Immigration Guide

Bridging Open Work Permit (BOWP): Who Qualifies, When to Apply and the Fee

By Alex Francisco Updated Oct 8, 2026 Figures checked Oct 8, 2026 6 min read

What is a bridging open work permit and who can apply for one?

A bridging open work permit (BOWP) is an IRCC work permit that lets the principal applicant on certain permanent residence applications keep working in Canada, for any employer, while waiting for the final decision. Express Entry applicants can apply once the application passes the completeness check and the acknowledgement of receipt letter arrives. The IRCC fee is $255, and officers are told to issue the permit for 24 months.

A bridging open work permit is for the principal applicant on a permanent residence application under Express Entry, the Provincial Nominee Program, the Quebec skilled worker class, the Quebec investor program, the Agri-Food Pilot or the older caregiver programs.
Express Entry applicants qualify only after the permanent residence application is submitted and has passed the completeness check; a profile sitting in the pool does not count.
Provincial nominees who applied outside Express Entry wait longer: IRCC holds the BOWP application until the permanent residence application passes the eligibility assessment.
The applicant must be in Canada with a valid work permit, be on maintained status as a worker, or be eligible to restore status; a BOWP cannot be requested at a port of entry or a visa office.
The IRCC fee is $255: the $155 work permit processing fee plus the $100 open work permit holder fee.
IRCC's officer instructions set the permit at 24 months from the date of issue, with work limited to the nominating province for provincial nominees and to Quebec for the Quebec skilled worker class.

— YieldMaple, figures checked against official sources on October 8, 2026. Sources

A bridging open work permit (BOWP) covers the gap between the end of a work permit and the final decision on a permanent residence application. It is an open permit, so no job offer or Labour Market Impact Assessment is needed. Every rule, stage and fee below comes from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) pages checked on October 8, 2026. This page explains those rules; it is not immigration advice, and only an IRCC officer decides an application. A licensed immigration consultant (RCIC) or lawyer can review a file with a status gap or a past refusal.

Who qualifies for a bridging open work permit, by program?

IRCC lists eight groups of permanent residence applicants. Each has its own stage, and the BOWP application is refused or held if that stage has not been reached.

Bridging open work permit: eligible programs and the stage to apply

How to read this table: find the program the permanent residence application was made under. The stage column is the earliest point at which IRCC accepts a BOWP application; the proof goes in the Client information field of an online application.

Permanent residence program	When a BOWP can be requested	Proof to include	Extra conditions
Express Entry: Federal Skilled Worker Program, Canadian Experience Class, Federal Skilled Trades Program	After the complete permanent residence application is submitted and has passed the completeness check	Acknowledgement of receipt (AOR) letter	Live in Canada and intend to live outside Quebec. A profile in the Express Entry pool is not an application.
Provincial Nominee Program, applied through Express Entry	After the complete permanent residence application is submitted and has passed the completeness check	AOR letter and nomination letter	The nomination must carry no employment restrictions. Work is limited to the nominating province.
Provincial Nominee Program, not through Express Entry	After the permanent residence application has passed the eligibility assessment	AOR letter from the PNP permanent residence application and nomination letter	The nomination must carry no employment restrictions. IRCC holds the BOWP application until it confirms basic eligibility for permanent residence.
Quebec skilled worker class	After the permanent residence application has passed the completeness check	Copy of the CSQ and the letter showing the permanent residence application number (it begins with E)	Live in Canada and intend to live in Quebec. The CSQ must have been valid when the permanent residence application was made. Work is limited to Quebec.
Quebec investors	After the permanent residence application has passed the completeness check	Copy of the CSQ and the letter showing the permanent residence application number	Live in Quebec and hold a valid CSQ, or have held one when the permanent residence application was submitted.
Agri-Food Pilot	After approval in principle for permanent residence	Approval in principle letter	Live in Canada and intend to live outside Quebec.
Home Child Care Provider Pilot or Home Support Worker Pilot (opened from 2019 to 2024)	After approval in principle for permanent residence, with 6 months of qualifying work experience proven	Approval in principle letter	Live in Canada and intend to live outside Quebec.
Caring for children class or caring for people with high medical needs class	After approval in principle for permanent residence	Approval in principle letter	The permanent residence application must have been submitted before the programs closed on June 18, 2019.

