In-land Spouse Visa + Open Work Permit

[naturalG]

Hi everyone, hope you guys are doing great!
Thank you for taking the time to help each other and help everyone spare the over 5k every lawyers have been asking us!
I am an Australian/French dual citizen and I use my Australian Passport here in Canada. I have been on a IEC working holiday visa since September 22nd 2015, therefore it will expire on September 21st 2017.
On July 10th 2017 it has been a year my partner and I have been living together (4 of those months we have been backpacking through East Africa and we have visited my family in France), we have all the proofs necessary (letters of bank representative who opened our joint account a year ago and so many other letters and photos) so I imagine the application should be pretty straightforward.
So far I have a few questions as we have completed every required forms:


Q1. Being on a Working Holiday Visa (IEC program: International Experience Canada), what is my status in Canada?
So far I have selected “other” and stated “I.E.C” in the “other” box on all the forms asking that question.


Q2. I am an over 10 years experience hospitality worker and I work here in Toronto as a Server/Bartender in a very popular restaurant. My question is: Will this allow me to apply for an open work permit in the same time as I apply for In-land Spouse visa?


Q3.When filling out the open work permit application IMM5710, the part “Details of intended work in Canada”, since I chose “Open Work Permit”:
- I assume I should ignore the question 2, right?
-Therefore should I also ignore the questions 3, 4 and 5?


Q4. How to apply? I am kind of confused, is it all by mail sent to Mississauga or can we do anything online? Also, I have downloaded all the most recent versions of the forms, but when I fill them out, do I have to be connected to the internet to generate Bar Codes? Or should I fill them out from the web browser directly? Again I’m just a little bit confused and obviously want to do it right.


Q5.My IEC working holiday visa will expire September 21st, I am trying to complete the application asap but do you think I am still ok with the timings etc…?

Thank you so much once again guys and good luck to everyone!

 

[naturalG]

Anyone can help me with those few questions?

 

[scylla]

You have to submit the open work permit along with the inland spousal sponsorship application. Where you currently work has no impact on the situation.

IECs cannot be extended - which means you have to stop working as soon as your IEC expires and won't be able to start working again until the open work permit is approved. Right now, it seems to be taking 3-4 months for the OWP to be approved from the time you submit the application. So you should expect there will be a period of time where you will not be able to work.

 

[naturalG]

You have to submit the open work permit along with the inland spousal sponsorship application. Where you currently work has no impact on the situation.

IECs cannot be extended - which means you have to stop working as soon as your IEC expires and won't be able to start working again until the open work permit is approved. Right now, it seems to be taking 3-4 months for the OWP to be approved from the time you submit the application. So you should expect there will be a period of time where you will not be able to work.

Hi Scylla thanks for your help,

On this page http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/work/employers/hire-extend.asp
It states that "The temporary worker should apply at least 30 days before the expiry date of their original work permit to extend or change the terms and conditions of the existing work permit."
Are you sure I will not be able to continue working as long as I have applied for PR + Open Work Permit on August 20th at the latest?


Also, when filling up IMM 5710, question 3: what I am applying for:
-A work permit with the same employer
-Restoration of your status as a worker
-An initial work permit or a work permit with a new employer
-Temporary resident permit

I am not sure which I am being on a IEC (working holiday visa and applying for In-land common law visa)

Thanks again