New Bridging Open Work Permit Available for International Graduates with Expiring PGWP
Last May 6, 2021 IRCC opened a temporary pathway to permanent residency for 40,000 international students, alongside 20,000 temporary workers in health care and 30,000 temporary workers for other essential occupations. The temporary public policy was supposed to run until November 2021, or until the caps were reached, whichever comes first – to no surprise at all, international graduates were fast to fill up the quota and the application closed the following day; while the portal is still open for the essential workers. Throughout the pandemic, Canada has imposed a lot of measures to continuously support its immigration plan that targets to have at least 401,000 immigrants for 2021. The candidates selected for this temporary public policy have been chosen as they are proven fit to fill labor gaps.
Today, July 15, 2021, Honorable Marco E. L. Mendicino, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship announced that individuals who have applied to the recently opened pathway to permanent residency will be eligible to apply for an open work permit while their application is still in process.
How does this affect International Graduates who have already submitted their permanent residency under the May 6, 2021 temporary policy?
Technically, any applicant for permanent residency must have a valid temporary resident status until a decision is made on their application, so anyone with an expiring legal status in Canada must renew or extend their permits before their status becomes null. This new one time open work permit available for the applicants on the May 6, 2021 pathway to residency stream will not now have to worry about their status expiring soon and ensure that they a valid means of staying in Canada.
To qualify for this one-time open work permit, the applicants must show that they
- have successfully submitted an application under one of the new permanent residence pathway’s streams
- held a valid work permit, or were authorized to work without a work permit, at the time their permanent residence application was submitted
- hold a valid work permit that is set to expire within the next 4 months
- have temporary resident status, maintained status or are eligible to restore their status at the time their open work permit application is submitted
- are in Canada at the time their open work permit application is submitted
- were employed in any occupation at the time their permanent residence application was submitted
- meet the language requirements of the stream under which they applied at the time their permanent residence application was submitted
MUST KNOW FACTS:
The portal for this application will open on July 26, 2021 – further details are to be unveiled on IRCC’s website.
Applications for the new work permit should be submitted online.
Work permits issued under this policy will expire on December 31, 2022.
An applicant’s spouse or common-law partner and dependent children 18 years or older may also be eligible to apply for an open work permit under this policy, if they are also in Canada.
Disclaimer: The information is directly derived from IRCC and Government of Canada Website. The material and information contained on this website is for informational purposes only and should not be construed as professional advice. Although best efforts have been made to ensure the accuracy of the information at the time of writing, we cannot guarantee the completeness or accuracy of all information. As information may change without notice, always refer to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship and Government of Canada’s website for the most accurate and up-to-date information.