Canada update: Permits Foundation responds to announced employment restrictions for accompanying dependants
21 January 2025In Canada, new measures have been brought in that will restrict employment access for accompanying dependants of international workers and students in certain categories.
Speaking on the announcement Permits Foundation Director Helen Frew said: This is very disappointing news from Canada. At Permits Foundation we are already making contact with the authorities, particularly as Canada had been seen as a best practice country enabling dual careers. It is going to be incredibly important that we as employers can speak with a strong voice. We encourage companies concerned about how these changes in Canada might affect their talent pipelines to get in touch.
Background:
From 21 January 2025, “family open work permits (OWPs) will only be made available to spouses and partners of international students who are enrolled in:
- master’s programs that are 16 months or longer
- doctoral programs, or
- select professional and eligible programs
Family OWPs will also be limited to spouses of foreign workers who are employed in:
- TEER 0 or 1 occupations, or
- select TEER 2 or 3 occupations in sectors with labour shortages or linked to government priorities
- These include occupations in the natural and applied sciences, construction, health care, natural resources, education, sports and military sectors. The full list will be available on January 21, 2025.”
Further information about the spouse’s/partner’s permission to work can be found here.
These measures apply to new applications. Open work permits approved before this date remain valid until they expire. Renewal is possible under certain conditions. Spouses of workers covered by free trade agreements and those transitioning to permanent residence are not affected by the changes. More information describing the changes and transition is available here.
See Permits Foundation’s World Map Canada page for more detail.
