Start with your program and your PR stage
Every BOWP applicant must live in Canada when applying, be the principal applicant on the PR application, and be in one of these situations: hold valid temporary resident status and a valid work permit, have an expired work permit but be on maintained status as a worker, or be eligible to restore status and get a work permit. Then the program decides which stage the PR application must have reached.
| PR program | Stage your PR application must reach | Extra condition |
|---|---|---|
| Express Entry: Canadian Experience Class, Federal Skilled Worker, Federal Skilled Trades | Complete application that passed the completeness check, with an acknowledgement of receipt (AOR) | You intend to live outside Quebec. |
| Provincial Nominee Program through Express Entry | Passed the completeness check, with an AOR | The nomination has no employment restrictions. The permit is limited to the nominating province. |
| Provincial Nominee Program outside Express Entry (base PNP) | Passed the eligibility assessment. The AOR alone is not enough; IRCC holds the BOWP until PR eligibility is confirmed. | No employment restrictions on the nomination. Limited to the nominating province. |
| Quebec skilled worker class | Passed the completeness check | You intend to live in Quebec and your CSQ was valid when you applied for PR. Limited to Quebec. |
| Quebec investors | Passed the completeness check | You live in Quebec and hold, or held when applying, a valid CSQ. |
| Home Child Care Provider or Home Support Worker Pilot (opened 2019 to 2024) | Approved in principle | Proof of 6 months of qualifying work experience. |
| Caring for children or caring for people with high medical needs class | Approved in principle | Complete PR application submitted before the classes closed on June 18, 2019. |
| Agri-Food Pilot | Approved in principle | Intend to live outside Quebec. |
How IRCC checks the nomination
Provinces use a nomination letter template with a "Restrictions on employment" field. If it says "No", you are eligible even if the letter also names an employer or an occupation. IRCC does not ask for a separate letter confirming that there are no restrictions.
General requirements
- Be in Canada with the right statusApply from inside Canada. Valid status, maintained status as a worker, or eligibility for restoration (within 90 days of losing status) are the only accepted positions.
- Be the principal applicantThe spouse or partner of a PR applicant does not get a BOWP. Family members may qualify for their own open permits under the family-member measures.
- Reach the PR stageKeep the AOR, eligibility or approval-in-principle letter that proves the stage. If the Express Entry or Quebec application is found incomplete, the BOWP application is refused; the $100 open work permit holder fee is refunded but the $155 processing fee is not.
- Meet general work-permit requirementsA valid passport, admissibility, and a medical exam when required. A permit cannot be issued beyond your passport's expiry date.
Documents
- Application form and checklistFollow the instructions for extending or changing the conditions of a work permit (form IMM 5710) and your personalized checklist.
- Proof of the PR stageExpress Entry: the acknowledgement of receipt letter. PNP: the nomination letter and the AOR. Quebec skilled workers and investors: the CSQ and the letter showing your PR application number (it begins with E). Caregiver and Agri-Food applicants: the approval-in-principle letter.
- Where to uploadUpload these letters in the "Client information" field. If you need to upload more than one file there, combine them into one file.
- Status and identityPassport, current work permit, and proof of maintained status or a restoration request if your permit has expired.
How to apply
- Apply online from inside CanadaUse the extension or change-of-conditions application. Select "Open work permit" as the type of permit. Paper is allowed only if you cannot apply online.
- Quebec applicantsAnswer "yes" to the question asking whether an IRCC office has told you that you are approved in principle for permanent residence.
- Pay both feesThe $155 work permit processing fee and the $100 open work permit holder fee, plus biometrics if required.
- Stay in Canada at decision timeYou may leave Canada while the application is processed, but if your work permit expires while you are outside, or you leave after it has expired, you lose temporary resident status. If you return as a visitor, you cannot work until the new permit is approved. IRCC says you must be in Canada with valid status when it decides the BOWP, or it may be refused.