In every row, the applicant must also be the principal applicant on the permanent residence application and meet one of IRCC’s three status conditions.

Status a BOWP applicant needs in Canada

How to read this table: one of the three is enough. All three assume the person is physically in Canada after being admitted as a temporary resident.

Situation on the day of applying	What it means
Valid temporary resident status and a valid work permit	The usual case: the BOWP application goes in before the current work permit expires.
Expired work permit, but maintained status as a worker	An application to extend the work permit was made before it expired and is still being processed.
Eligible to restore status and get a work permit	Status has been lost but restoration is still possible; the restoration fee is added.

At what stage can you apply?

The stage is the part people most often get wrong, because it differs by how the permanent residence application was filed.

Express Entry (and provincial nominees who applied through it): after the electronic application has passed IRCC’s completeness check. The acknowledgement of receipt (AOR) letter in the account is the proof. The Canadian Experience Class is one of the three Express Entry programs covered, and it is built on skilled work experience gained in Canada, so many of its applicants hold a work permit with an expiry date.
Provincial nominees outside Express Entry: the AOR letter is still attached, but IRCC says that letter does not mean the BOWP is being processed. It holds the file until the permanent residence application passes the eligibility assessment.
Quebec skilled worker class and Quebec investors: after the completeness check, with a copy of the Certificat de sélection du Québec (CSQ). On the form, IRCC asks these applicants to answer “yes” to the question about being approved in principle. The Quebec skilled worker program guide covers the selection step that comes first.
Agri-Food Pilot, caregiver pilots and the caring classes: after approval in principle, with that letter attached.

A candidate who only has a profile in the pool is not there yet. IRCC’s page says to keep status by extending the current work permit while waiting for an invitation, which can mean the employer needs a new LMIA or a new offer of employment. The CRS calculator shows where a profile stands against recent cut-offs.

Who cannot get a bridging open work permit?

Who does not qualify for a BOWP

How to read this table: these come from IRCC's public page and its instructions to officers. A provincial nominee can check the nomination letter, which has a Restrictions on employment field the province fills in.

Situation	IRCC's reason
Candidates with a profile in the Express Entry pool who have not yet applied for permanent residence	IRCC says submitting a profile is not the same as applying for permanent residence.
Provincial nominees whose nomination has employment restrictions	IRCC does not issue an open work permit under the BOWP when the province restricts employment; the officer instructions point to the work permit for provincial nominees (code T13) instead.
Applicants under the Home Care Worker Immigration pilots (opened in 2025)	IRCC's page says these applicants are not eligible for a BOWP and points to other work permit options.
Spouses and dependants of the principal permanent residence applicant	Only the principal applicant can get a BOWP; family members use the family open work permit.
Anyone applying at a port of entry or a visa office	The applicant must be in Canada; the officer instructions say applications cannot be submitted at a port of entry.
Workers who are exempt from needing a work permit (other than those on maintained status)	The BOWP is for people moving from a work permit to permanent residence.
People who are inadmissible to Canada	Listed in the officer instructions as not qualifying.

Graduates whose post-graduation work permit is running out are a common case: the PGWP guide explains how long that permit lasts, which sets the date by which the permanent residence application needs to have reached the stage in the first table.

How much does a bridging open work permit cost?

The IRCC fee is $255 per application: the $155 work permit processing fee and the $100 open work permit holder fee, both named on IRCC’s BOWP page.

Bridging open work permit fees paid to IRCC

How to read this table: the total row is the sum of the first two rows, not an extra charge. The restoration rows apply only to someone who has lost status.

