In a landmark announcement, Sean Fraser has announced that Canada will seek to keep families of Open Work Permit holders together.

1. Spouses of Open Work Permit holders are now
eligible to apply for Open Work Permits

2. In a landmark
announcement,
Sean Fraser has
announced that
Canada will seek to
keep families of
Open Work Permit
holders together.

3. What are Open Work Permits?
 Work permits allow foreign nationals individuals
who are neither citizens nor permanent residents of
Canada to work in Canada. Typically Work Permits
are issued for a specific job with a specific employer.
OWPs on the other hand allow foreign nationals to
legally work in Canada for any employer and in any
job.

4. New changes to OWP
eligibility
 The expansion of eligibility to spouses of OWPs is a
huge step towards enticing more immigrants to
work, and potentially even settle, in Canada. Spouses
of international students, and Canadian permanent
residents and citizens had already been afforded the
ability to be sponsored by their spouse for an OWP;
however, the eligibility expansion, for spouses of
current OWP holders is telling of Canada’s
willingness to receive more newcomers.
 IRCC is expecting more than 100,000 new work
permit applications from spouses of existing OWP
holders as a result of this policy change.

5.  The program is expected to be implemented at the
start pf 2023 in three phases:
 High-wage stream For spouses of higher paid
workers who hold an open work permit (eg: spouses
of Post Graduate Work Permit holders).;
 Provinces and territories stream—For spouses
of lower wage workers OWP holders under
the International Experience Canada program, which
recently saw an increase in program size

6.  Families of agriculture workers—This phase would
specifically deal with families of seasonal agriculture
workers, a key stream of employment that Canada is
trying to expand as part of its economic recovery.
 Though IRCC is keen to implement these changes to
aid economic recovery, these dates remain tentative.
As Minister Fraser reports, much of phase two and
three will still need to be developed in collaboration
with provinces and employers.

7. Why does Canada need more
people?
 Canada has long recognized the importance of
immigration for the financial, demographic, and
societal health of the country; however, the COVID-
19 pandemic has hurried the need for newcomers.
 As the country continues to face record high job
vacancies, in the presence of low levels of
unemployment, and a constant stream of retirees,
immigration has become a key focus for economic
health and recovery in the wake of a pandemic-
affected 2020 and 2021.

8.  As Minister Fraser noted in his December 2nd
announcement, ten years ago there were roughly seven
Canadian workers for every retiree leaving the workforce.
Today there are closer to three workers for every retiree;
and given the current trajectory this number is likely to
fall to two, in the next 10-15 years. If these numbers do
not rise, Canada will not have necessary skilled labour to
maintain its most vital industries like healthcare and
education; much less its economic growth or health.
 Policy adjustments like the one above will be crucial
steps, to ensure that continued health of Canadian
society. IRCC has already committed (through
the Immigration Levels Plan 2023-2025) to welcoming
over 1.45 million new immigrants by the end of 2025.

9. Thank You