Throughout a latest announcement addressing reforms to Canada’s momentary resident initiatives, Immigration Minister Marc Miller revealed quite a few substantial adjustments to the qualifying necessities for Spousal Open Work Permits (SOWPs). Minister Miller mentioned on September 18 that the company would impose additional restrictions on spouses of scholars enrolled in particular skilled applications, doctorate and grasp’s applications, and pilot applications to limit their eligibility for the SOWP. It contains proscribing grasp’s diploma college students’ wives’ eligibility for work permits to “solely these whose curriculum is not less than 16 months.”
These modifications come after the IRCC mentioned earlier within the 12 months that SOWPs would solely be obtainable to spouses of scholars enrolled particularly grasp’s or doctorate applications at designated studying establishments (DLIs) in Canada, with restricted exception for extremely sought-after undergraduate levels.
The IRCC’s selection to incorporate grasp’s and doctorate college students within the research allow quota 2025 has additional influenced this example. Based on the company, these college students will obtain 12% of the 437,000 educational permits allotted for 2025. Nonetheless, PhD and grasp’s diploma holders are usually not topic to the 2024 research allow cap. The minister said that for the next three years, 50,000 fewer SOWPs could be obtainable to the spouses of worldwide college students. Nonetheless, he didn’t point out the extra modifications that the division would implement.
Impact on Short-term International Staff
Apart from the overseas scholar program, SOWPs are additionally altering. The IRCC says it intends to limit these eligible for a piece allow to spouses of extremely certified professionals. These embody teachers, scientists, engineers, C-suite executives, attorneys, technicians, and spouses of staff in fields with vital labor shortages. Over the next three years, these modifications ought to result in the issuance of 100,000 fewer SOWPs.
Information to making use of for a SOWP
There have but to be formal ministry directions on when the tightened SOWP limits would take impact. Nonetheless, as of April 30 earlier this 12 months, wives of worldwide college students grew to become eligible to use for an SOWP if their sponsor is a global scholar enrolled in a grasp’s or doctorate program or any of the skilled diploma applications listed beneath:
- Physician of Dental Surgical procedure (DDS or DMD)
- Bachelor of Regulation or Juris Physician (LLB, JD, and BCL)
- Medical physician (MD)
- Optometrist Physician (OD)
- BPharm, BS, BSc, and Ph.D. in pharmacy
- Physician of Veterinary Medication (DVM)
- Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BScN, BSN, and BNSc)
- Bachelor of Training (B.Ed.)
- Bachelor of Engineering (B. Eng., BE, and BASc)