The Bridging Open Work Permit (BOWP) allows foreign nationals who are currently working in Canada to extend their work permit while they await a decision on their permanent residency application. The BOWP is only available to those who have already submitted a permanent residency application and are already in possession of a valid work permit. A successful BOWP application results in an open work permit, enabling the holder to work for multiple employers in multiple locations, of their own choosing.
In order to apply for a Bridging Open Work Permit (BOWP) a foreign national must first meet the following conditions:
As well, not all permanent residence programs are eligible for the BOWP. The BOWP is only available to applicants to the following permanent residence programs:
If a foreign national meets the eligibility criteria they may submit an application for the BOWP. Those applying for permanent residency through the province of Quebec are not eligible for the BOWP. However, certain applicants in the province of Quebec may be eligible to apply to work with a Certificate de selection du Quebec (CSQ).
A foreign national is required to submit a BOWP application before their current work permit expires. If their current work permit expires before they have received a decision regarding their BOWP application, they may continue to work in Canada under implied status until a final decision has been issued regarding the BOWP application. However, if the BOWP application is denied, the foreign national must cease working in Canada immediately. If a foreign national works in Canada without a valid work permit, they will jeopardize all future applications for Canadian immigration.
Post-graduation work permits (PGWPs) are open work permits given to international students who graduate from a Canadian program of study. PGWPs allow the holder to work for any employer, for as many hours they wish, anywhere in Canada.
PGWPs are valid for between eight months to three years and are a great way to obtain valuable Canadian work experience. Once an applicant has work experience in Canada, it opens a lot of opportunities to obtain Canadian permanent residence.
Post-Graduation Work Permits (PGWPs) are for international students who have graduated from a Canadian Designated Learning Institution (DLI). PGWPs are open work permits, meaning that they grant foreign nationals the freedom to work for any employer, anywhere in Canada.
A post-graduation work permit can be valid for any length of time between eight months and three years.
A PGWP will not be issued for a duration longer than the applicant’s duration of study in Canada.
Generally, the PGWP will be approximately the same duration as the applicant’s period of study, up to a maximum of three years.
As long as more than 50% of your program of study is conducted via in-person classes, you are eligible for a PGWP equal to the duration of your program of study.
If you studied part-time, or did accelerated studies, the length of your PGWP will be the length of your program of study, if taken full-time.
The following levels of study and programs are eligible for PGWPs:
Public post-secondary school, such as a college, trade/technical school or university, or CEGEP in Quebec; or
Private post-secondary school that operates under the same rules as public schools (only applies to certain institutions in Quebec); or
Private secondary or post-secondary school (in Quebec) that offers qualifying programs of 900 hours or longer, leading to a diplôme d’études professionnelles (DEP) or an attestation de spécialisation professionnelle (ASP); or
Canadian private school that can legally award degrees under provincial law only for those enrolled in study programs leading to a degree as authorized by the province.
In order to be eligible for a Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP), a foreign national must be at least 18 years old and have studied full-time in Canada in a program of at least 8 months. The study program must have been completed at a Designated Learning Institution (DLI) in one of the following types of programs listed below. As well, in order to apply for the work permit, a foreign national must apply within 180 days of the completion of their study program.
If an applicant is applying from within Canada, they must have valid status at the time of application. If their study permit has expired or will expire they may apply for status as a visitor before applying for the PGWP. However, applicants who apply for a PGWP prior to the expiration of their study permit are eligible to begin working full time immediately, while their application is processing. Applicants may apply for a PGWP from overseas.
A PGWP can take anywhere from 80 to 180 days to process. While waiting for your PGWP, you are free to work in Canada provided you applied prior to the expiry date of your student permit.
You have 180 days to apply for your PGWP from the date you completed all the requirements of your program of study.
If you leave Canada after your studies have been completed, you can now apply for a PGWP from overseas. Previously post-graduate work permit applications needed to be submitted exclusively from within Canada. If a PGWP application is submitted from outside of Canada, additional documentation may be requested depending on the visa office that will process the application.
There is nothing about a PGWP that prevents you from applying for another work permit later. You are free to apply for both an LMIA and LMIA exempt permit if you are eligible but it might be worth considering applying for Canadian permanent residence given you already have Canadian work experience.
The following immigration programs have options for candidates with Canadian work experience:
International graduates who apply for a PGWP before the expiry of their study permit are able to begin legally working in Canada. These candidates do not need to hold a Canadian work permit while they await a decision on their application for a PGWP. If your student permit has expired, you may be eligible to restore your status and apply, provided you have only been out of status for less than 90 days.
Canada’s Post Graduate Work Program is designed to provide an efficient path for international students in Canada to gain permanent residence status in the country. By bridging Canadian education into meaningful full-time work experience in the country, a candidate is in a great position to apply under the Canadian Express Entry immigration system. Having a Canadian educational credential and work experience ensures that an Express Entry applicant will gain valuable extra points towards their comprehensive ranking system (CRS) score, making them more competitive amongst other applicants for gaining permanent resident status!
Applicants must have paid the income tax under the Income tax act for a minimum of three years out of the five years as a permanent resident.
They must have good language skills and prove that they can speak English or French fluently. You need to pass a test that will measure your speaking, writing, reading and listening skills in that language.