Fee	Amount (CAD)	When it applies
Work permit processing fee	$155	Every BOWP application (per person)
Open work permit holder fee	$100	Every BOWP application; refunded if the BOWP is refused because the Express Entry or Quebec skilled worker permanent residence application was incomplete
Total IRCC fee for a BOWP	$255	Work permit processing fee plus open work permit holder fee
Restore status as a worker	$246.25	Only when status has expired and restoration is still possible; added to the two fees above
Restore status and get a new work permit	$401.25	The fee list's combined line: restoration plus the work permit processing fee, before the open work permit holder fee
Biometrics (per person)	$85	Only if the document checklist asks for biometrics

An applicant restoring status pays $501.25 before any biometrics. If a BOWP is refused because the Express Entry or Quebec skilled worker application turned out to be incomplete, the officer instructions say the $100 open work permit holder fee is refunded and the $155 processing fee is not. The IRCC fee list for permanent residence and work permits sets these next to the permanent residence fees.

How long is a bridging open work permit valid?

IRCC’s public page gives no length. The instructions it publishes for officers do.

How long officers are told to issue a BOWP for

How to read this table: these are IRCC's instructions to its officers, not a promise to applicants. For Quebec files the instructions say officers may use discretion based on current processing times. The dates printed on the permit are the ones that apply.

Permit	Length	Where the holder can work
BOWP, most programs	24 months from the date of issue	Any employer and location, except for provincial nominees (nominating province only)
First BOWP, Quebec skilled worker class and Quebec investors	24 months or passport validity, whichever is shorter	Quebec only for the Quebec skilled worker class
BOWP extension, Quebec skilled worker class and Quebec investors	12 months, if needed	Quebec only for the Quebec skilled worker class
Later extensions of a BOWP, other programs	Decided case by case	Not stated in the officer instructions

A hypothetical example: a BOWP issued on November 2, 2026 under the standard instruction would run to November 2, 2028, unless the officer sets another date. The permit is open, so the holder can change employers, with one limit for provincial nominees and the Quebec skilled worker class: the work location is restricted to the nominating province or to Quebec.

What is maintained status while you wait?

Maintained status is what lets a worker stay and keep working after the old permit’s expiry date while IRCC processes a new application that was filed in time. These are IRCC’s rules for it.

Maintained status while a work permit application is in process

How to read this table: these rules apply when the application was submitted before the current work permit expired. Someone who applies after expiry does not have maintained status and would need to restore status as a worker.

Topic	IRCC's rule
Staying in Canada	Someone who applies to renew or change a work permit before it expires can legally stay in Canada until IRCC decides the application.
Working	If the first permit expires while the application is in process, the worker has maintained status and may work without a permit until the decision, as long as they stay in Canada.
Conditions	Work continues under the same conditions as the current permit: an employer-specific permit means the same employer, job and work location.
Proof for an employer	Online applicants get a letter in their account as proof of authorization to work. It lists an expiry date 365 days from the day IRCC receives the application, and work can continue past that date until the decision.
Who gets no letter	People who applied after their work permit expired, people applying for their first work permit in Canada, and people who applied on paper (they can show proof that the application was submitted instead).
Leaving Canada	If the permit has expired and the application is still in process, a returning worker may be let in as a visitor and cannot work until the new permit is approved.
SIN	The SIN expires on the same date as the work permit; work can continue with an expired SIN until the decision, and the SIN is updated once the new permit arrives.
Driver's licence and health card	Provincial documents usually cannot be renewed while on maintained status, so IRCC says to make sure they are valid before the work permit expires.

Two details matter for a BOWP in particular. First, until the BOWP is approved the old permit’s conditions still apply, so a worker on an employer-specific permit cannot move to a new employer on the strength of a pending BOWP. Second, travel changes things after the old permit expires: IRCC says a worker who leaves at that point cannot work on return until the new permit is approved.

How do you apply for a bridging open work permit?

IRCC treats a BOWP as an application to extend or change the conditions of a work permit, and says most people must apply online.

