Immigration Guide

Spousal Open Work Permit in Canada: 2026 Eligibility, Fees and How to Apply

By Alex Francisco Updated Sep 30, 2026 Figures checked Sep 30, 2026 11 min read

Who can get a spousal open work permit in Canada, and how much does it cost?

A spousal open work permit is an IRCC permit that lets the spouse or common-law partner of an eligible student, worker or permanent residence applicant work for almost any employer in Canada. Since January 21, 2025 it mainly covers partners of master's (16 months or longer), doctoral and listed professional students, TEER 0 or 1 and select TEER 2 or 3 workers, some PR applicants and sponsored spouses. The IRCC fee is $255.

A spousal open work permit is not tied to one employer: the partner can work for almost any Canadian employer without a job offer or an LMIA.
Since January 21, 2025, spouses of international students qualify only when the student is in a master's program of 16 months or longer, a doctoral program, a listed professional degree or one of IRCC's listed eligible programs.
Spouses of workers who are not on a pathway to permanent residence generally qualify only if the worker is in a TEER 0 or 1 job, or a select TEER 2 or 3 job, with at least 16 months left on the work permit; BC investment-project workers and health professionals recruited by Quebec are the narrow exceptions.
Spouses of workers whose permit was issued because of an economic permanent residence application, or of TEER 4 or 5 workers on a listed provincial or pilot pathway, need the worker's permit to have at least 6 months left.
Spouses being sponsored from inside Canada can apply once they hold the acknowledgement of receipt (AOR) for the PR application, and can extend the permit for 2 more years while the PR application is still in process.
The IRCC fee is $255 per person (the $155 work permit fee plus the $100 open work permit holder fee), plus $85 for biometrics when required.

— YieldMaple, figures checked against official sources on September 30, 2026. Sources

A spousal open work permit (often shortened to SOWP) lets the partner of an eligible student, worker or permanent residence applicant work in Canada. The rules narrowed sharply on January 21, 2025, and IRCC has since added a few special cases. Every rule and fee on this page comes from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) pages checked on September 30, 2026. It explains the rules; it is not immigration advice, and only an IRCC officer decides an application. For a file with a status gap, a past refusal or an unusual job, a licensed immigration consultant (RCIC) or lawyer can review it first.

What is a spousal open work permit?

A spousal open work permit is a work permit for a spouse or common-law partner that is not tied to one employer. “Open” means no job offer and no Labour Market Impact Assessment are needed, unlike an employer-specific permit that depends on an LMIA. IRCC’s only standard limits are employers on its list of non-compliant employers and businesses that regularly offer striptease, erotic dance, escort services or erotic massages. Some types of jobs also need a medical exam first, and the document checklist says when one is required.

The spouse does not qualify alone. Eligibility always runs through the “principal applicant”: the student, worker or permanent residence applicant whose status makes the spouse eligible. That is why most of this page is about the principal’s program, job and permit dates.

Who qualifies for a spousal open work permit in 2026?

There are now eight distinct situations on IRCC’s pages, one of which is a “no”. The table sets them side by side, with the rule that most often decides the file.

Spousal open work permit routes in 2026

How to read this table: find the row that describes the partner who makes the spouse eligible. The spouse must also meet the general work permit requirements and, if in Canada, hold valid temporary status, be on maintained status or be eligible to restore status.

Route	What the principal applicant needs	Deciding rule	In effect
Spouse of an international student	Valid study permit and studying in a master's program of 16 months or longer, a doctoral program, a listed professional degree program, or another eligible program IRCC lists	Permit usually valid for the same period as the study permit	January 21, 2025
Spouse of a high-skilled worker (not applying for PR)	Works in any TEER 0 or 1 job, or a select TEER 2 or 3 job; lives or will live in Canada	Principal's work permit valid at least 16 months after IRCC receives the spouse's application	January 21, 2025
Spouse of a worker who applied for economic PR	Work permit issued because of an application to an eligible economic PR program or pilot	Principal's work permit valid at least 6 months after IRCC receives the application	In place before January 21, 2025
Spouse of a TEER 4 or 5 worker on a PR pathway	Work permit through the PNP, Atlantic Immigration Program, Agri-Food Pilot, Start-up Visa or another listed pathway, before applying for PR	Principal's work permit valid at least 6 months after IRCC receives the application	In place before January 21, 2025
Spouse being sponsored in Canada	Canadian citizen or permanent resident sponsor; spouse, common-law or conjugal partner lives in Canada with the sponsor	Needs the AOR for the PR application (unless status expires in 2 weeks or less); extensions of 2 years while PR is in process	Public policy in place
Spouse of a BC significant investment project worker	Work permit or letter of introduction under a SIP agreement, job at any TEER level	No 16-month rule; enter SIPSPOUSEBC as job title	March 23, 2026
Spouse of a Quebec-recruited health professional	Recruited by Quebec as a registered nurse (31301), respiratory therapist (32103) or medical laboratory technologist (32120)	No 16-month rule; enter CONJOINTSANTEQC as job title	May 25, 2026
Spouse of a TEER 4 or 5 worker (no PR pathway)	Low-skilled occupation and not on an eligible PR pathway	Not eligible for a new open work permit; in-Canada spouses may still extend an existing one	January 21, 2025