The processing time starts once you submit your application whether online, by mail or in person.
Once your application is submitted, the authorities ensure that you have submitted your responses to all the questions in the form, sent all the required documents and paid the fees. They will then send you the acknowledgement of receipt (AOR). This will contain your unique client identifier (UCI). The AOR is an indication that your letter is ready to be processed.
However, if your application has any missing information, or if certain documents are missing or does not contain the fee receipt then your application will be sent back, and you will have to resubmit it.
International Experience Canada (IEC) is a set of programs enabling young people from participating countries to travel to Canada to live and work temporarily. Foreign nationals who are successful through one of the IEC programs will be authorized to apply for a Canadian work permit without the need for a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA). IEC authorizes temporary stay in Canada, with the approval of work permits for a maximum of one year.
IEC work permits are approved through a randomized draw system. Not all foreign nationals who submit expressions of interest will be selected for the program. Chances of success depend on the quota for each program and country. The IEC operates three separate programs. While IEC has general requirements, interested applicants should verify the requirements for the separate programs. Each program has unique requirements and can result in a different form of work authorization:
It should be noted that while IEC encompasses these three programs, Canada has a unique relationship with each of the participating countries. For this reason, some participating countries may only offer one or two of the IEC programs, while others will offer all three options.
To participate in International Experience Canada a foreign national must be within the accepted age range for their country’s program (maximum age of 35 years old) and their country of citizenship must have an agreement with Canada allowing the foreign national to apply for a work permit. The following countries have agreements with Canada under IEC:
| Country | Working Holiday | Young Professionals | International Co-op Internship |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Austria | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Belgium | Yes | No | No |
| Chile | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Costa Rica | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Croatia | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Czech Republic | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Denmark | Yes | No | No |
| Estonia | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| France | Yes | Yes | Yes |
IEC encompasses three separate programs. Member countries may not participate in all three types programs. As well, eligibility criteria, application procedure, and likelihood of success vary from program to program and from country to country. Full details about participating countries’ program requirements can be accessed on the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) website. If a country is not listed it may still be possible to participate in IEC. However, in this case, the foreign national must access the program through the assistance of a Recognized Organization.
The Working Holiday visa is ideal for individuals who want the freedom to work for any employers while travelling in Canada. Applicants who are successful through the Working Holiday program receive an open work permit. Open work permits are not tied to specific employers, so individuals have the freedom to change employers and locations while living in Canada. The Working Holiday program is a good option for foreign nationals from participating countries who are seeking the following:
As the Working Holiday program has relatively relaxed requirements, this program is incredibly popular. Canada approves predetermined quotas of applicants for this program on a per-country basis. Applicants interested in this program should verify the quotas for their country in order to gain an accurate understanding of their probability of success.
The Young Professionals program allows foreign nationals to gain Canadian professional work experience by working with a Canadian employer. This program requires that applicants have a job offer from a Canadian employer in order to apply. Applicants who are successful through the Young Professionals program will be issued an employer-specific work permit. This means they must work for the same employer in the same location during their stay in Canada. The Young Professionals program is a good option for foreign nationals from participating countries who are seeking the following:
Generally, a position must be National Occupation Classification (NOC) Skill Level 0, A, or B to be considered as contributing to professional development. Participating countries have varying quotas to be filled annually for this program. Interested applicants should verify quotas for their country to understand the probability of their success.
The International Co-op Internship program allows international students to complete an internship or work placement in Canada as a requirement for their post-secondary education. This program requires that applicants have a job offer for a work placement or internship in Canada which is required for their completion of studies. Applicants who are successful through this program receive an employer-specific work permit, meaning that they must work for the same employer in the same location during their stay in Canada. The International Co-op Internship program is a good option for foreign nationals from participating countries who are seeking the following:
Foreign nationals interested in applying to an IEC program must follow a five step process:
Step #1: Create an IEC profile
Once a foreign national determines that their country participates in IEC and selects their preferred program, they may create an account on the IEC website. As long as they meet the eligibility requirements their account is automatically entered into the IEC pool of candidates.
Step #2: Receive an Invitation to Apply
IEC regularly conducts random draws of IEC candidates. If a candidate is selected in a draw, they will be issued an Invitation to Apply, which enables them to move onto step three. Quotas vary by program and by country, so candidates should verify their country’s quotas to gain a better understanding of their probability of receiving an Invitation to Apply.
Step #3: Accept the Invitation to Apply
If a candidate receives an Invitation to Apply, they are given 10 days to accept the invitation. After accepting, they are given 20 days to submit an online application for a work permit. If an applicant chooses to decline an invitation they will be returned to the pool of candidates and will continue being considered in future draws.
Step #4: Submit Work Permit Application
After accepting an Invitation to Apply, a foreign national has 20 days to submit a work permit application online using the IRCC web portal. Applicants should review documentation requirements in advance so they can be sure they will have sufficient time to prepare the application.
Step # 5: Receive Work Permit
If an application is successful, the applicant will receive confirmation of their work permit and issued information about the validity period of their authorization to work in Canada.
Spike Immigration Consulting Inc. is run by Mr. Ankur Narang who is a Licensed Immigration Practitioner in Canada & India. Spike Immigration Provides all type of Immigration services to its clients since last 14 year.
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