Important: Only spouses or common-law partners of study permit holders are eligible for an open work permit. Their dependent children are not eligible to apply for an open work permit under this category (C42).
In these instructions, “officer” refers to employees of both Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada and the Canada Border Services Agency.
The instructions on this page should be reviewed in conjunction with the following:
On March 19, 2024, the Minister designated the work performed by the following spouses and common-law partners of full-time students as necessary under paragraph R205(c)(ii):
This International Mobility Program (IMP) work permit category is intended for spouses and common-law partners who are not, themselves, already study permit holders actively engaged in full-time studies. The reasons for allowing spouses to enter Canada and work is to increase the competitiveness of Canada’s academic institutions or economy.
In these instructions, “spousal” refers to either common-law partner or married spouse situations.