Express Entry applicants
FSW, CEC and FST applicants whose e-APR has passed the completeness check and who hold an acknowledgement of receipt.
Most common
New rule
Hold a work permit? Since 4 September 2026 you can take a course of six months or less without a study permit.
What it means →
Bridging open work permit
Bridging Open Work Permit (BOWP) — don’t stop working waiting for PR.
A bridging open work permit exists for one reason: your permanent residence application is in process, your current permit is running out, and nobody benefits from you having to stop work. Timing is everything.
RCIC-led
Brampton & London
Reviewed August 2026
Core rule
PR in process
Your application must have reached a qualifying stage.
What you get
Open permit
Not tied to your current employer.
Timing
Before expiry
You generally must apply while your current permit is still valid.
The point
Keeps you working
Continuity of income and of Canadian work experience.
Who qualifies
Which PR applicants can bridge.
Eligibility depends on your permanent residence stream and how far your application has progressed.
Provincial nominees
Nominees whose PR application has passed the eligibility assessment, and whose nomination carries no employment restrictions.
Caregiver applicants
The 2019–2024 Home Child Care Provider and Home Support Worker pilots qualify once approved in principle. The Home Care Worker Immigration pilots that opened in 2025 do not.
Agri-food and pilot streams
Agri-Food Pilot applicants qualify once approved in principle. Quebec skilled workers and Quebec investors also qualify, on Quebec-specific terms.
Spouses being sponsored in Canada
A separate open work permit route generally applies to inland sponsorship.
Different routeAnyone close to expiry
If your permit expires soon and your PR is filed, this is the question to ask immediately.
One important exception: applicants under the Atlantic Immigration Program — and the former Atlantic Immigration Pilot — are not eligible for a bridging open work permit. IRCC’s C18 instructions, updated 25 August 2026, instead allow successive AIP work permits to be issued until a decision is made on the permanent residence application, each renewal requiring a fresh offer of employment through the Employer Portal. See our Atlantic Immigration Program page.
2026 update
Provincial nominees: the AOR bottleneck is temporarily bypassed.
What changed
Under an IRCC operational bulletin issued on 9 June 2026, provincial nominees applying inland no longer have to wait for an acknowledgement of receipt before applying for a bridging permit. The portal submission confirmation email plus proof of fee payment stands in its place.
Why it matters
The acknowledgement had been taking the better part of a year to arrive, which left nominees with expiring permits and no lawful way to bridge. This closes that gap.
Who it covers
Nominee principal applicants, their spouses applying for open work permits, and nominees whose employer-specific permit has expired while the nomination is pending.
The limits
You must be in Canada. Applications filed from outside Canada still need the acknowledgement, and the measure is set to lapse on 31 December 2026 unless IRCC extends it.
The rules
What has to be true.
A qualifying PR application
The stage differs by stream. Express Entry applications must have passed the completeness check, with an acknowledgement of receipt. Non-Express Entry provincial nominees must have passed the eligibility assessment. Quebec skilled worker applicants need a completeness check. Care and Agri-Food pilot applicants must be approved in principle.
Valid status now
Valid temporary resident status and a valid work permit — or maintained status as a worker after applying to extend before expiry, or eligibility to restore status.
You must be in Canada
A bridging permit is an in-Canada mechanism.
Timing, not a deadline
There is no four-month window in the eligibility rules. What governs timing is your PR stage on one side and your status on the other.
How long it runs
IRCC generally issues a bridging permit for 24 months, with a further extension possible if your permanent residence application is still in process.
Conditions still apply
Open does not mean unrestricted — medical requirements apply to some occupations.
How we help
How we help.
01
Map the timing
We work backwards from your permit expiry and your PR stage to find the right filing window.
02
Prove the PR stage
The acknowledgement of receipt and stream evidence must be presented correctly.
03
File before expiry
So maintained status protects your ability to keep working while a decision is pending.
04
Plan for landing
We keep your permit and PR timelines aligned right through to landing.
Eligibility review
Is your permit expiring during PR?
Send us your permit expiry and your PR stage and a licensed RCIC will tell you whether a BOWP is available and when to file.
- Whether your PR application has reached a qualifying stage.
- Exactly when your filing window opens and closes.
- How to protect your right to keep working.
- What to do if your permit already expired.
Check your eligibility
Reviewed by a licensed RCIC, usually the same business day.
Thanks — we’ll be in touch
A licensed RCIC will review your details and reach out, usually the same business day.
Message us on WhatsApp
Good to know
Questions, answered.
The questions we hear most on this topic, answered by our consultants. The full list is in the Help Centre.
What if my work permit already expired?
A bridging permit is not designed for that situation. You may need to apply for restoration of status within ninety days, which is time-sensitive and carries risk. If you are in this position, treat it as urgent.
Can I change employers on a BOWP?
Yes. It is an open permit, so you are not tied to the employer named on your previous permit. Bear in mind that some permanent residence streams, particularly provincial nominations, may have expectations about the job that supported your nomination.
Should I extend, or apply for a bridging permit?
If you have a permanent residence application in process, a bridging open work permit is often the stronger option because it is not tied to one employer. Which is available depends on your PR stream and stage.
How do I extend a visitor stay in Canada?
Apply for a visitor record before your current status ends. A visitor record extends how long you may stay, but it is not a visa, so on its own it does not let you re-enter Canada after leaving. If your status has already lapsed, restoration may still be available for a limited window.
When should I apply to extend?
Before your current status expires — ideally thirty days or more ahead. Applying in time is what gives you maintained status; applying late gives you nothing.
More questions on this topic are answered in the Help Centre.