Canada immigration news — your work permit is expiring. Your permanent residence application is submitted but a decision is still months away. Without something bridging that gap, you face an impossible choice between your job and your immigration status. The Bridging Open Work Permit exists specifically for this moment — and in 2026, understanding exactly who qualifies, how to apply, and when to submit could be the difference between staying employed and losing your right to work in Canada.
By Maplestime Immigration Desk | Canada | May 25, 2026 Sources: IRCC | Canadim | ICC Immigration | Last verified: May 25, 2026
Key Takeaways
- A Bridging Open Work Permit (BOWP) allows temporary foreign workers to keep working in Canada while waiting for a PR decision — for any employer, in any occupation
- You must hold a valid work permit AND have an active PR application under an eligible economic program at the time you apply
- Eligible programs include Express Entry (CEC, FSWP, FSTP), PNP (without employer restrictions), Atlantic Immigration Program, Rural Community Immigration Pilot, and certain caregiver programs
- As of 2026 the average BOWP processing time is 6 to 8.5 months — apply at least 6 months before your work permit expires
- The BOWP is issued for a maximum of 24 months or until your passport expires — whichever comes first
- If your work permit expires before your BOWP is approved, you can continue working under maintained status — but only if you applied before expiry
- Family members of BOWP holders may qualify for their own open work permits — for any employer regardless of job skill level
- If IRCC refuses your BOWP, you have 90 days to apply for restoration if still in Canada
What Is a Bridging Open Work Permit and Why It Matters
A Bridging Open Work Permit is designed for foreign nationals who are currently working in Canada and have an active permanent residence application in progress. It bridges the gap between an expiring work permit and a final PR decision — so you never have to choose between your job and your immigration status.
The name describes exactly what it does. A bridge. Not a new immigration pathway — a continuation of your existing work authorization while the immigration process runs its course.
Because the BOWP is an open work permit, you can work for any employer in Canada. You are not tied to a specific company, occupation, or province.
This is what makes the BOWP significantly more valuable than an extension of your existing employer-specific work permit. If you are currently on a closed permit tied to one employer and your circumstances change — you want to take a better job, your employer closes, you need to relocate — the BOWP gives you the flexibility to make those changes without immigration consequences.
The BOWP is most commonly used by Canadian Experience Class candidates whose Post-Graduation Work Permits are ending, and by Provincial Nominee Program applicants whose employer-specific permits expire before their federal PR file finishes processing.
Who Qualifies — The Complete Eligibility Requirements
To be eligible for a bridging open work permit in 2026, you must satisfy all of the following conditions at the time you apply.
Condition 1 — You Must Be Inside Canada
The BOWP is only available to applicants who are physically present in Canada and hold temporary resident status. You cannot apply for a BOWP from outside Canada. If you leave Canada while your BOWP application is pending, your application may be affected.
Condition 2 — You Must Hold a Valid Work Permit
You currently hold a valid work permit — whether employer-specific, a Post-Graduation Work Permit, or another open work permit.
This is the most time-sensitive requirement. You must apply for the BOWP while your existing work permit is still valid. If you wait until it expires, you lose the ability to apply through the standard BOWP process.
There is an exception for maintained status — discussed in detail below — but relying on maintained status creates additional complexity and risk. Apply for your BOWP well before your current permit expires.
Condition 3 — Your PR Application Must Be Under an Eligible Program
To qualify for a BOWP, applicants must have applied for PR as the principal applicant under one of these economic immigration programs: Express Entry streams including the Canadian Experience Class, Federal Skilled Worker Program, and Federal Skilled Trades Program; the Provincial Nominee Program provided there are no employer restrictions on the nomination; the Atlantic Immigration Program; the Rural Community Immigration Pilot; the Francophone Community Immigration Pilot; the Quebec Skilled Worker Program; and certain caregiver programs including Caring for Children and Caring for People with High Medical Needs for applications submitted before June 18, 2019.
Programs that do NOT qualify for a BOWP:
Spousal or family class sponsorship — sponsored spouses may qualify for a separate open work permit through the family sponsorship process, but not through the BOWP specifically. Refugee protection applications. Business immigration streams. Any economic program not listed above.
If your PR application is under spousal sponsorship and you need work authorization, check the specific open work permit provisions for spousal inland sponsorship — the pathway is different from the BOWP.
Condition 4 — You Must Have an Acknowledgement of Receipt (AOR)
The applicant must have an Acknowledgement of Receipt letter for their PR application and must have passed either a completeness check under Section 10 of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations for Express Entry and Quebec Skilled Worker applicants, or received a positive eligibility assessment for other programs.
The AOR confirms IRCC has received and accepted your PR application for processing. For Express Entry applicants, this is the letter that arrives after you submit your application following an ITA. You cannot apply for a BOWP before receiving your AOR — there is no eligible PR application to bridge until IRCC has confirmed they are processing yours.