- Read the permitProvincial nominees and Quebec skilled workers receive a permit limited to their province. A permit issued without a medical exam may restrict work in health care, child care or schools.
Keep your status before and after the BOWP
- Apply before your permit expiresIRCC recommends applying at least 30 days before expiry. An online application must be submitted before midnight Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) on the expiry date. If you applied in time, you can keep working under the same conditions while IRCC decides (maintained status).
- If you are not yet eligibleExtend your current permit under its own category. For an LMIA-based job, your employer may need a new LMIA; for an LMIA-exempt job, a new offer of employment.
- Length and renewalsIRCC officer instructions set the BOWP at up to 24 months (and not beyond the passport). If PR is still pending, a further extension is considered case by case.
- Travel documentsA work permit is not a travel document. If you need a visitor visa to re-enter Canada, check its validity separately.
- If status has already expiredApply to restore your status within 90 days and pay the restoration fee ($246.25) with the work permit fees. You cannot work until the new permit is approved.
Other permits for PR applicants
Some programs have their own work permit instead of, or in addition to, the BOWP.
Sponsored spouses and partners
Open work permit for a spouse or partner in Canada with an acknowledgement of receipt on the sponsorship PR application. See sponsored spouses.
Atlantic Immigration Program
A 2-year employer-specific permit for the designated employer, with a provincial referral; the spouse may apply for an open permit. See the AIP guide.
Rural and Francophone community pilots
A 2-year employer-specific permit for the employer in the participating community under the Rural Community Immigration Pilot or the Francophone Community Immigration Pilot.
Quebec PSTQ applicants
Workers in Quebec who submitted a permanent selection application under the PSTQ may get an employer-specific permit for up to 12 months with the same employer.
Start-up Visa
The optional open work permit closed to new applicants on December 19, 2025. Existing holders may be able to extend while PR is processed.
Temporary resident to permanent resident pathway (2021)
Applicants still waiting for a decision may apply for an open work permit until December 31, 2026. Family members aged 18 or older who are listed on the PR application can also apply.
Fees
| Item | Fee | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Work permit processing | $155 | Not refunded if the BOWP is refused. |
| Open work permit holder fee | $100 | Refunded if refused because the PR application was incomplete. |
| Restore status with a new permit | $401.25 (plus $100 for an open permit) | Only if status has been lost. |
| Biometrics | $85 | Only if required. Applicants who already gave biometrics for a PR application still in process usually do not need to give them again. |
Frequently asked questions
Must my work permit be about to expire before I can apply for a BOWP?
IRCC's current BOWP instructions do not set a minimum or maximum time left on your current permit. You must meet the status and PR-stage conditions on the day you apply.
Can my spouse get a BOWP too?
No. The BOWP is for the principal applicant. Your spouse and dependent children may apply for open work permits as family members of an economic PR applicant.
I was nominated by Ontario through a non-Express Entry stream. When can I apply?
The rule requires your PR application to have passed the eligibility assessment. If you apply with only the AOR, IRCC holds the BOWP application until that assessment is passed. Your nomination must also have no employment restrictions.
Can I change employers on a BOWP?
Yes, within the conditions printed on the permit. A provincial nominee's BOWP limits work to the nominating province.
Official sources
- IRCC: Bridging open work permit for permanent residence applicants
- IRCC: Work permits for permanent residence applicants
- IRCC program delivery instructions: Bridging open work permits [R205(a), A75]
- IRCC: Extend your work permit
- IRCC: How to extend or change the conditions of your work permit
- IRCC: Restore your status and get a work permit
- IRCC: Travelling outside Canada while your extension is processed
- IRCC: Start-up visa optional work permit
- IRCC: Open work permits under the TR to PR pathway
- IRCC: Find out if you need to give biometrics
- IRCC: Fee list
This page is general information about Canadian immigration law and policy as of the date above. It is not legal advice for your situation. Programs, forms and fees change often; check the official sources before you apply.