For eligible participants
Applicants would need to meet certain criteria for receiving an open work permit under this initiative. They would need to:
- Be foreign nationals who are Master’s or PhD graduates and nominees in Ontario under the Pilot Masters Graduate Stream or the PhD Graduate Stream of the International Student Category
- Be residing in Ontario currently or have intentions of residing in Ontario for the duration of the work permit
- Hold valid status currently as temporary residents, or be eligible for applying for restoration of their temporary resident status, if in Canada
- According to Section R199 of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations (IRPR) only certain foreign nationals would need to apply for a work permit at an inland Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) office
- Apply for an open work permit at a visa office overseas or at a port of entry (if eligible), if they have already departed Canada or if Section R199 does not describe them
- Have a letter of support issued by the Ontario Ministry of Citizenship and Immigration
The Open Work Permit for Ontario Initiative
- Applicants have the ability to submit their applications to the Case Processing Centre in Vegreville, Alberta:
- By mail (if the applicant is currently in Canada and eligible for applying inland)
- At a visa office overseas or,
- Directly at a port of entry (if exempt from the requirement of obtaining a temporary resident visa)
- Applicants would need to include the following documents with their applications:
- The letter of support issued by the Ontario Ministry of Citizenship and Immigration and,
- A copy of the applicant’s Opportunities Ontario letter of nomination
- The Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) exemption code is T13 in conjunction with the paragraph R204 (c)
- The work permit should specify that it is only valid for work in the province of Ontario
- The Remarks field must specify the following text: TFW-PNP / R204(c)
- The duration of these open work permits is 18 months, or until the expiry date of the applicant’s travel document, which is shorter
The applicant would need to pay the work permit processing fee and the open work permit holder fee.
Provincial and Territorial Programs and Pilot Projects Related to Temporary Foreign Worker (TFW) Annexes [R204 (c)] Exemption Code T13
Officers would need to refer to the Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) for updated information on the pilot projects.
Note:
- Chapter OP 7b contains more information on the permanent resident process
- In addition, officers might be able to obtain further details from the Alberta Immigrant Nominee Program pre-nomination initiative
Source: Citizenship and Immigration