Applied for PR Through a PNP? You May Be Able to Keep Working on a Bridging Open Work Permit

One of the most stressful moments for a Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) applicant isn't getting the nomination — it's watching your work permit's expiry date creep closer while your permanent residence (PR) application sits in the IRCC queue. The good news, and the point of this post: if you've been nominated and have already applied for PR, you usually don't have to stop working. A Bridging Open Work Permit (BOWP) is built for exactly this gap.

Here's how it works as of June 2026, who qualifies, and the practical steps to keep your status — and your paycheque — intact.

What a BOWP actually is

A Bridging Open Work Permit lets PR applicants who are already in Canada continue working while they wait for a final decision on their PR application. It "bridges" the gap between your current work permit expiring and your PR being approved.

Two features make it valuable:

• **It's an open work permit. You can work for almost any employer in Canada without a job offer and without a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA)**. That's a big shift from an employer-specific permit.
• It buys you time. PNP-based PR applications can take many months to finalize. A BOWP keeps you legally working in the meantime instead of forcing you to leave or sit idle.

Who qualifies — the PNP version

The BOWP isn't only for PNP applicants (it also covers Express Entry, certain pilots, and others), but the PNP route has its own specific conditions. To be eligible as a provincial nominee in June 2026, you generally need to meet all of the following:

1. You're already in Canada on a valid work permit (or eligible to restore your status / on maintained status — more on that below).
2. You've applied for PR through a PNP stream and IRCC has accepted that application into processing — typically shown by your Acknowledgement of Receipt (AOR) or a positive completeness check.
3. Your nomination allows you to work for any employer. This is the one that trips people up: if your provincial nomination ties you to a specific employer or occupation, you are not eligible for an open BOWP. You must provide a copy of the nomination letter showing your employment is unrestricted.
4. Your current work permit is still valid, or you apply before it expires so you can rely on maintained status.

Maintained status: the part that protects your job

This is the detail worth getting right. If you apply for your BOWP before your current work permit expires, you can continue working under maintained status (formerly called "implied status") until IRCC makes a decision on the bridging permit. You don't have to stop working on the day your old permit ends.

But if you let your permit lapse before applying, you lose that protection — and you may have to stop working and apply to restore your status. The timing is everything. Apply early.

How long does a BOWP last?

BOWPs are typically issued for up to about 12 months, though the exact validity is at the officer's discretion and can be tied to your passport expiry or the expected timeline of your PR processing. If your PR isn't decided before the BOWP expires, you can generally apply to extend it as long as you still meet the criteria.

What to do right now

If you're a nominee waiting on PR, a sensible checklist:

• Find your nomination letter and check the wording. Confirm it says your employment is unrestricted. If it ties you to one employer, talk to a professional before assuming you qualify for an open BOWP.
• Locate your AOR. You generally can't apply for a BOWP until IRCC has accepted your PR application into processing.
• Diary your work permit expiry — and apply well before it. Give yourself a buffer so you're filing on a valid permit and protected by maintained status.
• Keep working only where your current permit allows until the BOWP is actually issued. Maintained status continues the conditions of your existing permit, not open-permit freedoms.
• Don't leave Canada casually while on maintained status — re-entry can complicate things. Get advice first if you must travel.

A note on the "apply now" noise

PNP rules have been in flux through 2026 — provinces have reshuffled streams, allocations have grown, and eligibility decisions have shifted between Ottawa and the provinces. Amid that churn, be careful with third-party "apply today" pitches. The BOWP itself is a long-standing federal measure, but your eligibility turns on your specific nomination wording and PR stage. Confirm the current rules on IRCC's official Bridging Open Work Permit page before acting.

Talk to us

Whether a BOWP is the right move — and whether your nomination's wording actually qualifies you for an open permit — depends on your exact situation and timing. If you'd like a second set of eyes on your nomination letter and a plan to keep your status secure while your PR is processed, the team at JSR Immigration & Legals is happy to help — get in touch.

This post is general information only and reflects what was publicly known as of June 15, 2026. It is not legal advice. Bridging Open Work Permit eligibility and validity are determined by IRCC on a case-by-case basis — confirm current rules with Canada.ca, IRCC, or a qualified professional before acting.