IRCC lowering Spousal Open Work Permits by greater than 100,000 over the following three years…

Throughout a current announcement relating to modifications to Canada’s short-term resident applications, Immigration Minister Marc Miller introduced a number of vital modifications to the eligibility standards for Spousal Open Work Permits (SOWPs).

On September 18, Minister Miller famous that the division will likely be introducing additional limits on SOWP eligibility for spouses of scholars in doctoral and sure grasp’s applications, choose skilled applications, and sure pilot applications.

This contains limiting work allow eligibility to spouses of grasp’s diploma college students to “solely these whose program is a minimum of 16 months in period.”

Schedule a Free Work Allow Session with the Cohen Immigration Legislation Agency

The modifications are along with IRCC’s announcement earlier this 12 months that SOWPs could be accessible solely to the spouses of scholars in particular grasp’s or doctoral applications at Canadian designated studying establishments (DLIs), with some exceptions for undergraduate levels in excessive demand.

That is additional impacted by IRCC’s determination to incorporate grasp’s and doctoral college students within the cap imposed on the variety of research permits that will likely be issued in 2025. The division says 12% of the 437,000 research permits allotted for 2025 have been put aside for these college students. Grasp’s and PhD college students will not be included within the 2024 research allow cap.

Whereas he didn’t specify what different modifications could come into impact, he did say over the following three years the modifications would end in 50,000 fewer SOWPs being issued to the spouses of worldwide college students.

Short-term overseas employees additionally affected

Modifications are additionally being made for SOWPs outdoors of the worldwide pupil program.

IRCC says it plans to restrict work allow eligibility to incorporate solely spouses of extremely expert, specialised employees. These embody C-suite executives, scientists, engineers, attorneys, professors, and technicians, or spouses of employees in sectors the place there are key labour shortages.

These modifications are anticipated to end in 100,000 fewer SOWPs being issued over the following three years.

Methods to apply for a SOWP

No official ministerial directions have been issued relating to the official date of the tightened SOWP restrictions.

Nevertheless, as of April 30 this 12 months, spouses of worldwide college students could apply for a SOWP if their sponsor is a global pupil in a grasp’s or doctoral program or one of many following skilled diploma applications:

• Physician of Dental Surgical procedure (DDS, DMD)
• Bachelor of Legislation or Juris Physician (LLB, JD, BCL)
• Physician of Drugs (MD)
• Physician of Optometry (OD)
• Pharmacy (PharmD, BS, BSc, BPharm)
• Physician of Veterinary Drugs (DVM)
• Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BScN, BSN, BNSc)
• Bachelor of Schooling (B. Ed.)
• Bachelor of Engineering (B. Eng., BE, BASc)

IRCC may also ask for one of many following:

• a sound letter of acceptance from the sponsor’s DLI;
• a proof of enrolment letter from their DLI; or
• transcripts from their present program.

Candidates should additionally present proof that they’re taking part in one of many eligible pilot applications, if relevant, and different paperwork equivalent to proof of the applicant’s relationship to the scholar.

Those that are authorized can count on their SOWP to be legitimate for a similar size of time as their sponsor’s research allow.

Different modifications for short-term residents

The modifications to SOWP eligibility are only one a part of a set of measures IRCC has undertaken this 12 months. A few of the most dramatic modifications have occurred within the worldwide pupil program, with the introduction of a cap on the variety of research allow functions IRCC will course of in 2024, and an additional discount on that quantity to return in 2025.

The division has additionally added a Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) requirement for a lot of Put up-Commencement Work Allow (PGWP) functions. College graduates should have the ability to show a CLB of seven in studying, writing, talking, and listening. School graduates should have a CLB 5.

He says extra particulars relating to short-term resident ranges will likely be revealed within the upcoming Immigration Ranges Plan, set to be launched by November 1 this 12 months. Will probably be the primary time short-term resident ranges will likely be included within the Plan, which units targets for the variety of newcomers Canada will welcome within the upcoming three years.

Over 2 million short-term residents arrived in Canada in 2023. Minister Miller says the elevated restrictions are a part of IRCC’s dedication to cut back the variety of short-term residents in Canada from 6.5% of the inhabitants down to five% within the subsequent three years.

He famous that Canada’s economic system has recovered from the COVID-19 pandemic and measures launched on the time to extend immigration and bolster Canada’s labour power, whereas efficient on the time, are now not vital.

Schedule a Free Work Allow Session with the Cohen Immigration Legislation Agency