China News Network, April 8. According to information compiled by Canada's "Sing Tao Daily", the Canadian Immigration Agency has special convenience measures for people who apply for permanent settlement in Canada through spousal sponsorship, called "Spouse Open Work Permit", or SOWP for short. This policy provides many conveniences for people waiting for the outcome of their immigration applications in Canada.

According to the unofficial immigration information website CIC News, SOWP is a convenience measure established by the immigration department for foreign applicants who have submitted spousal sponsorship immigration applications in Canada and are awaiting approval, aiming to enable them to obtain permission to work in Canada while waiting for approval.

The significant advantage of SOWP is reflected in the sponsored spouse immigration, allowing applicants to be legally employed while waiting in the country. The review and approval cycle for this type of immigration application is usually one year. Persons holding a SOWP work permit can work for any employer in any field regardless of industry restrictions. In addition, employers hiring such work permit holders are not required to submit a Canadian Labor Market Impact Assessment. In contrast, the holder of an unlicensed work permit can only be employed by a single unit and can only perform clearly designated positions.

One of the advantages of having a SOWP is that you can stay with your sponsored partner in Canada even while you are waiting for approval. If there is no SOWP, or a short-term stay permit such as a visit permit or study abroad permit, the sponsored partner can only wait abroad for the approval process of the permanent resident application. SOWP makes it easier for couples or partners to get together in Canada.

At the same time, you can be employed in Canada while waiting for approval, which helps applicants accumulate Canadian professional experience in advance, enhance their social network, improve their language proficiency, and lay a solid foundation for successfully entering the local employment system after immigrating in the future. Surveys show that people with more Canadian work experience generally have better future earnings.

A person applying for permanent residence as a sponsored spouse must be a foreign national in Canada and be applying for such status. Applicants must hold a valid Canadian work permit, study permit or visit permit and meet the following conditions: the spouse's application for permanent residence sponsorship has been submitted; the sponsor's sponsorship application has been submitted; the applicant lives with the sponsor; and currently resides in Canada with legal status.

The foreign partner can submit the SOWP form together with the permanent resident application materials, or apply for the SOWP independently at any time after the permanent resident application is approved. If the person’s permanent resident application has been initially approved, he or she can apply for SOWP online. The so-called preliminary consent means that the applicant receives a notification from the immigration department that he has met the conditions for permanent residence, but has not yet completed the physical examination, security and background checks.

If the SOWP ends before the permanent resident approval decision is made, you can apply for an extension before the end. The application procedures for the extension must be completed within the specified time limit.