IRCC revises Spousal Open Work Permit eligibility requirement. On January 22, 2024, the department included several changes to the international student program. Among them, IRCC states that spouses of international students in undergraduate & college programs will no longer be eligible for SOWPs. 

As of March 19, partners & spouses of international students are eligible for a SOWP only if their sponsor is enrolled in a master’s/ doctoral program at a university or polytechnic institution in Canada. 

However, there are some exceptions for the spouses of undergraduate students. Spouses/ partners of undergraduate students in one of the following professional degree programs at a university are also eligible to apply for a SOWP: 

  • Doctor of Dental Surgery (DDS, DMD)
  • Bachelor of Law or Juris Doctor (LLB, JD, BCL)
  • Doctor of Medicine (MD)
  • Doctor of Optometry (OD)
  • Pharmacy (PharmD, BS, BSc, BPharm)
  • Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM)
  • Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BScN, BSN, BNSc)
  • Bachelor of Education (B. Ed.)
  • Bachelor of Engineering (B. Eng., BE, BASc)

Spouses & partners applying for a SOWP must provide documents that prove a relationship to the student & one document showing proof of their partner’s enrolment in a degree-granting program of the study. IRCC accepts: 

  • A valid LOA, i.e., a letter of acceptance from a DLI
  • Proof of enrolment letter from their spouses or partner’s DLI
  • Transcripts from their spouses/ partner’s present program 

If You Have Already Applied 

IRCC revises Spousal Open Work Permit eligibility requirement. Moreover, the department states that those who applied for a SOWP before March 19 are still eligible if their partner: 

  • Has a valid study permit
  • Is eligible for a Post Graduation Work Permit
  • Is a full-time student at one of these kinds of schools:
  • A private college-level school in Quebec
  • A public post-secondary school, like a college/ university or CEGEP in Quebec
  • A Canadian private school that can legally grant degrees under provincial law 

These prerequisites are the same for present SOWP holders who apply to extend their existing permits. 

What If You Aren’t Eligible? 

Spouses & partners of international students who find themselves no longer eligible for a SOWP can apply for another type of work permit or a visitor visa. However, those who come to Canada as a visitor are not permitted to work. 

A SOWP enables holders to work for almost any employer in Canada. It also supports IRCC’s mandate to promote family reunification. 

However, Marc Miller states that he was limiting SOWPs to the partners & spouses of master’s & PhD students to attack the volume challenges but also integrity challenges with what he believed was the area that was being exploited & not necessarily legitimate.