Work Permit for Spouse

[STCVer]

Hi Folks - Question for you all the experts here. I have a PR and currently living in the US. We are planning to move to Canada early next year. My wife does not have PR and would be starting the process once we move to Canada.

Questions: How soon can I apply for Work Permit for spouse? How long does that take and whether I can start the permit process from the US itself?

 

[primaprime]

As a PR you need to be in Canada to start the process. It can take several months to get the work permit.

 

[canuck78]

Hi Folks - Question for you all the experts here. I have a PR and currently living in the US. We are planning to move to Canada early next year. My wife does not have PR and would be starting the process once we move to Canada.

Questions: How soon can I apply for Work Permit for spouse? How long does that take and whether I can start the permit process from the US itself?

As the spouse of a PR she doesn’t qualify for just a WP. She only qualifies for an OWP in conjunction with an inland PR application. There are very long backlogs for both at the moment so I would be planning for 6+ months before she gets a WP. In many provinces she will not qualify for healthcare so you may need to purchase health insurance for her.

 

[STCVer]

As the spouse of a PR she doesn’t qualify for just a WP. She only qualifies for an OWP in conjunction with an inland PR application. There are very long backlogs for both at the moment so I would be planning for 6+ months before she gets a WP. In many provinces she will not qualify for healthcare so you may need to purchase health insurance for her.

Thanks for sharing the details. What is the best recommended option in this case to move and be able to start working there as soon as possible? Would applying for PR from outside Canada be quicker than inland option with OWP application?

 

[canuck78]

Thanks for sharing the details. What is the best recommended option in this case to move and be able to start working there as soon as possible? Would applying for PR from outside Canada be quicker than inland option with OWP application?

As a PR you can only sponsor your spouse from inside Canada while living in Canada. If she qualifies for express entry on her own she can apply. If she is in a an demand field like IT she may be able to get a job offer and an employer may be willing to go through LMIA and WP. Most employers are not willing to go through the time and expense.