Who can apply
You may qualify if you're the principal applicant for permanent residence through an eligible program, such as:
- Express Entry: Canadian Experience Class, Federal Skilled Worker or Federal Skilled Trades
- Provincial Nominee Program, including the BC PNP
- some other economic programs and pilots, each with its own rules
You also generally need:
- to be in Canada
- a valid work permit, an expired permit while you're on maintained status, or eligibility to restore your status
When you can apply
Only after your PR application:
- has been submitted (an Express Entry profile alone doesn't count), and
- has passed the completeness check, and you have your acknowledgement of receipt (AOR) letter.
For non-Express Entry PNP applicants, you must also live in Canada and plan to live outside Quebec.
Documents you'll need
- your acknowledgement of receipt letter for the PR application
- a copy of your current work permit
- your passport
- for PNP applicants: your provincial nomination
Answer the questions in IRCC's online tool exactly as its instructions say for a BOWP, and pay the work permit fee plus the open work permit holder fee (see IRCC's fee list).
BOWP vs maintained status
If your PR application isn't far enough along for a BOWP, you may still be able to apply to extend your current permit before it expires and keep working under maintained status. Timing matters: talk to an RCIC before your permit's last month.