Last updated May 12, 2021

Spouses or Common Law partners of temporary foreign workers or international students

You may be eligible for an open work permit if you are the spouse or common law partner of a temporary foreign worker or an international student. However, you need to meet some criteria before applying.

Spouse or common-law partner of a temporary foreign worker :

You may be eligible if you are the spouse or common law partner of temporary foreign worker who:

  • Has employment in Canada in a job to Skill Level 0, A or B of the National Occupational Classification (NOC) for at least six months.
  • Your spouse or law partner resides or intends to reside in Canada.
Spouses or common-law partners of international students

To be eligible for an Open Work Permit, your international student spouse or partner must hold a valid study permit and be a full-time student at one of these types of schools:

  • a public post-secondary school, such as a college or university, or CEGEP in Quebec, a private college-level school in Quebec, a Canadian private school that can legally award Bachelors, Masters or Doctorate degrees.

Remember that as a spouse or common-law partner of an international student you cannot be a full-time student yourself.

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