Spouses of workers under certain free trade agreements may also qualify through that agreement, and IRCC says they can still use the family route if the agreement does not cover them. Quebec also added a route on June 5, 2026 for spouses of temporary workers who applied under the Programme de sélection des travailleurs qualifiés (PSTQ); IRCC’s page says only that they “may be eligible” and has not published separate conditions, so check the current Who can apply page before relying on it.

What changed on January 21, 2025?

IRCC’s pages mark January 21, 2025 as the date the family open work permit routes narrowed. From that date:

The student route was limited to spouses of master’s students in programs of 16 months or longer, doctoral students, 11 listed professional degree programs and a short list of other eligible programs.
The worker route was limited to spouses of workers in TEER 0 (management) or TEER 1 (professional) jobs, or in a select list of TEER 2 and TEER 3 occupations, whose permit has at least 16 months left.
The route ended for dependent children of high-skilled workers who are not applying for permanent residence.
The route ended for families of TEER 4 and 5 workers who are not on an eligible pathway to permanent residence.

Families of workers whose permit came from an economic permanent residence application, families of TEER 4 or 5 workers on a listed PR pathway, and spouses being sponsored from inside Canada kept their routes. Family members of workers who are in Canada and already hold a permit from the narrowed worker routes can still extend it when it is shorter than the principal’s, as long as they apply before it expires.

Which international students’ spouses qualify?

The student must hold a valid study permit and be in one of these: a master’s program of 16 months or longer, any doctoral program, one of the eligible programs IRCC lists (for example Ontario’s Supervised Practice Experience Partnership or the Francophone Minority Communities Student Pilot), or one of these professional degree programs at a university.

Professional degree programs whose students' spouses can apply

How to read this table: the program must be taken at a university. A bachelor's degree outside this list (for example a BA or BCom) does not qualify on its own.

Program (as IRCC lists it)
Doctor of Dental Surgery (DDS, DMD)
Bachelor of Law or Juris Doctor (LLB, JD, BCL)
Doctor of Medicine (MD)
Doctor of Optometry (OD)
Pharmacy (PharmD, BS, BSc, BPharm)
Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM)
Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BScN, BSN)
Bachelor of Nursing Science (BNSc)
Bachelor of Nursing (BN)
Bachelor of Education (BEd)
Bachelor of Engineering (BEng, BE, BASc)

A worked example with hypothetical programs: a student in a 12-month master’s is below the 16-month minimum, so the spouse does not qualify through the student route. A student in a 2-year master’s clears it. The spouse’s permit usually lasts as long as the study permit, and can be extended while the student stays enrolled full-time in a PGWP-eligible program and is not in the final term.

After graduation, the route changes. A graduate who gets a post-graduation work permit becomes a worker, and the spouse then needs the worker rules below (TEER level and 16 months left). The PGWP guide covers how long that permit lasts, which decides whether the 16-month test can be met.

Which workers’ spouses qualify?

For a worker who is not applying for permanent residence, IRCC looks at the job the worker holds, or will hold, on the day the spouse applies. Every TEER 0 and TEER 1 occupation qualifies. In TEER 2 and TEER 3, only a list of 137 occupations qualifies. The table shows a sample of commonly held ones; the full list is on IRCC’s Who can apply page.

Examples of select TEER 2 and 3 jobs that qualify a spouse

How to read this table: this is a sample. A TEER 2 or 3 job not on IRCC's full list does not qualify the spouse, even if it is skilled work. Check the 5-digit NOC code on the job offer or employer letter.

