Bridging Open Work Permit (BOWP) Canada 2026: Eligibility by Program

Bridging Open Work Permit (BOWP) Canada 2026: Eligibility by Program

As of July 30, 2026. A bridging open work permit lets you keep working while Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) decides your permanent residence application, and the document that unlocks it is different depending on which program you applied under.

What is a bridging open work permit (BOWP)?

A bridging open work permit is an open work permit for people already in Canada who have a permanent residence (PR) application in progress. IRCC describes it as a permit that "lets you keep working while you wait for the results of your permanent residence application." Open means it is not tied to one employer, so you can change jobs without a new permit. It exists to close the gap between a work permit that is about to expire and a PR decision that has not arrived yet. It is not a separate immigration program and it does not speed up your PR application. It is a temporary permit that depends entirely on your PR application staying alive.

Who is eligible for a BOWP in 2026?

Four conditions apply across almost every program. You must live in Canada when you apply, and for the federal and non-Quebec provincial streams you must intend to live outside Quebec. You must be the principal applicant on the PR application, not a spouse or dependant. You must have submitted a complete PR application that passed IRCC's completeness check. And your status must be one of three things: valid temporary resident status with a valid work permit, an expired work permit where you maintained your status as a worker, or eligibility to restore your status and get a work permit. What differs by program is the fourth item, the document that proves your PR application has reached the right stage.

Which document do you need for each PR program?

The trigger document is where most applications go wrong. Some programs release the BOWP at acknowledgement of receipt (AOR), which is the letter confirming your PR application passed the completeness check. Others hold it until approval in principle (AIP), a later and more substantive decision confirming you meet the PR eligibility rules. The Quebec streams key off a Certificat de sélection du Québec (CSQ) instead of either. And one pilot that opened in 2025 does not qualify for a BOWP at all, which catches out applicants who assume every caregiver stream works the same way. Find your program in the table below before you file anything.

For the Quebec streams, the PR application number on that letter begins with the letter E. For Express Entry and PNP streams, submitting an Express Entry profile to the pool is not the same as applying for permanent residence, and it does not make you eligible.

Is there a 4-month rule for applying for a BOWP?

Not any more. This one is worth explaining properly, because the rule was real and it is now obsolete. Until 2021, you could only apply for a BOWP if your work permit was set to expire within four months. IRCC removed that requirement in October 2021, in the same change that added the Quebec Skilled Worker Class and extended eligibility to people on maintained status or eligible for restoration. No four-month window appears anywhere in IRCC's current BOWP instructions. The rule survives online because firm websites never updated, and Google's AI Overview now repeats it, sourced to those sites rather than to IRCC. If your permit has more than four months left, you are not too early.

Do you need to be holding a valid work permit right now?

Not necessarily, and this is the other half of the same 2021 change. Much of the published guidance says a BOWP requires a valid work permit, which was correct before October 2021, when the old rules denied a BOWP to anyone whose work permit had already expired. IRCC's current instructions list three acceptable positions, and only the first involves a valid permit. You can have valid status with a valid work permit. You can have an expired work permit where you maintained your status as a worker by applying to extend before it expired. Or you can be eligible to restore your status and get a work permit. A lapsed permit is no longer an automatic disqualification.

When should you apply for a BOWP?

Apply before your current work permit expires. That is the practical rule, because applying before expiry is what lets you keep working under maintained status while IRCC processes the new permit. IRCC's guidance is explicit that if you are not yet eligible for a BOWP, you should not let your work permit lapse while waiting for an invitation to apply. Extend your existing work permit instead, which may require your employer to obtain a new Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) or submit a new offer of employment. IRCC does not publish a BOWP-specific processing time. A BOWP is processed as a work permit application from inside Canada, so check IRCC's processing times tool for the current figure, which IRCC revises monthly.

Can you leave Canada while your BOWP is being processed?

