
Canada has made it easier for immigrants, through the spousal sponsorship program, they can both file their applications for permanent residency at the same time. Once they are deemed eligible for permanent residence by IRCC, they can now apply for a SOWP online.
If you want to know more about moving to Canada under the Spousal Open-Work permit, you can always schedule an online appointment with us. Fill out our easy online application form or contact us at +63 917 555 9027.
