Immigration Canada made an announcement recently regarding the reconstruction of the Bridging Open Work Permit (BOWP) program that will make now make it much more attainable. The decision was made in September and is now available to eligible work permit holders who have applied for Canadian Permanent Residence. This program gives workers the chance to continue working in Canada while they wait for Immigration Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) to make a decision on their Permanent Residency application. Another beneficiary of the program is that there will no longer be a limit on when you can apply for the BOWP as before you could only apply within 4 months of your work Permit’s expiry date.
If you’re applying for the BOWP you do not need a Labour Market Impact assessment (LMIA) which is regularly required of Work Permit Holders because of the economic benefit provided from living in Canada. You are also advised not to apply at a port of entry. You have to be applying from within Canada because from the government’s perspective, they see how your presence here is allowing you to be exempt from an LMIA.
If you applied for permanent residency under one of the following programs, you may be eligible for a BOWP:
- Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP)
- Canadian Experience Class (CEC)
- Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP)
- caring for children class or caring for people with high medical needs class before June 18, 2019
- Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) for applicants for who do not have employer restrictions on nominations
- Agri-Food Pilot (AFP)
- Quebec skilled worker class (QSWC)
David H. Davis is the founder and owner of Davis Immigration Law Office. He and his team can be reached by email at: david@daviddavislaw.com on the web at www.daviddavislaw.com or by phone at 204-956-2336 extension 208. David has over 31 years of legal experience in Canadian immigration legal matters and is a licensed recruiter in Western Canada: Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta.