Bridging Open Work Permits: Working While You Wait for PR
A bridging open work permit lets some permanent residence applicants keep working while their application is processed. Who is eligible, what stage of the PR application you must reach, and how status matters.
The purpose
A bridging open work permit (BOWP) lets you keep working while you wait for the results of your permanent residence application. Without it, someone whose work permit expires before the PR decision would have to stop working, which would harm both the person and their employer.
Who may be eligible
IRCC’s page covers several programs, and the stage you must reach differs by program.
- Express Entry (Federal Skilled Worker, Canadian Experience Class, Federal Skilled Trades): you must have submitted a complete application for permanent residence and passed the completeness check. Submitting a profile to the pool does not count as applying.
- Provincial Nominee Program applications outside Express Entry: you must have passed an eligibility assessment instead of a completeness check.
- Quebec skilled workers: you must have passed a completeness check for permanent residence.
- You must live in Canada when you apply for the BOWP.
Your work permit status matters
IRCC says you must meet one of the following: you have valid temporary resident status and a valid work permit, you have an expired work permit but have maintained your status as a worker, or you are eligible to restore your status and get a work permit.
IRCC’s page does not set a fixed window for when to apply. If your current permit is about to expire, you may be eligible, so check the page for your program and apply as soon as you meet the conditions.
Leaving Canada
IRCC says that for Express Entry applicants who leave Canada after their work permit has expired, you cannot work until your new application is approved. For provincial nominee applicants, a permit that expires while you are outside Canada can mean losing temporary resident status. Get advice before travelling while an application is pending.
A planning checklist
- Note your current permit expiry date
- Confirm that your PR application has passed the completeness check or eligibility assessment for your program
- Check the BOWP page for your program, including the status conditions
- Plan for what happens if the PR decision is delayed
Frequently asked questions
- Does submitting an Express Entry profile qualify me? No. For Express Entry programs you must have submitted a complete application for permanent residence and passed the completeness check. Submitting a profile to the pool does not count.
- Do I need to be in Canada? Yes. For most programs you must live in Canada when you apply for the BOWP, and for the provincial nominee version you must be in Canada with valid temporary resident status when IRCC decides the BOWP.
- What status do I need? You need valid temporary resident status and a valid work permit, or an expired work permit with maintained status as a worker, or eligibility to restore your status and get a work permit.
A worked example
A hypothetical worker submitted a permanent residence application through Express Entry and passed the completeness check, but her work permit will expire in a few months. She checks the BOWP page for her program and confirms she meets the stage and status conditions.
She applies for the bridging permit while her permit is still valid, so there is no gap in her authorisation. Her friend assumed that having submitted a profile to the pool was enough and found it was not: only a complete PR application that has passed the completeness check counts.
How to prepare over the next 30 days
- Record the expiry date of your current permit
- Confirm that your PR application has passed the completeness check or eligibility assessment
- Check the BOWP page for your program, including the status conditions
- Gather the documents required for the bridging application
- Have a contingency plan if the PR decision is delayed
Talk it through
The window to apply for a bridging permit is narrow and specific to your program. Check yours in a free assessment before your current permit gets close to ending. Conditions are IRCC's and are updated.
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