NOC code	Occupation	TEER
22220	Computer network and web technicians	TEER 2
22221	User support technicians	TEER 2
32101	Licensed practical nurses	TEER 2
32124	Pharmacy technicians	TEER 2
42202	Early childhood educators and assistants	TEER 2
72106	Welders and related machine operators	TEER 2
72200	Electricians (except industrial and power system)	TEER 2
72300	Plumbers	TEER 2
72310	Carpenters	TEER 2
72410	Automotive service technicians, truck and bus mechanics and mechanical repairers	TEER 2
33102	Nurse aides, orderlies and patient service associates	TEER 3
43100	Elementary and secondary school teacher assistants	TEER 3
73300	Transport truck drivers	TEER 3
73400	Heavy equipment operators	TEER 3

The worker’s permit (or authorization to work) must be valid for at least 16 months after IRCC receives the spouse’s application. A hypothetical example: IRCC receives the spouse’s application on October 15, 2026, so the worker’s permit must run until at least February 15, 2028. A permit ending June 30, 2028 passes; one ending December 31, 2027 leaves only about 14.5 months and fails. The test is easiest to meet when the spouse’s application is received soon after the worker’s permit is issued or extended.

IRCC also lists principal applicants whose spouses cannot use this worker route:

Principal applicants whose spouses are not eligible under the high-skilled worker route

How to read this table: these apply to the route for spouses of high-skilled workers who are not applying for PR. A student with a study permit uses the student route instead.

Principal applicant situation
Made a refugee claim referred to the Immigration and Refugee Board
Subject to an unenforceable removal order
International student holding a study permit (use the student route instead)
International student working on or off campus without a work permit
PGWP applicant with no positive decision by the time the spouse's application is decided
Holds a spousal open work permit

Workers on a pathway to permanent residence follow easier rules. If the worker’s permit was issued or approved because the worker applied for PR through an economic program (Canadian Experience Class, Federal Skilled Worker, Federal Skilled Trades, the Provincial Nominee Program, the Atlantic Immigration Program and others IRCC lists), or the worker holds a TEER 4 or 5 job through a listed pathway such as a provincial nomination before applying for PR, the permit needs only 6 months left and dependent children can apply too. For PR applicants, the spouse must already be listed as a dependant on the PR application before the work permit application goes in. Spouses of Rural Community Immigration Pilot and Francophone Community Immigration Pilot applicants use a separate open work permit under those pilots instead. Workers already in the PR queue through Express Entry should also look at the bridging open work permit for themselves.

How does the sponsored spouse open work permit work?

A spouse, common-law partner or conjugal partner who lives in Canada with a Canadian citizen or permanent resident sponsor can apply once three things are true: the relationship is genuine, the PR application has an acknowledgement of receipt (AOR) letter, and the spouse has valid temporary status (which includes maintained status, or having applied for restoration while eligible). The AOR is the letter the sponsor receives; its application number starts with an F. This route is closed if the PR application was refused, withdrawn or returned, and it cannot be used at a port of entry.

The exception to waiting for the AOR: a spouse whose permit or status expires in 2 weeks or less, and who applied in the Spouse or Common-Law Partner in Canada class or the family class as a spouse or partner, can apply with proof that the PR application was submitted. On the work permit form, IRCC asks for “SCLPC FC OWP” as the job title. The permit can be extended for 2 more years while no decision has been made on the PR application. A spouse who has no valid status must wait for the approval in principle letter on the PR application, then apply on paper with a letter explaining why. The spousal sponsorship guide covers the PR side of the same file, including who can sponsor.

How much does a spousal open work permit cost?

The IRCC fee is $255 per person, paid at the end of the online application.

Spousal open work permit fees paid to IRCC

How to read this table: the total row is the work permit fee plus the open work permit holder fee, not an extra charge. The application checklist says whether biometrics are needed.

Fee	Amount (CAD)	When it applies
Work permit fee	$155	Every spousal open work permit application, including extensions (per person)
Open work permit holder fee	$100	Every open work permit; refunded if the principal applicant's application is refused
Total IRCC fee for the permit	$255	Work permit fee plus open work permit holder fee
Biometrics (per person)	$85	If biometrics are required; family maximum applies when applying together
Biometrics (family of 2 or more, applying together)	$170	Spouse or common-law partner and dependent children applying at the same time
Restore status as a worker	$246.25	Only if temporary status expired and restoration is still possible; added to the work permit fee

For a hypothetical spouse applying alone who also needs biometrics, the IRCC total is $340. A spouse restoring status as a worker (for example after a previous work permit expired) pays the restoration fee on top: $501.25, before biometrics. Medical exams, police certificates and visa application centre services are paid to those providers. The wider IRCC fee list for PR, sponsorship and work permits shows how these fit next to permanent residence costs.

If the principal applicant is refused, IRCC refunds the $100 open work permit holder fee but keeps the $155 processing fee.

How do you apply for a spousal open work permit?

