Bridging Open Work Permit / BOWP
Index
Introduction
BOWP, Bridge Open Work Permit, is an open work permit for foreign workers to continue to work legally in Canada, whose immigration application is pending but work permit is about to expire.
Usually, the Immigration Bureau needs some time to review the application materials for permanent residents. In order to allow applicants to continue to work in Canada in a legal status while waiting for PR, a bridge work permit program was introduced in 2012.
Only if you apply for one of the following projects will you be eligible for a bridge open work permit:
- FSW/ Federal Skilled Worker Program
- CEC/ Canadian Experience Class
- FST/ Federal Skilled Trades Program
- PNP / Provincial Nominee Program
- Permanent residence for caregivers
There are other types of programs for work permit. Click below for more information:
- Spouse Open Work Permit
- Post-Graduation Work Permit
- Hong Kong Pathway / Open Work Permit for Hong Kong Applicants
- Open Work Permit Under New Public Policy
Requirements
via Express Entry:
- Must be in Canada (excluding Quebec)
- Still have a legal work permit, but it will expire in four months or less
- Those who apply for a bridge work permit must be the main applicant when applying for immigration
- The application for permanent residence has been submitted and passed the preliminary review
- Receipt of confirmation letter from the immigration office
via PNP
- Must be in Canada (excluding Quebec)
- Still have a legal work permit, but it will expire in four months or less
- Those who apply for a bridge work permit must be the main applicant when applying for immigration
- No employment restrictions can be used as nomination conditions
- The application for permanent residence has been submitted and passed the preliminary review
- Received confirmation letter from the immigration office
Submit Method
- In most cases, the Immigration Department recommends applying online
- If you encounter problems when applying online, you can also apply on paper
Documents Checklist
- imm5710 form
- imm5476 form (if there is an agent consultant)
- Applicant’s work permit
- Confirmation letter received after submitting Express Entry application
- Provincial Nominee Invitation Letter
- Current status of applying for Express Entry
- Proof of work experience (T4, Paystubs, etc)
- Applicant’s photo
- Applicant’s passport
- Applicant’s Medical Examination Form
- Submission letter
- If you have a spouse in Canada, you need to provide a valid visa for your spouse and proof of relationship
- The government charges fees of 340 Canadian dollars in total including work permits, open work permit holders and biometrics(fingerprint) entry fees
Q&A
A：A year / 12 months.
A：IRCC updates their visa processing time every week. Please refer to our 2021 Immigration/Citizenship Application Processing Time Canada page.
A：The validity period of the work permit. You cannot apply BOWP before more than 4 months in advance, and you cannot wait when your work permit expires. It is difficult to appeal if you are rejected for this reason.
If you are applying with provincial nomination immigration program, you must provide a provincial nomination certificate, and the certificate must show No Employment Restrictions.
When your bridge open work permit is rejected, it needs to be dealt with immediately.
If you are not confident enough about your application, please contact us for consultation.
A: No, when you receive the Express Entry immigration application invitation letter, you must submit the documents to the immigration office. The immigration office will send you a confirmation letter. Applicants are only eligible to apply for a bridge work permit after obtaining the confirmation letter.
A：Whether you can apply for a bridge work permit and whether the provincial nomination is based on an employer is irrelevant. The only factor is whether or not Employment restrictions are indicated on the nomination letter. As long as this column is No, you can apply for a bridge work permit.
Bridge open work permit is an open work permit, but it does not mean that you can work for other employers after you get the bridge work permit. Provincial nomination applicants still need to meet the conditions for provincial nomination. Some projects require applicants to continue to work for the same employer during the federal trial.
A closed work permit requires the cooperation of the employer, so it is usually more convenient to apply for a bridge work permit. But if the column of Employment restrictions is Yes, you can only apply for a closed work permit.
In addition, if applicants feel that the paper-based provincial nomination process is too long, they can also consider using a closed work permit plus 50 points to take the fast track.
Canadian employers can help applicants obtain a Canadian Closed Work Permit (Employer Specific Work Permit), which is an employer-sponsored work permit, by applying for a labor market assessment (LMIA). The holder of a closed work permit can only work for the employer and the visa can be renewed. For employer guarantees and LMIA, please visit our LMIA page.
Holding a provincial nomination letter to apply for a closed work permit is LMIA exempt.
Fees
- The service fee does not include government fees, translation fees, notarization fees, delivery fees and other third-party fees