Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) will now strive to extend the qualification of Open Work Permits (OWP) to spouses of OWP owners in Canada, according to an announcement made by Canada’s Minister of Immigration, Sean Fraser, on December 2, 2022.
Open Work Permit
In Canada, a work permit is often a legal contract that enables an immigrant to work while they are there. A work permit access to various employers or locations is referred to as an open work permit. An immigrant with an OWP is able to work lawfully in Canada for any company and in any position.
The following Canada Immigration programs typically award Open Work Permits:
- Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP)
- International Experience Canada (IEC)
- Inland Spousal or Common-Law Sponsorship
- Bridging Open Work Permit (BOWP)
In order to apply for an Open Work Permit in Canada, no Labor Market Impact Assessment is necessary (LMIA).
Updated OWP eligibility rules
Canada has made a significant step in luring more immigrants to work and stay there by extending qualifications to spouses of OWP recipients. The extension of eligibility for wives of current OWP holders is Canada’s approach of extending its invitation to more immigrants as spouses of Canadian permanent residents, international students, and citizens already had the opportunity to be sponsored by their spouses for an OWP.
With this modification, IRCC anticipates receiving more than 100,000 new OWP applications from spouses of country-specific OWP holders.
This new modification, which is anticipated to commence at the beginning of 2023, will be carried out in three stages:
- For spouses of higher-paid employees with an open work permit.
- Spouses of lower-paid workers with an open work permit should apply under the Provinces and Territories stream.
- This phase is for the families of temporary agricultural employees.
These adjustments will “help and sustain” the economic recovery, but the exact dates are still unknown. According to reports, many aspects of Phases 2 and 3 will still require development in cooperation with Canadian provinces and employers.
Why is Canada focusing on attracting more immigrants?
The number of job opportunities in Canada has risen to an all-time high of about one million due to the low rates of unemployment and a steady influx of retirees. Certain industries in Canada continue to experience an increase in job openings, with the healthcare and social services industries being some of the most hit.
There is a severe lack of competent workers in Canada, and many firms are having a difficult time finding qualified candidates to fill the country’s steadily growing number of open positions. The Canada Immigration Level Plan 2023–2025 has been used by the Canadian government to solve this issue.
Canada has long recognized the value of immigration to its economic, demographic, and sociological well-being.
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