Your spouse working in Canada

When the principal comes to Canada on a work permit to set up a business, the spouse often wants to work too. The rules on spousal open work permits changed on January 21, 2025.

General principle

According to IRCC, a spouse's eligibility for an open work permit depends on:

• whether the principal is on a pathway to PR through an eligible program;
• the principal's type of work (TEER).

Principal on a PR pathway

IRCC lists programs where families of workers on a PR pathway are assessed under separate rules, including the Provincial Nominee Program and the Start-up business class. IRCC's instructions also say the code 88888 used for entrepreneurs is treated as TEER 0 or 1 when assessing spousal open work permits. Check the specific conditions for your stream.

Principal with temporary residence only

For workers not on a PR pathway, spouses only qualify if the principal is in a TEER 0, 1 or listed TEER 2, 3 job and the principal's permit has at least 16 months left when the spouse applies. Dependent children can no longer get an open work permit under this measure.

Fees

Work permit CAD 155 plus the CAD 100 open work permit holder fee.

If your spouse doesn't qualify

They can apply for their own work permit with a job offer, a study permit, or stay as a visitor.

Note These rules change often. Check IRCC's "Open work permits for family members of foreign workers" page before applying.