Immigration.ca reported on November 20 that IRCC will implement long-anticipated restrictions on open work permits (OWPs) issued to family members of temporary residents, effective January 21, 2025. Under the new rules, spouses of international students will qualify only if the principal student is enrolled in a master’s or doctoral program (16 months or longer) or a narrow list of professional degrees. Spouses of foreign workers must show the principal applicant is employed in a TEER 0 or 1 occupation—or in select TEER 2 or 3 jobs tied to labor shortages—and holds at least 16 months of work-permit validity. Dependent children lose eligibility entirely.
The policy is part of Ottawa’s strategy to trim Canada’s temporary-resident cohort from 6.5 percent to 5 percent of the population by 2027. In 2024 IRCC issued more than 100,000 family OWPs; officials project the reforms could cut that figure by 40 percent next year.
![IRCC Confirms January 2025 Clamp-Down on Family Open Work Permits]()
Corporate mobility programs will feel the impact. Currently, many employers market spousal employment rights as a talent-attraction perk. Going forward, HR will need to verify that transferees’ jobs meet the new TEER thresholds and that permit validity extends 16 months beyond the spouse’s application date—details that could influence assignment lengths and renewal strategies.
Immigration lawyers advise filing any pending family-OWP applications before the January 21 deadline to be grandfathered under existing criteria. After that date, spouses who no longer qualify may seek employer-specific permits, but those require labor-market impact assessments or provincial nominations, adding cost and processing time.
IRCC is expected to publish program-delivery instructions in early January with the precise list of eligible TEER 2/3 occupations and professional study programs. Mobility teams should audit their 2025 assignee pipeline now and budget for potential LMIA fees or reduced family support packages.
The policy is part of Ottawa’s strategy to trim Canada’s temporary-resident cohort from 6.5 percent to 5 percent of the population by 2027. In 2024 IRCC issued more than 100,000 family OWPs; officials project the reforms could cut that figure by 40 percent next year.
Corporate mobility programs will feel the impact. Currently, many employers market spousal employment rights as a talent-attraction perk. Going forward, HR will need to verify that transferees’ jobs meet the new TEER thresholds and that permit validity extends 16 months beyond the spouse’s application date—details that could influence assignment lengths and renewal strategies.
Immigration lawyers advise filing any pending family-OWP applications before the January 21 deadline to be grandfathered under existing criteria. After that date, spouses who no longer qualify may seek employer-specific permits, but those require labor-market impact assessments or provincial nominations, adding cost and processing time.
IRCC is expected to publish program-delivery instructions in early January with the precise list of eligible TEER 2/3 occupations and professional study programs. Mobility teams should audit their 2025 assignee pipeline now and budget for potential LMIA fees or reduced family support packages.