The Critical Timing Issue — When to Apply
Processing times for BOWPs have increased. As of late 2025 and into 2026, the average processing time for a BOWP submitted from inside Canada is 6 to 8.5 months.
Read that again. Six to eight and a half months. For a permit that requires a valid work permit at the time of application.
This means if your work permit expires in eight months, you should apply for your BOWP today. Not in three months. Not when your permit has two months left. Today.
The practical rule: Apply for your BOWP at least 6 months before your work permit’s expiry date. Given the current 6 to 8.5 month processing window, applying 6 months out still risks a gap. Applying 8 to 9 months before expiry gives you the best protection against that gap.
A short passport validity means a short BOWP, which may not cover the full PR processing period.
Check your passport expiry date before applying. The BOWP is issued for a maximum of 24 months OR until your passport expires — whichever comes first. If your passport expires in 10 months, your BOWP will be valid for only 10 months regardless of how long your PR application takes to process. Renew your passport before applying for your BOWP if it will expire within the next two years.
Maintained Status — Your Safety Net If You Applied on Time
If your work permit expires before applying for a BOWP, you must stop working immediately unless you meet specific conditions.
But here is the critical provision that protects workers who applied on time but are waiting for a decision: maintained status.
If you submitted your BOWP application before your work permit expired, you automatically enter maintained status. Under maintained status, you can continue working in Canada on the same terms as your expired work permit — for the same employer if it was a closed permit — while IRCC processes your BOWP application.
The rules of maintained status:
You can continue working. You cannot change employers if you were on a closed permit. You cannot leave Canada — if you leave while on maintained status, you lose your maintained status and cannot return to work until your BOWP is issued. You remain in maintained status until IRCC makes a decision on your BOWP — either approving, refusing, or withdrawing it.
This is why applying before expiry is so critical. A worker who submits their BOWP application on the last day their permit is valid enters maintained status and can continue working uninterrupted. A worker who submits even one day after expiry cannot work at all and must either leave Canada, apply for restoration, or find another work authorization pathway.
What the BOWP Allows — and What It Does Not
What a BOWP Allows
Work for any employer in Canada. This is the defining feature. Unlike a closed permit that restricts you to one employer, a BOWP is open — you can work for any eligible employer, in any occupation, in any province or territory.
Change jobs freely. You can switch employers, accept promotions, move to a different company, or take on contract work — all without notifying IRCC or applying for a new permit, as long as you remain within the terms of the open permit.
Work across provinces. You can relocate for work without permit implications — moving from Ontario to Alberta, for example, does not require a new permit.
Quebec has separate restrictions unless you hold a Certificat de sélection du Québec. The permit does not grant study rights.
What a BOWP Does NOT Allow
Studying. A BOWP is a work permit, not a study permit. You cannot enroll in full-time study programs on a BOWP. If you want to study while waiting for your PR, you need a valid study permit.
Working in Quebec without a CSQ. If you want to work in Quebec specifically, you need a Certificat de sélection du Québec in addition to your federal BOWP.
Leaving and re-entering Canada freely. Leaving Canada on maintained status ends your maintained status. Even after your BOWP is issued, re-entering Canada as a temporary worker requires CBSA to verify your BOWP at the port of entry. Carry your BOWP documentation whenever you travel.
How to Apply — Step by Step
Step 1 — Confirm You Meet All Eligibility Conditions
Before preparing any documents, confirm:
- You are physically in Canada with valid temporary resident status
- Your current work permit is still valid
- Your PR application has been submitted under an eligible program
- You have received your AOR from IRCC
- Your passport will be valid for at least 12 to 24 months after the BOWP application is submitted
Step 2 — Gather Your Documents
Applications for a Bridging Open Work Permit are generally submitted online through the IRCC portal. The application requires selection of Open Work Permit as the permit type.
Documents required for a standard BOWP application:
- Copy of your current valid work permit
- Copy of your passport — all pages including blank pages, biographical page, and any visa stamps
- Your AOR letter from IRCC confirming your PR application is in process
- Proof of your PR application status — your Express Entry application number or PNP application confirmation
- Two passport-sized photos meeting IRCC specifications
- Application fee — $255 CAD for an open work permit
- Biometrics — if you have not provided biometrics in the past 10 years or if they are expired
Step 3 — Apply Online Through IRCC
Log into your IRCC Secure Account. Select Open Work Permit as the permit type. Select Bridging Open Work Permit as the specific category. Upload all required documents — ensure every document is complete, legible, and correctly formatted. Pay the $255 CAD application fee. Submit.
Note your application receipt date. This is the date that determines whether you enter maintained status if your work permit expires during processing.
