Bridging Open Work Permit (BOWP): Who Qualifies and How to Apply

If you've applied for Canadian permanent residence and your current work permit is about to run out, you may be staring down a stressful gap: your application is still in the queue, but the document that lets you keep working is expiring. The Bridging Open Work Permit, almost always shortened to BOWP, exists for exactly this situation. It lets eligible PR applicants keep working in Canada while they wait for a final decision, rather than having to leave their job or the country in the meantime.

Here's what a BOWP actually is, who can get one, and how the application works.

What a BOWP Is and Why It Exists

A BOWP is an open work permit, which means it isn't tied to a single employer or job. You can work for almost any employer in Canada (with a few exceptions, such as employers flagged for non-compliance or certain businesses tied to the sex trade). That's a big practical difference from an employer-specific permit, where you'd be locked to one company and would need a new permit to switch.

The whole point of the BOWP is to bridge the gap between your old work permit expiring and a decision being made on your permanent residence application. Without it, many applicants would fall out of status or lose work authorization purely because of processing times, which are outside their control. The BOWP keeps you working legally while IRCC finishes reviewing your PR file.

One thing to be clear about: a BOWP is a temporary fix, not a shortcut to PR. It doesn't speed up your permanent residence application or change its outcome. It just preserves your ability to live and work here in the meantime.

Who Qualifies for a BOWP

The BOWP is designed for people who have already reached a meaningful stage in specific permanent residence programs. In general terms, you need to:

• Be physically present in Canada and have valid temporary status (or be eligible to restore it).
• Currently hold a valid work permit, or have one that is close to expiring.
• Have already submitted a permanent residence application under an eligible economic program and passed the first stage of review, where IRCC confirms your application is complete and accepted into processing.

The programs that commonly lead to BOWP eligibility include Express Entry streams such as the Federal Skilled Worker Program, the Canadian Experience Class, and the Federal Skilled Trades Program, as well as the Provincial Nominee Program and certain other economic pathways. For Provincial Nominee applicants, eligibility can depend on whether your nomination restricts you to a specific employer, so that's worth checking carefully against your nomination letter.

The key trigger is reaching that first acceptance-into-processing stage. Applying for PR is not enough on its own; IRCC needs to have confirmed your application meets the completeness requirements. Because the exact eligible programs and stages can be updated, confirm your specific situation against the official IRCC website before you apply.

How to Apply, Step by Step

The BOWP is applied for like other work permits, almost always online through your IRCC account.

1. Confirm you're at the right stage. Make sure your PR application has been accepted into processing under an eligible program. You'll typically need proof of this, such as an acknowledgment of receipt or a positive eligibility assessment.
2. Gather your documents. This usually includes your passport, your current work permit, and evidence of your PR application's status. Have your application or file numbers handy.
3. Complete the work permit application online. You'll fill out the standard work permit forms and indicate that you're applying for an open work permit on the bridging basis.
4. Pay the fees. A government processing fee applies, and open work permits also carry an open work permit holder fee. The exact amounts change over time, so check the current figures on the official IRCC website.
5. Submit before your current permit expires. This is the single most important step. If you apply before your existing work permit ends, you generally benefit from "maintained status," which lets you keep working under the conditions of your old permit while the BOWP is processed.

That last point is worth repeating: timing is everything. Applying late can leave you without work authorization, even if you're otherwise fully eligible.

What to Expect After You Apply

Once submitted, your BOWP goes into IRCC's processing queue like any other application. Processing times vary, so rather than rely on any number you read secondhand, check the current estimate on the official IRCC website.

If you applied before your old permit expired, maintained status normally lets you keep working in the meantime under your previous permit's conditions. If those previous conditions were restrictive (for example, tied to one employer), be careful, because maintained status preserves the old conditions, not the open conditions you've applied for. A BOWP is also typically issued for a set period and can sometimes be extended if your PR application is still pending when it nears expiry.

Immigration situations vary, and the rules here can shift. Use this guide to understand how the BOWP works, then confirm the details that apply to your case on the official IRCC website before you submit anything.