Confirm the stage. Check the table above against the letter on file: AOR, eligibility assessment or approval in principle.
Start a work permit extension application in the IRCC secure account. The form named in the officer instructions is IMM 5710, the in-Canada application to change conditions or extend a stay as a worker.
Select “Open work permit” as the type of work permit. The officer instructions say this choice is required for the application to be assessed as a BOWP.
Upload the proof for the program in the Client information field, with the documents on the personal checklist. Provincial nominees add the nomination letter; Quebec applicants add the CSQ.
Pay the $255, plus biometrics if the checklist asks for them, and keep the confirmation.

Paper applications are for people who have problems applying online. A BOWP cannot be requested at the border.

Can your spouse work while you hold a BOWP?

The BOWP itself is only for the principal applicant. IRCC’s instructions send accompanying spouses, common-law partners and dependent children to the family open work permit, which becomes available once the principal applicant has been issued a BOWP. On that route the principal’s work permit needs at least 6 months left when IRCC receives the family member’s application, so the count starts from the day the family member’s application arrives, not the day the BOWP was issued. The spousal open work permit guide covers that route, its fee and its documents.

Common mistakes with a bridging open work permit

Applying from the pool. An Express Entry profile, or an invitation alone, is not a permanent residence application.
Letting the work permit expire first. Applying before expiry gives maintained status; applying after means restoring status, with the extra fee, and no maintained status to work under.
Picking the wrong permit type. The application has to say “Open work permit”.
Ignoring nomination restrictions. A nomination with employment restrictions rules out the BOWP.
Leaving Canada after the old permit expires. Work stops until the new permit is approved.
Letting a health card or driver’s licence lapse. Provinces usually will not renew them during maintained status.

What to set up once the permit arrives

A new permit means a new expiry date on the Social Insurance Number record; the SIN application steps cover the update. Ontario residents can check what the province asks for in the OHIP health card guide before the old card runs out.

Frequently asked questions

Who is eligible for a bridging open work permit?

The principal applicant on a permanent residence application under Express Entry (Federal Skilled Worker Program, Canadian Experience Class, Federal Skilled Trades Program), the Provincial Nominee Program, the Quebec skilled worker class, the Quebec investor program, the Agri-Food Pilot, the Home Child Care Provider or Home Support Worker pilots, or the older caring classes. The person must be in Canada with a valid work permit, be on maintained status as a worker, or be eligible to restore status, and must have reached the stage IRCC sets for the program.

When can you apply for a bridging open work permit?

It depends on the program. Express Entry applicants, including provincial nominees who applied through Express Entry, and Quebec skilled worker and investor applicants can apply once the permanent residence application has passed the completeness check. Provincial nominees who applied outside Express Entry need the application to pass the eligibility assessment. Agri-Food Pilot, caregiver pilot and caring class applicants need approval in principle. IRCC's page checked on October 8, 2026 lists no condition about how much time is left on the current permit.

How much does a bridging open work permit cost?

The IRCC fee is $255: the $155 work permit processing fee plus the $100 open work permit holder fee. Biometrics cost $85 per person when the document checklist asks for them. Someone who has lost status and is restoring it pays the $246.25 restoration fee as well. IRCC's officer instructions say the $100 open work permit holder fee is refunded, but not the processing fee, when a BOWP is refused because the permanent residence application was incomplete.

How long is a bridging open work permit valid?

IRCC's instructions to officers set the permit at 24 months from the date of issue. For the Quebec skilled worker class and Quebec investors, the first permit is 24 months or the validity of the passport, whichever is shorter, and extensions are 12 months if needed. For other programs, a later request to extend is decided case by case. These are instructions to officers and not a promise to applicants, and for Quebec files they allow discretion based on processing times, so the dates printed on the permit are what counts.

Can you work while waiting for a bridging open work permit?

Yes, if the BOWP application went in before the current work permit expired. IRCC's rule is that a worker whose permit expires while an extension application is in process has maintained status and can work without a permit until the decision, as long as they stay in Canada. Until the BOWP is approved, the work continues under the conditions of the old permit, so an employer-specific permit still means the same employer, job and location.

Can you apply for a bridging open work permit with only an Express Entry profile?