Step 4 — Continue Working While You Wait
If your work permit remains valid, continue working normally. If your work permit expires after submission, you enter maintained status and can continue working on the same terms as your expired permit — but do not leave Canada.
Check your IRCC account regularly for any requests for additional information. Responding promptly to IRCC requests prevents unnecessary delays.
Government Fees — What You Pay in 2026
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Open work permit holder fee | $255 CAD |
| Biometrics (if required) | $85 CAD |
| Total (most applicants) | $255 to $340 CAD |
The BOWP application fee is non-refundable even if the application is refused. Ensure your application is complete and accurate before submitting to avoid losing the fee on a preventable refusal.
BOWP for Family Members
Family members of BOWP holders may qualify for an open work permit if the principal applicant has a valid or approved work permit, their work permit remains valid for at least six months after IRCC receives the family member’s OWP application, the principal applicant applied for PR through an economic immigration pathway, and the principal applicant works in a high-skilled occupation in NOC TEER 0, 1, or select TEER 2 and 3 roles.
This provision is often overlooked. If you hold a BOWP and your spouse or dependants are in Canada with you — or if they qualify to join you — they may be eligible for their own open work permits allowing them to work for any employer in Canada while your PR application is processed.
Family members can apply for an open work permit regardless of their job skill level — the open permit lets them work in any occupation and for any employer while the principal applicant’s PR application is processed.
If your spouse or dependants are not yet in Canada, they may be able to apply for open work permits from outside Canada under specific public policy provisions. Consult a licensed RCIC to understand whether this applies to your family’s situation.
What Happens If Your BOWP Is Refused
A BOWP refusal is stressful but not necessarily the end of your work authorization options.
If IRCC refuses your bridging open work permit, you have three main options.
Option 1 — Restoration (within 90 days of permit expiry) If your work permit has expired but fewer than 90 days have passed since expiry, you can apply for restoration of your temporary worker status. Restoration costs $379 CAD in addition to the work permit application fee. During the restoration application process, you cannot work until restoration is approved.
Option 2 — Apply for a Visitor Record You can stay in Canada legally as a visitor without work authorization. This is not ideal for most workers but it maintains your legal presence in Canada while your PR application continues processing.
Option 3 — Leave Canada and Wait You can depart Canada and wait for your PR application decision from outside the country. For some applicants this is the most practical option — especially if they have family or employment opportunities in their home country that can support them during the wait.
Understanding why BOWPs are refused:
Missing or expired work permit at time of application — this is the most common refusal reason. Applied after work permit expired without maintained status protection. PR application not under an eligible program — the most overlooked eligibility condition. AOR not yet received when application was submitted. Completeness check not yet passed for Express Entry applicants. Documents incomplete or illegible.
Most BOWP refusals are preventable. Understanding the eligibility conditions completely before applying and submitting a complete, well-documented application is the best protection against refusal.
BOWP vs Maintained Status — Understanding the Difference
Many workers confuse these two concepts. They are related but distinct.
Maintained status is an automatic provision that kicks in when you submit a renewal or new work permit application before your existing permit expires. It is not a work permit — it is a legal mechanism that allows you to continue working on the same terms as your expired permit while IRCC processes your new application. Maintained status has no document — you cannot show it to an employer or airport officer as proof of work authorization. Your expired work permit plus proof of your pending application demonstrates your right to work under maintained status.
A Bridging Open Work Permit is an actual issued permit — a physical document with your photo, your name, and an expiry date — that grants you open work authorization until your PR decision arrives. It is issued by IRCC, recorded in their system, and recognized by CBSA at ports of entry.
The practical goal is to receive your BOWP before your current work permit expires — so you never have to rely on maintained status at all. Apply early enough that the BOWP arrives before expiry, and the transition is seamless.
Official Resources — Bridging Open Work Permit 2026
| Resource | Link |
|---|---|
| IRCC BOWP official page | canada.ca/bowp |
| Apply online — IRCC account | IRCC Secure Account |
| Check your PR application status | IRCC application status |
| Work permit processing times | IRCC processing times tool |
| Restoration of temporary status | IRCC restoration guide |
| Verify a consultant’s licence | college-ic.ca |
| Express Entry application status | IRCC Express Entry |
Sources: Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada — BOWP | Canadim — BOWP Guide | ICC Immigration — BOWP Guide | Immigration News Canada | IRCC.com BOWP 2026 | CIC Times — BOWP | Data current as of May 25, 2026. Work permit rules change regularly — always verify at canada.ca before applying.
This article is for informational purposes and does not constitute legal or immigration advice. Consult a licensed RCIC or immigration lawyer for advice specific to your situation.
Have a correction? Email [email protected]
Is your work permit expiring while your PR application is still in process? Are you navigating the BOWP application right now? Share your experience in the comments — and send this guide to every temporary worker in Canada who needs to protect their work authorization while waiting for permanent residence.
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