Last verified: July 6, 2026 · Official source: canada.ca — Extend or change the conditions on your work permit
General information, not legal or immigration advice. For advice on your situation, consult a licensed RCIC or immigration lawyer.
The core truth
You cannot "convert" or "switch" a work permit from closed to open. An employer-specific (closed) work permitemployer-specific (closed) work permit: A work permit that names one specific employer, job, and usually one location. You can only work under the conditions printed on it. ties you to the employer, job, and location named on it. To move to an open work permit, you must apply for and be issued a brand-new work permit through a route you actually qualify for — the old permit doesn't get upgraded, it gets replaced.
The same logic applies to changing any condition — employer, occupation, or location. You must apply for and receive the new permit before you make the change. Starting the new job, or working somewhere the current permit doesn't authorize, before approval is unauthorized work.
Open-work-permit routes a closed-permit holder might qualify for
- Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP) — if you graduated full-time from an eligible DLIDLI: Designated Learning Institution — a school approved to host international students. program. Only relevant if you later went from study permit → closed work permit and are now within the PGWP application window.
- Bridging Open Work Permit (BOWP) — once you have an eligible permanent residence application in process and your current permit is close to expiry.
- Spouse/family open work permit — if your spouse or common-law partner qualifies as a principal applicant. See Open Work Permits for Family Members of Foreign Workers if you are the worker whose spouse might qualify, or the Spousal Open Work Permit guide if you're the spouse of a student.
- TR-to-PR pathway open work permit — available only under an active, time-limited public policy, if you meet its specific eligibility window.
- Open work permit for vulnerable workers — a narrower, sensitive route for workers experiencing abuse or risk of abuse tied to their employer. See the official vulnerable-workers page for eligibility and how it works — this guide doesn't cover the details.
- IEC / Working Holiday — if you're from a participating country, within the age limit, and haven't used up your IEC spot.
⚠️ Public policies and eligibility windows change. Confirm which routes are currently open on canada.ca before assuming one applies to you.
How to apply
Apply online, from inside Canada, following Guide 5553 ("Applying for a work permit inside Canada — extend, change conditions, initial and open work permits"). The same guide covers extending a work permit, changing conditions, and applying for a new open or employer-specific permit.
Timing matters:
- Apply before your current permit expires. If you apply on time and stay in Canada, you're on maintained statusmaintained status: Formerly "implied status." If you apply to extend or change your permit before it expires, you can keep working under your current conditions while IRCC decides. while the new permit is decided — but maintained status only lets you keep doing what your current permit allows. It does not let you start the new job or role early.
- Don't start the change before approval. Whether you're switching employer, occupation, or location, wait for the new permit before you begin.
There is also a temporary public policy that in some cases lets certain workers changing employers begin the new job while their application is being processed, if they request consideration through the IRCC web form after applying. This is narrow and situation-specific — confirm current eligibility on the changing jobs or employers page before relying on it, and don't start work early without confirming you qualify.
Why this trips people up
A common mistake is assuming that once you have a new job offer, or a spouse who's arrived, you can just start the new arrangement and "sort out the paperwork later." Because work permits are conditional documents, working outside what your current permit authorizes — even briefly, even with good intentions — is a compliance problem that can affect this and future applications. Always get the new permit (or confirmed early-start authorization) in hand first.
→ Open Work Permits for Family Members of Foreign Workers → Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP) → Bridging Open Work Permit (BOWP) → Spousal Open Work Permit (SOWP) → Back to Work in Canada
Sources
- canada.ca — Extend or change the conditions on your work permit
- canada.ca — Changing jobs or employers
- canada.ca — Bridging open work permit
- Guide 5553 — Applying for a work permit inside Canada
General information, not legal or immigration advice. Rules change — always confirm the current requirements on canada.ca and consult a licensed RCIC or immigration lawyer for advice on your situation.