No. IRCC states that submitting a profile to the pool is not the same as applying for permanent residence. A BOWP needs a complete permanent residence application that has passed the completeness check, plus the acknowledgement of receipt letter. For candidates still waiting for an invitation, IRCC's page says to keep status by extending the current work permit, which may need a new Labour Market Impact Assessment or a new offer of employment from the employer.

Can a provincial nominee get a bridging open work permit?

Yes, when the nomination has no employment restrictions and the nominee is the principal applicant on a permanent residence application. The nomination letter goes in with the BOWP application. IRCC's officer instructions limit the work location on the permit to the nominating province. Where a province puts employment restrictions on the nomination, IRCC does not issue a BOWP and its instructions point to the work permit for provincial nominees instead.

Can the spouse of a BOWP holder get an open work permit?

Not a BOWP: IRCC's instructions exclude spouses and dependants of the principal applicant from the bridging permit itself. A genuine accompanying spouse, common-law partner or dependent child can instead apply for the family open work permit once the principal applicant holds a BOWP. On that route IRCC asks that the principal's work permit be valid for at least 6 months after it receives the family member's application.

Can you leave Canada while a bridging open work permit is being processed?

IRCC says applicants can leave Canada while the application is processed, with two warnings. Leaving after the old work permit has expired means no work on return until the new permit is approved, and re-entry may be as a visitor. IRCC's page for provincial nominees adds that the applicant must be in Canada with valid temporary resident status when the BOWP decision is made, or the application may be refused.

What happens to health card and SIN on maintained status?

IRCC says provincial and territorial documents such as a driver's licence or health card usually cannot be renewed while on maintained status, and tells workers to make sure they are valid before the work permit expires. The SIN expires on the same date as the work permit. Work can continue with the expired SIN until IRCC decides, and the SIN is updated only once the new permit arrives.

Are Home Care Worker Immigration pilot applicants eligible for a BOWP?

No. IRCC's bridging open work permit page says people who applied under the Home Care Worker Immigration pilots, which opened in 2025, are not eligible for a BOWP and sends them to other work permit options. The bridging permit still covers the earlier Home Child Care Provider Pilot and Home Support Worker Pilot, for applicants approved in principle who can prove 6 months of qualifying work experience.

Part of our Express Entry guide: programs, requirements, CRS, profile, draws and fees.

Rules, rates and sources

Last verified: September 30, 2026
Next scheduled check: December 30, 2026

Rule or table	In effect from	Verified
Bridging open work permit (BOWP) rules, stages and fees	July 30, 2025	October 8, 2026
IRCC application fees	April 30, 2026	October 8, 2026
Spousal open work permit rules and fees	January 21, 2025	September 30, 2026

Official sources

Bridging open work permit for permanent residence applicants - Canada.ca — Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada
Bridging open work permits for certain economic class permanent residence applicants [R205(a) - A75] - Canada.ca — Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada
What to do if your work permit expired - Canada.ca — Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada
Extend or change the conditions of your work permit: After you extend - Canada.ca — Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada
Extend or change the conditions of your work permit: If you want to travel outside Canada - Canada.ca — Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada
Express Entry: After you apply - Canada.ca — Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada
Citizenship and immigration application fees: Fee list - IRCC (work permits) — Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada
Citizenship and immigration application fees: Fee changes - IRCC — Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada
Open work permits for family members of foreign workers - Canada.ca — Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada
Open work permits for family members of foreign workers: Who can apply - Canada.ca — Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada
Open work permits for family members of foreign workers: How we process your application - Canada.ca — Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada
Help your spouse or common-law partner work in Canada - Canada.ca — Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada
Sponsor your spouse, partner or child: Open work permit in Canada - Canada.ca — Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada

How we check figures: our methodology and editorial policy.

General information for education, not financial, tax, legal or immigration advice. Rules change — confirm anything you act on with the official source or a licensed professional (for immigration, a lawyer or a licensed consultant registered with the College of Immigration and Citizenship Consultants).