Most applicants must apply online through an IRCC secure account. The general sequence for spouses of workers:

Check the route and timing. Confirm which row of the table above applies, and that the principal’s permit will have 16 months (or 6 months) left on the day IRCC receives the application.
Decide: together or separately. Couples applying from outside Canada can usually submit as a group; many in-Canada spouses apply separately after the principal has applied. The section below explains which applies.
Get the document checklist. In the IRCC account, choose “Apply to come to Canada”, then the section for applicants without a personal reference code. When applying with the principal, answer “Yes” to submitting for a family member and choose “Work with an Open Work Permit”. Spouses of students answer “Yes” to being the spouse of a person who holds a study permit.
Complete the form. IRCC’s how-to-apply page lists the work permit application form (IMM 1295), a passport copy and a photo. Spouses in the BC investment-project or Quebec health routes enter the job-title codes IRCC gives (SIPSPOUSEBC or CONJOINTSANTEQC).
Upload the proof. Relationship proof (marriage certificate or the IMM 5409 common-law declaration), the principal’s permit or port of entry letter showing the expiry date, and an employer letter with the job, duties and NOC or TEER. Spouses of PR applicants also upload the principal’s acknowledgement of receipt letter and the PR application form (IMM 0008) that lists them. Anything without its own field goes in “Client information”.
Pay and submit. Pay the $255, plus biometrics if the checklist asks for them, and keep the submission confirmation.

Paper applications are generally accepted only when a disability or a problem with the online system prevents applying online, plus narrow cases such as the out-of-status sponsored spouse described above.

Can the spouse apply at the same time as the principal applicant?

It depends on where the principal is and what they are applying for. From outside Canada, the spouse can usually apply online with the principal, or with them at a port of entry if everyone is eligible to apply there. Inside Canada, a spouse can apply with a principal who is extending a work permit or applying for a PGWP, or apply separately afterwards; a principal applying for a new initial work permit from inside Canada means the spouse must apply separately after the principal has applied.

The order matters. IRCC processes the principal’s application first; if it is refused, applications filed with it are refused too. A spouse who applies after a PGWP is filed but before it is approved takes a real risk: IRCC says the spouse’s permit may be refused if the PGWP is still undecided when the spouse’s file is processed.

The principal must enter Canada before or together with the family. IRCC also says most people already in Canada can no longer apply for a work permit at a port of entry, so “flagpoling” is not a route for most in-Canada spouses.

What is the spousal open work permit processing time?

IRCC does not publish a fixed time on the spousal open work permit pages. Current estimates are in its Check processing times tool on canada.ca, which gives separate figures for work permits applied for inside Canada and from each country abroad. Because those estimates move, check the tool on the day of applying, not a figure copied onto a forum.

A spouse in Canada who applies to extend before the current permit expires is on maintained status while waiting; IRCC warns that leaving Canada as a worker on maintained status means no work after returning until the application is approved. A first-time applicant cannot start work until the permit is approved.

What are the most common spousal open work permit mistakes?

Counting months from the wrong date. The 16-month (or 6-month) test is counted from the day IRCC receives the spouse’s application, not the day it was prepared.
Assuming any skilled job qualifies. In TEER 2 and 3, only IRCC’s listed occupations count. The NOC code on the employer letter must match.
Applying while the PGWP is undecided. The spouse’s application can be refused for that reason alone.
Using the student route for a short master’s. Programs under 16 months do not qualify.
Letting status expire. Applying from inside Canada requires valid status, maintained status or eligibility to restore; restoring costs extra.
Missing the employer letter. A job title alone does not show the TEER; IRCC asks for duties and the NOC or TEER category.
Letting the spouse’s permit expire before extending. Extensions for in-Canada spouses must be filed before the current permit runs out.

What should the spouse set up after approval?

A new work permit starts the money side of settling in. The spouse needs a Social Insurance Number before starting paid work: the SIN application steps cover how to get one with the new permit. A Canadian bank account for payroll deposits is the next step, and the best bank accounts for newcomers compares no-fee options. With two incomes, the income tax calculator shows what each paycheque keeps after federal and provincial tax.

For couples planning to stay, the spouse’s Canadian work experience can also add points in Express Entry. The CRS calculator shows how a spouse’s language scores, education and Canadian work change a couple’s total, which helps decide who should be the principal applicant for PR.

Frequently asked questions

Who is eligible for a spousal open work permit in Canada?

