The four routes, side by side
| Your partner is… | Main conditions |
|---|---|
| An international student | Studying in a master's program of 16 months or longer, a doctoral program, or an eligible professional or listed program |
| A foreign worker | Working in a TEER 0 or 1 occupation, or a selected TEER 2 or 3 occupation, with a permit valid for at least 16 months after IRCC receives your application |
| A worker who has applied for PR | Covered by a separate measure for families of economic PR applicants (such as CEC, FSW, PNP or AIP); dependent children can still qualify there |
| A Canadian citizen or PR sponsoring you from inside Canada | Inland spousal sponsorship open work permit, usually once you have an acknowledgement of receipt (AOR) for the PR application |
Spouses of students: eligible programs
- Master's programs of 16 months or longer, and doctoral programs.
- Professional degrees: DDS/DMD, LLB/JD/BCL, MD, OD, PharmD/BPharm, DVM, BScN/BSN/BN, BEd and BEng/BASc.
- Listed programs such as the Federally Mandated Canadian Studies Program and some provincial health-profession programs.
The spouse's permit is usually valid for the same period as the study permit.
Spouses of workers: 2026 exceptions
IRCC has added exceptions in 2026, including spouses of workers on BC significant investment projects at any TEER level (from March 23, 2026), certain Quebec-recruited health workers (from May 25, 2026) and Quebec PSTQ applicants (from June 5, 2026). IRCC's eligibility page lists the selected TEER 2 and 3 NOC codes — check the NOC directory for your partner's TEER.
Fee
$255: the $155 work permit fee plus the $100 open work permit holder fee.