Bridging Open Work Permit (BOWP)

Bridging Open Work Permit (BOWP)

The purpose of the Bridging Open Work Permit (BOWP) program is to retain a foreign worker in Canada while their application for permanent residency is under consideration by Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC). A foreign national can extend the work permit while awaiting a decision on Permanent Residency application by applying for a Bridging Open Work Permit (BOWP).

The facility of BOWP is available only for foreign workers who have a valid Work Permit and have applied for permanent residency. The person can work for multiple employers irrespective of location after securing the BOWP. Consult a reliable immigration counselor to seek ways to realize your dream of settling in Canada.

Significance of BOWP

Any foreign national must leave Canada after the expiry of a work permit. Working without a work permit may destroy all plans of immigrating to Canada. Bridging the Work Permit (BOWP) helps foreign nationals work under implied status even if the current work permit expires as they are awaiting the decision about BOWP.

A pending BOWP application allows them to work till the final decision, even after the expiration of the current work permit. However, the worker will have to leave Canada in the event of the BOWP refusal.

BOWP facility is available for foreign nationals who are applying for one of the following permanent residence programs:

• Agri-food Pilot Program
• Canadian Experience Class (CEC)
• Caring for Children Class (Before June 18, 2019)
• Caring for People with High Medical Needs Class(Before June 18, 2019)
• Federal Skills Trade Program (FST)
• Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSW)
• Provincial Nomination Program (PNP)
• Quebec Skilled Workers

Please note that the BOWP is not available to any other economic residence program other than those mentioned above.

Bridging Open Work Permit benefits employees as they can enjoy the flexibility of working at any location and for any employer. In the absence of BOWP, the foreign national must find an employer ready to apply for a Labor Market Impact Assessment (LMIA). Employees and their families will have to either leave Canada temporarily or live under the status of visitors after the expiry of the work permit if they do not apply for BOWP.

Eligibility criteria for BOWP application

A foreign national applying for a Bridging Open Work Permit (BOWP) must satisfy the following requirements:

• Is living in Canada
• Has a valid work permit about to expire within a minimum of four months
• Is having a positive eligibility status on the application
• Has completed the necessary Application for Permanent Residence (APR) stages for the relevant immigration program

Spouse or common-law partner of the BOWP holder should satisfy the following criteria to be eligible for an open work permit:

• Having a valid work permit or an authorization to work in Canada with no work permit
• Living in Canada or planning to reside in Canada
• Has a genuine spousal or common-law partner relationship
• Foreign nationals may not be eligible for a BOWP in the following situations:
• Living in Canada under work permit exemption as per section 186 of Immigration and Refugees Protection Regulations (IRPR)
• Expiration of the status
• Is having a new LMIA job offer that qualifies for a new work permit application and current work permit validity is longer than four months
• Application for BOWP at Port of Entry (POE)
• Nomination letter under PNP shows employment restrictions
• A provincial nominee who fails to submit a copy of the nomination letter with the application for BOWP

Bridging Open Work Permit (BOWP) benefits employees, the federal government, employers, and Canadian communities. BOWP allows foreign nationals to work for any employer with the flexibility of choosing the location. It enables the workers eligible to become permanent residents to navigate and integrate the Canadian labor market more effectively.

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