The Government of Canada has made changes to the open work permit allowance system for the family members of temporary residents in Canada.
Temporary residents including international students and foreign workers have to meet certain criteria to be eligible to bring their spouse from their home country to Canada as per the latest IRCTC update dated January 14th 2025.
Effective from 21st January 2025 the temporary residents if they are an international student they should be enrolled in a Masters program that is having a minimum of 16 month duration or longer. International students who are enrolled in doctoral programs of any kind are also eligible.
If the international student is studying in a professional degree programs at a University namely doctor of dental surgery, bachelor of law or juris doctor, doctor of medicine doctor of optometry, pharmacy, bachelor of Science in nursing, doctor of veterinary medicine, bachelor of nursing and nursing science, bachelor of education, bachelor of engineering. If the student has enrolled themselves in one of the above said professional programs they can also bring their spouse from home country.
Open work permits for the spouses of foreign workers have also been limited to a foreign worker who is employed under TEER 0 &TEER 1 occupations.
Selected occupations in TEER 2 & TEER 3 are also eligible especially if they are in the labour shortage sector or linked to any government priority section. This will include occupations in the natural and applied sciences construction healthcare natural resources education sports and military sectors. The complete list of this will be available on January 21st 2025 only.
Additionally the foreign worker who wants to bring their spouse to Canada must also have at least 16 months remaining on their work permit during that time when their pouch is applying for an open work permit.
It has specifically mentioned that dependent children of foreign workers will no longer be eligible to come to Canada or bring them under any pretense.