Previous Canadian Work Permit on Spousal PR Application?

[fishfishlove]

Hi all, my spouse is sponsoring me for PR. I am an American who has not lived in Canada aside from a few months' visit to my Canadian spouse. I did previously have an open work permit under working holiday. The visa was activated but then I didn't actually utilize it for working and just visited Canada as a visitor while it was active. It's been expired for a few years now.

The application says to include previous work visas if I live in Canada... but I don't. For not living in Canada, it just says to include passport pages with stamps... but I do have the stamp for the work permit. But I don't want to include the old work permit and confuse them since I didn't actually live in Canada after activating it? Lol?

What's best practice here? Just fill things out as normal as outland and upload it in case?

 

[armoured]

Hi all, my spouse is sponsoring me for PR. I am an American who has not lived in Canada aside from a few months' visit to my Canadian spouse. I did previously have an open work permit under working holiday. The visa was activated but then I didn't actually utilize it for working and just visited Canada as a visitor while it was active. It's been expired for a few years now.

The application says to include previous work visas if I live in Canada... but I don't. For not living in Canada, it just says to include passport pages with stamps... but I do have the stamp for the work permit. But I don't want to include the old work permit and confuse them since I didn't actually live in Canada after activating it? Lol?

What's best practice here? Just fill things out as normal as outland and upload it in case?

I'd follow the instructions for not residing in Canada, and then include a letter of explanation saying you had the open work permit but in the end did not use it/work in Canada.

 

[fishfishlove]

I'd follow the instructions for not residing in Canada, and then include a letter of explanation saying you had the open work permit but in the end did not use it/work in Canada.

Thank you! Would you recommend uploading the photoscan of the work visa in the file with the letter of explanation or leaving it out?

 

[armoured]

Thank you! Would you recommend uploading the photoscan of the work visa in the file with the letter of explanation or leaving it out?

I have no opinion really as to whether necessary, but for the extra 1 min work I personally would attach.

 

[сhristianvega]

Hi all, my spouse is sponsoring me for PR. I am an American who has not lived in Canada aside from a few months' visit to my Canadian spouse. I did previously have an open work permit under working holiday. The visa was activated but then I didn't actually utilize it for working and just visited Canada as a visitor while it was active. It's been expired for a few years now.

The application says to include previous work visas if I live in Canada... but I don't. For not living in Canada, it just says to include passport pages with stamps... but I do have the stamp for the work permit. But I don't want to include the old work permit and confuse them since I didn't actually live in Canada after activating it? Lol?

What's best practice here? Just fill things out as normal as outland and upload it in case?

In your case, it’s safest to be fully transparent. Even though you didn’t actually work or live in Canada under that previous work permit, it was issued and activated, so technically it’s part of your immigration history. The usual approach is to list it in the work/visa history section and clarify in a short note that you did not reside or work in Canada while it was active. Include a copy of the passport page with the stamp so there’s a record. This way you’re not hiding anything, which avoids any potential confusion later, but you also make it clear the permit wasn’t used. It’s better to over-disclose than to omit.