Spousal Open Work Permit Canada: Who Still Qualifies After the 2025 Changes

An open work permit lets you work for almost any employer in Canada, in almost any job, without a job offer or a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA). Canada offers open work permits to some spouses and common-law partners of people who are in Canada on a study permit or a work permit. The person with the study or work permit is called the principal applicant.

A common-law partner is someone you have lived with in a marriage-like relationship for at least 12 months in a row. Couples who are dating but don't live together don't qualify.

The permit is valid for the same length as the principal applicant's permit. When the principal's permit ends, the spouse's permit ends too.

For many years, almost any spouse of a student or skilled worker could get one. Canada narrowed the rules on January 21, 2025, as part of a plan to reduce the number of temporary residents.

Your spouse or common-law partner can apply if you have a valid study permit and you are studying in one of these:

• A master's degree program that is 16 months or longer
• A doctoral (PhD) program
• Certain professional degree programs at a university, such as medicine, dentistry, law, optometry, pharmacy, veterinary medicine, nursing, and engineering

Spouses of students in shorter master's programs, college diplomas, certificates, or most bachelor's degrees no longer qualify. They can usually still come to Canada as visitors, but they cannot work.

If you are thinking about a program partly because your spouse needs to work, check the program length carefully. A 12-month master's program does not qualify. See our study permit page for the other 2026 rules.

Your spouse or common-law partner can apply if you are working, or will work, in Canada and:

• Your job is in TEER 0 or TEER 1 of the National Occupational Classification (NOC). TEER stands for Training, Education, Experience and Responsibilities. These are management jobs and jobs that usually need a university degree, or
• Your job is one of the selected TEER 2 or TEER 3 occupations that Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) lists, which cover shortage areas such as health care, construction, and skilled trades. Examples on the list include medical technologists, dental hygienists, paramedics, electricians, plumbers, and carpenters, and
• Your work permit or work authorization is valid for at least 16 months after IRCC receives your spouse's application

The 16-month rule catches many families. If your permit has only a year left, your spouse may need to wait until your permit is extended, then apply.

This applies to most types of work permits, including LMIA work permits, intra-company transfers, and the PGWP. Check your NOC code and TEER level on the official NOC site before you apply.

Some spouses can still qualify outside the TEER and program rules. IRCC lists these, among others:

Exceptions have detailed conditions, so read the IRCC eligibility page for family members of foreign workers before you apply.

If your spouse is a Canadian citizen or permanent resident and is sponsoring you from inside Canada, a different open work permit is available to sponsored spouses. See spousal sponsorship.

Since January 21, 2025, dependent children of foreign workers can no longer get new open work permits under this measure. Children who already had one can apply to extend it.

Children can usually attend primary and secondary school in Canada while their parent studies or works. Older children who want to work need their own permit, for example through International Experience Canada if their country takes part.

• The job's TEER level doesn't match. Officers check the duties, not just the job title. A job offer letter that describes TEER 2 duties under a TEER 1 title can lead to refusal.
• Less than 16 months left. The count starts from the date IRCC receives the spouse's application, not the date you planned to apply.
• Program too short. A master's program of 12 or 15 months does not qualify, even at a well-known university.
• Weak relationship proof. Common-law partners must show 12 months of living together, such as a shared lease, bills, or bank accounts at the same address.
• Principal applicant not actually working. For workers, officers may want recent pay slips to show the job has started or will start.

A refusal can often be fixed with a new application once the problem is solved. Read the officer's reasons first; our guide to refusals and GCMS notes explains how.

Your spouse can apply at the same time as you, or later. Applications from outside Canada are made online. If your spouse is already in Canada with valid status, they can apply online from inside Canada. Flagpoling at the border for work permits ended on December 23, 2024, apart from limited exceptions.

Fees as of September 2026, from the IRCC fee list:

Include proof of your relationship (marriage certificate, or proof of 12 months living together), a copy of your study or work permit, and proof of your program (letter of enrollment showing program length) or job (offer letter, pay slips, and NOC code).