Apply for an open work permit under a public policy

Due to COVID-19, you may be eligible to apply for a one-time open work permit of up to 18 months if you apply online by July 27, 2021.

Who can apply

To be eligible for this open work permit, you must meet the following 5 requirements:

1. Your post-graduation work permit (PGWP)
   1. expired on or after January 30, 2020, or
   2. will expire within 4 months from the date you apply for this open work permit.
2. You were in Canada as of January 27, 2021, when the public policy took effect, and have stayed in Canada since then.
3. You either
   1. have a temporary resident status (this could be from having a valid PGWP, visitor record, or another permit that allows you to stay in Canada), or
   2. lost your temporary resident status, but you’ve already applied to restore it, or
   3. lost your temporary resident status, but you’ll apply to restore it at the same time as applying for this open work permit
4. You include in your application that you’re applying for an open work permit under this public policy. 
5. You have a valid passport.
   1. The work permit will be issued for up to 18 months from the date of approval or until your passport expires, whichever comes first. For example, if your passport is valid for 6 months, then you will be issued an open work permit for 6 months. 
   2. To maximize the duration of the open work permit, make sure your passport is valid for at least 18 months from the date of approval.

How to apply

For this open work permit, you must apply online by July 27, 2021.

You can only get this open work permit once, and it cannot be extended. If your passport is valid for 18 months or longer, then you’ll be issued an open work permit for up to 18 months.

If you think you fall under the above criteria, contact us to seek help with your application