You can travel, but the risk is real and IRCC words it carefully. You may leave Canada temporarily while your PR application is processed. If your work permit expires while you are outside Canada, or if you leave after it has expired, you lose your temporary resident status, and on return you cannot work until the new permit is approved. For the provincial nominee streams IRCC goes further: you must be in Canada with valid temporary resident status when IRCC makes a decision on your BOWP, or the application may be refused. So the danger is not the trip itself. It is being outside Canada, or out of status, at the moment your permit expires or your decision lands.

How much does a BOWP cost in 2026?

A BOWP costs $255 in government fees, made up of the $155 work permit processing fee and the $100 open work permit holder fee. IRCC requires both, and the open work permit holder fee is the one applicants most often miss, which can render an application incomplete. There is no separate BOWP fee and no premium for bridging. If you are also restoring your status as a worker, that is a different and higher fee combination of $401.25, which covers restoration at $246.25 plus the $155 work permit.

Current amounts are on IRCC's fee list.

How do you apply for a BOWP?

You apply using the instructions for extending or changing the conditions on your work permit, not through a dedicated BOWP form. Three things have to be right. Select "Open work permit" as the type of work permit. Pay both the work permit processing fee and the open work permit holder fee. Upload your trigger document, meaning your AOR letter, AIP letter, nomination letter or CSQ, in the "Client information" field of your document checklist. In most cases you must apply online, and IRCC allows a paper application only if you have problems applying online. Applicants under the Quebec skilled worker and Quebec investor streams must also answer yes to the portal question asking whether IRCC has told you that you are approved in principle for permanent residence.

What is the AOR trap for PNP applicants who did not use Express Entry?

Receiving your AOR does not mean your BOWP is moving. IRCC states this directly for provincial nominee applicants outside Express Entry: the AOR letter "doesn't mean your BOWP application is being processed," and IRCC will not begin processing the BOWP until it has reviewed your PR application and confirmed you meet the basic PR eligibility requirements under the PNP. In practice that means you can hold an AOR, have filed a correct BOWP, and still be waiting on a step that has not started. Plan your work permit expiry around the eligibility assessment rather than around the AOR date. There is also a separate 2026 measure allowing some PNP candidates to get a work permit without an AOR, which is worth checking against your own file.

Frequently asked questions

How long is a bridging open work permit valid?

IRCC does not publish a fixed validity period on the public BOWP page, and the expiry is set by the officer against your pending PR application. Its operational comparison table for the Quebec skilled worker stream does give a figure: 24 months from the date of issue, with extensions issued for 12 months, and officers free to use discretion based on current processing times. Treat that as the shape of it rather than a guarantee for every stream, and check the permit itself when it arrives.

Can a BOWP be rejected?

Yes. The most common grounds are failing one of the status conditions, submitting before your PR application passes the completeness check, missing the open work permit holder fee, or being outside Canada or out of status when IRCC decides.

Can I leave Canada while waiting for a bridging open work permit?

You can, but if your work permit expires while you are away, or you leave after it has expired, you cannot work on return until the new permit is approved. For provincial nominee streams you must be in Canada with valid status when the decision is made.

How long does a bridging open work permit take?

IRCC does not publish a BOWP-specific figure. It is processed as a work permit from inside Canada, so use IRCC's processing times tool for the current estimate rather than relying on a number quoted on a third-party site.

Can a bridging open work permit be extended?

A BOWP is tied to your pending PR application, so it is not extended indefinitely. If your PR application is still in progress and your BOWP is running out, speak to a Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultant (RCIC) about your options before it expires.

Does my spouse get a work permit too?

A BOWP is for the principal applicant. A spouse or common-law partner may qualify for their own open work permit under separate rules, which changed in January 2025, so their eligibility has to be assessed on its own.

Sources

• Bridging open work permit for permanent residence applicants (updated June 23, 2026)
• Work permits for permanent residence applicants
• IRCC fee list
• Check current IRCC processing times
• IRCC glossary, approved in principle (AIP)

This is general information, not legal advice. For advice specific to your situation, book a consultation with a Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultant (RCIC) at gofarglobal.com.