Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has released more information about changes to who can get a Spousal Open Work Permit (SOWP).
The department made some changes to Canada’s program for foreign students on January 22, 2024. One of them is that IRCC said spouses of foreign students in college and university programs will no longer be able to get SOWPs.
To get a SOWP after March 19, partners and wives of international students can only do so if their sponsor is in a master’s or doctoral program at a university or polytechnic in Canada.
Help your family come to Canada by sponsoring them.
There are some provisions for spouses or partners of first-year college students. A SOWP can also be applied for by the spouses of undergraduates in one of the following professional degree programs at a university:
Doctor of Dental Surgery
Bachelor or Doctor of Laws (LLB, JD, BCL)
Medical Doctor (MD)
Ph.D., BS, BSc, or BPharm in pharmacy for doctors of optometry
Doctor of Veterinary Medicine
Bachelor of Science (BScN, BSN, or BNSc) in nursing title
B. Ed., or Bachelor of Education
Bachelor of Engineering (B. Eng., BE, or BASc)
If a spouse or partner wants to apply for a SOWP, they need to show proof that they are related to the student and that their partner is enrolled in a degree-granting program. IRCC agrees with:
a legal Letter of Acceptance (LOA) from a DLI
proof that they are enrolled letter from their partner or spouse’s DLI transcripts from the school their partner or spouse is currently in
If you have already applied, IRCC says that people who asked for a SOWP before March 19 can still get one if their partner:
Has a legal permit to study.
May get a post-graduation work pass (PGWP).
Is going to one of these types of schools full-time:
A public post-secondary school, like a college or university, or CEGEP in Quebec. A private college-level school in Quebec. A private school in Canada that can officially give degrees, like a bachelor’s, master’s, or doctoral degree.
The same rules apply to people who already have a SOWP and want to extend their pass.
What if you don’t qualify?
If a spouse or partner of an international student is no longer qualified for a SOWP, they can apply for a visitor visa (TRV) or another type of work permit. They can’t work, though, if they come to Canada as a visitor.
People who have a SOWP can work for almost any company in Canada. It also helps the IRCC do its job, which is to encourage families to get back together.
But on February 28, Immigration Minister Marc Miller told the Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration (CIMM) that he was only allowing SOWPs for partners and spouses of master’s and PhD students. He said this to “attack a volume challenge but also integrity challenges with what we believe was an area that was being exploited and not necessarily legitimate.”
