Bridging open work permit (BOWP)

A seller or buyer with a worker whose permit is expiring may hear this term. IRCC lists bridging open work permits for permanent residence applicants, including Express Entry and provincial nominees, with an expiring work permit.

What IRCC says

Among IRCC’s eligibility conditions for an Express Entry applicant, you must be the principal applicant and have submitted a complete permanent residence application that passed the completeness check; a profile in the Express Entry pool is not the same thing. Because the permit is an open work permit, IRCC’s general page says it lets you work for any employer in Canada, except those it excludes. IRCC also notes that someone not yet eligible should maintain status by extending the work permit, and the employer may need a new LMIA or offer of employment for that.

What to ask

• Whether the worker has applied for permanent residence and where the application stands
• The expiry date on the current permit
• Whether the permit is employer-specific or open

The keep the seller’s employees answer covers the wider hiring question.