Open work permit for spouse of citizen

[fanfan]

Hello,

I am working in Canada with a work permit (ends next january), and married to a Canadian citizen. I will apply for PR in a few weeks, using the sponsorship program from inland, which will take more than a year in total.

I would like to know if I can apply for an open work permit (OWP), as I would like to change employer a lot sooner than the time needed for the processing time of the sponsoring application. If this is possible can I apply for a OWP before the sponsorship application is finalized, or do i have to wait that the application is sent to immigration.
If an OWP is not possible, are there any other possibilities to be able to change employer without having to go through the HRSDC process to obtain an LMO letter, in order to apply for a work visa for another employer, such as a temporary resident status or any other process?

Thanks for your help.
Regards

 

[computergeek]

You will not be able to obtain an open work permit for an outland sponsorship.

If you apply for an inland sponsorship, they will grant you an OWP upon approval of the sponsor - this generally takes around 11 months at the present time.

You don't mention your original country, but you might wish to check and see if there are bilateral agreements that provide you the ability to work without an LMO. Otherwise, you will need to find an employer that already has or is willing to obtain an LMO for you.

Good luck!