Eligibility depends on the partner who makes the spouse eligible. Since January 21, 2025, IRCC accepts spouses and common-law partners of master's students in programs of 16 months or longer, doctoral students and listed professional-degree students; of TEER 0 or 1 and select TEER 2 or 3 workers with 16 months left on their permit; of workers whose permit came from an economic PR application or who are on a listed PR pathway; spouses being sponsored from inside Canada; and a few special cases in BC and Quebec.

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

Yes, if the PGWP holder works in a TEER 0 or 1 job, or one of IRCC's select TEER 2 or 3 occupations, and the PGWP has at least 16 months left when IRCC receives the spouse's application. The PGWP itself must be approved: IRCC says a spouse's application can be refused if the PGWP is still undecided when the spouse's file is processed. An employer letter showing the job, duties and NOC or TEER is the usual proof.

Can the spouse of an international student get an open work permit in 2026?

Only for certain programs. The student must hold a valid study permit and be in a master's program of 16 months or longer, a doctoral program, one of 11 listed professional degrees (such as medicine, law, nursing, education or engineering) or one of IRCC's listed eligible programs. Spouses of students in other programs, such as college diplomas or most bachelor's degrees, do not qualify under the current rules. The permit is usually valid as long as the study permit.

How much does a spousal open work permit cost?

The IRCC fee is $255 per person, made of the $155 work permit fee and the $100 open work permit holder fee. Biometrics cost $85 per person, or $170 for a family of 2 or more applying together, when biometrics are required. If the principal applicant's application is refused, IRCC refunds the open work permit holder fee but not the work permit processing fee.

What is the spousal open work permit processing time?

IRCC does not print a fixed processing time on the spousal open work permit pages. Its online Check processing times tool shows current estimates for work permits applied for inside Canada and from each country abroad, and those figures change often. Two things affect the real wait: the principal applicant's application is decided first, and a spouse's application sent before a PGWP decision can be refused.

Can a sponsored spouse work while waiting for permanent residence?

Yes. A spouse, common-law or conjugal partner living in Canada with the sponsor can apply for an open work permit once the PR application has an acknowledgement of receipt (AOR) letter, which proves IRCC found the package complete. The spouse needs valid temporary status (including maintained status or a pending restoration). If the current permit or status expires in 2 weeks or less, the spouse can apply without waiting for the AOR. A spouse without status must wait for approval in principle and apply on paper.

Does the principal applicant's work permit need 16 months left?

For spouses of high-skilled workers who are not applying for permanent residence, yes: the worker's permit must be valid for at least 16 months after IRCC receives the spouse's application. Two groups are exempt: workers on a BC significant investment project (from March 23, 2026) and health professionals recruited by Quebec (from May 25, 2026). Workers whose permit came from an economic PR application only need 6 months left.

Can the spouse of a TEER 4 or 5 worker get an open work permit?

Only if the worker is on an eligible pathway to permanent residence, such as the Provincial Nominee Program, the Atlantic Immigration Program, the Agri-Food Pilot or the Start-up Visa Program, or holds a permit issued because of an economic PR application. For other TEER 4 and 5 workers, IRCC stopped new family open work permits on January 21, 2025. Spouses already in Canada with a permit can still extend it to match the worker's permit.

Can a spousal open work permit be extended?

Yes, in most routes. A spouse already in Canada can extend a permit that is shorter than the principal's, even after January 21, 2025, as long as the extension is filed before the current permit expires. The new permit cannot run past the principal's permit or the spouse's passport. Sponsored spouses can extend for 2 more years while the PR application is still being processed.

Do common-law partners qualify for a spousal open work permit?

Yes. Every IRCC route on this page covers spouses and common-law partners, and the in-Canada sponsorship route also covers conjugal partners. Common-law partners usually prove the relationship with the Statutory Declaration of Common-Law Union (IMM 5409), and married spouses upload a marriage certificate. Every route also requires a genuine relationship with the principal applicant, and officers may ask for more documents.

Can dependent children still get open work permits?

It depends on the route. Since January 21, 2025, dependent children of high-skilled workers who are not applying for PR are no longer eligible for this open work permit. Children of workers whose permit came from an economic PR application, or who are on a listed PR pathway, can still apply, and so can accompanying dependent children of sponsored spouses. Provincial minimum working ages still apply.

What happens to the spouse's application if the principal's application is refused?

Family applications submitted together with the principal's are refused too, and a family member cannot apply separately after the principal is refused. IRCC refunds the $100 open work permit holder fee in that case, but keeps the $155 work permit processing fee. That is one reason some couples wait for the principal's approval before the spouse applies.

Part of our Family sponsorship in Canada: every program, rule, fee and timeline.

Rules, rates and sources

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

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

Official sources

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
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

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).