Spouse of a TEER 0 or 1 worker
Management and professional occupations. This group generally remains eligible.
Eligible
Spousal open work permit
Spousal Open Work Permit (SOWP) — if the rules still fit.
The spousal open work permit was narrowed significantly in January 2025. Many spouses who would have qualified a year earlier no longer do. Whether yours does now turns on your occupation, or your program of study.
RCIC-led
Brampton & London
Rules reviewed July 2026
TEER 0/1
Workers
Spouses of workers in higher-skilled occupations generally still qualify.
Graduate level
Students
Spouses of master's and doctoral students, plus select professional programs.
Open permit
What you get
Work for almost any employer, not tied to one job.
Matches yours
Validity
Generally issued to align with the principal applicant's permit.
Who qualifies
Where the line now falls.
Eligibility flows entirely from the principal applicant's situation, not the spouse's. That is the part most people get wrong.
Spouse of select TEER 2/3 workers
Certain trades, transport, natural resources and agriculture roles remain eligible.
Some eligibleSpouse of a graduate student
Master’s and doctoral students, plus specified professional programs.
EligibleSpouse of most undergraduate students
Bachelor’s and most college programs no longer support a spousal permit.
Not eligibleSponsored spouses in Canada
The Spouse or Common-Law Partner in Canada class carries its own open work permit route, and applicants processed under the subsection 25(1) public policy can apply for a work permit and a study permit once they are found to meet its criteria — including partners whose temporary status has lapsed.
Different routeRenewals
Existing permits stay valid, but renewals are assessed under the current rules.
Being sponsored from inside Canada is a different permit route with different rules. See spousal sponsorship and the out-of-status public policy, or compare inland and outland filing.
What to know
How it works in practice.
It follows the principal applicant
Your eligibility, and your permit’s validity, are tied to your spouse’s status and occupation or program.
Relationship evidence matters
Marriage or common-law status must be properly evidenced, exactly as in a sponsorship file.
Timing with the principal
Applying together, or immediately after, avoids gaps that cost working months.
Children are treated separately
Dependent children generally follow different rules and may need study permits instead.
Existing permits stay valid
Permits already issued are not cancelled by the rule change, but renewal is assessed afresh.
Alternatives exist
If you no longer qualify, an employer-specific permit or another route may still be available.
How we help
How we help.
01
Check the principal’s occupation
We confirm the NOC/TEER code or program level that decides your eligibility before filing.
02
Evidence the relationship
Marriage or common-law proof assembled to the standard IRCC expects.
03
Time it with the main permit
We align filings so the household is not left with a gap in work authorization.
04
Find an alternative if needed
If the rules now exclude you, we look at employer-specific and other options.
Eligibility review
Does your spouse still qualify?
Send us the principal applicant's occupation or program and a licensed RCIC will confirm eligibility under the current rules.
- Whether the 2025 changes affect you.
- The exact occupation or program level that decides it.
- How long the permit would be valid.
- What to do if you no longer qualify.
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.
Who can get a spousal open work permit now?
Since January 2025, eligibility is narrower. Spouses of foreign workers generally qualify where the worker holds a TEER 0 or TEER 1 occupation, or one of the select TEER 2 and 3 occupations in trades, transport, natural resources and agriculture. Spouses of students generally qualify only where the student is in a master's, doctoral, or specified professional program.
My spouse is doing a college diploma. Can I work?
Under the current rules, spouses of most college and undergraduate students no longer qualify for a spousal open work permit. That does not mean you cannot work in Canada at all — an employer-specific permit or another category may be available, which is worth assessing properly.
Does my existing spousal permit get cancelled?
No. Permits already issued remain valid until their expiry date. The change affects new applications and renewals, which are assessed under the rules in force when you apply.
How long will the permit be valid?
It is generally issued to align with the principal applicant's permit, so both expire around the same time. That makes coordinated renewals important, since a gap for one usually creates a gap for both.
Can common-law partners apply?
Yes, where the relationship qualifies as common-law, meaning you have cohabited in a conjugal relationship for at least twelve continuous months. The evidentiary standard is the same as it would be for sponsorship, so documentation matters.
What about our children?
Dependent children are handled separately. Depending on age and circumstances they may need a study permit, or may be able to study without one. We look at the whole household so nobody is left without status.
SOWP review
Can your spouse get an open work permit?
Send a few details. A licensed RCIC reads your profile personally, then replies with the routes that genuinely fit, the ones that do not, and the consultation fee and next available times.
- Read personally by a CICC-licensed consultant — never a bot, never a salesperson
- A written shortlist of the programs you realistically qualify for
- Consultations are fee-based; you get the fee and available times by reply
CHK Immigration Services — Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultant (CICC). Offices in Brampton and London, Ontario. Submitting this form does not create a client–consultant relationship; IRCC makes all final decisions.