IRCC updates eligibility requirements for Spousal Open Work Permits

Immigration Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has released more details surrounding changes to eligibility for Spousal Open Work Permits (SOWP).

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

There are some exceptions for the spouses or partners of undergraduate students. Spouses 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 and partners applying for an SOWP must provide documents that prove a relationship to the student and one document showing proof of their partner’s enrolment in a degree-granting program of study.