Last verified: July 5, 2026 · Official source: canada.ca — Help your spouse or common-law partner work in Canada
General information, not legal or immigration advice. For advice on your situation, consult a licensed RCIC or immigration lawyer.
The bottom line
A SOWPSOWP: Spousal Open Work Permit — an open work permit for the spouse or common-law partner of an eligible principal applicant, letting them work for any employer in Canada. lets the spouse or common-law partner of an eligible international student work for any employer in Canada. But the rules narrowed sharply in 2025 and again in 2026: most college and bachelor's students' spouses no longer qualify, and even eligible spouses can be refused if the student is in their final term.
If you're planning around a partner's income, read this before you count on it.
Who qualifies now (as of 2026)
Since January 21, 2025, a spouse or common-law partner of an international student may be eligible for an open work permit only if the student is enrolled in one of these programs:
- A master's degree program of 16 months or longer, or
- A doctoral (PhD) program, or
- One of a specific list of professional / eligible programs (for example certain professional-degree programs such as law, medicine, and other listed programs).
In addition, the student generally must:
- Hold a valid study permit,
- Be a full-time student at a DLIDLI: Designated Learning Institution — a school approved to host international students; for many permits it must also offer PGWP-eligible programs., and
- Not be in the final term of their program (see below).
Who no longer qualifies: spouses of students in most college programs, bachelor's degrees (that aren't on the eligible/professional list), and shorter master's programs. This is the biggest change — many couples who would have qualified before January 2025 no longer do.
The final-term rule (effective March 4, 2026)
A further change effective March 4, 2026 added that a spouse will be refused if the principal student is in the final academic term of their program — even on a renewal.
The catch: IRCC has not defined "final term" by a fixed number of days. So if your partner is close to graduating, timing matters a great deal, and it's easy to apply at the wrong moment and be refused.
⚠️ If your partner is nearing the end of their program, talk to a licensed RCIC or immigration lawyer before applying — the definition of "final term" is not mechanical, and a mistimed application can mean a refusal.
TODO: verify the precise wording of "final term" and any transitional details on canada.ca before relying on them.
What a SOWP gives you
If eligible and approved, the spouse gets an open work permit — meaning:
- Work for almost any employer (a few restricted sectors aside),
- In any occupation,
- Usually valid for a period tied to the principal applicant's status.
That work experience can also matter later: skilled Canadian work experience can count toward Express Entry and the Canadian Experience Class if the couple pursues permanent residence.
If your spouse doesn't qualify
Not eligible for a SOWP? There may be other routes for your partner to work or study in Canada:
- Their own study permit — enrolling in their own program.
- Their own work permit — for example an employer-specific work permit with a job offer, or eligibility under International Experience Canada if their country participates.
- A visitor record to stay while you plan — though this doesn't allow work.
Every situation is different, and the trade-offs are real — this is a good moment to get advice from a licensed professional.
Where this fits
The SOWP sits alongside the rest of the work-permit picture: the PGWP you may get after graduating, open vs. employer-specific work permits, and the Bridging Open Work Permit for when a PR application is in progress. See how it all connects on the Study → PR pathway map.