Canada’s Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has expanded a special work permit facilitation policy for family members of foreign workers employed by selected companies in British Columbia. Under the new measure, effective March 23, 2026, foreign workers employed in British Columbia by Lululemon Athletica or Microsoft Vancouver can support an open work permit application for their spouse or common-law partner. The policy applies to applications received on or after March 23, 2026, and no longer depends on the principal applicant’s job level, salary, or company seniority.
This means that once approved, eligible spouses or common-law partners may work for most employers in most industries across Canada. Because the two companies have been identified by the federal government as being associated with Significant Investment Projects, the measure is widely seen as a targeted flexibility mechanism within Canada’s broader tightening of temporary resident policies.
Policy Scope Expanded to Include Families of Lower-Skilled Workers
One of the most notable changes under the new policy is that eligibility for a spousal open work permit has been expanded beyond families of higher-skilled workers to include a broader range of foreign workers employed at the two designated companies.
According to the policy, eligible principal applicants may include:
- Workers in higher-skilled occupations, classified under TEER 0, 1, 2, or 3;
- Workers in lower-skilled occupations, classified under TEER 4 or 5.
In other words, as long as the principal foreign worker is employed by one of these two companies, their spouse or common-law partner’s eligibility no longer depends on whether the principal applicant works in a traditionally high-skilled occupation.
In addition, foreign workers do not need to wait until they have officially started work. If they have already received provisional approval for a position and hold a supporting letter of introduction, their spouse or partner may apply for an open work permit without waiting for the job to begin formally.
What Has Changed Compared with Previous Rules?
Before this new measure, Canada generally allowed spouses of foreign workers to apply for an open work permit only if the principal worker was employed in:
- A TEER 0 or 1 occupation;
- Certain TEER 2 or 3 occupations.
That meant spouses of lower-skilled workers were generally not eligible. The new policy creates a much more flexible exception for families of foreign workers employed by Lululemon Athletica and Microsoft Vancouver.
Another major difference is that, under the standard spousal open work permit framework, the principal applicant usually must have at least 16 months of work authorization remaining in Canada before their spouse or partner becomes eligible to apply. Under this special Significant Investment Projects measure, however, that 16-month requirement does not apply.
Eligibility Requirements: What Must the Principal Applicant Meet?
To support an open work permit application for a spouse or common-law partner, the principal foreign worker generally must meet the following conditions:
- Be authorized to work in Canada, either through a valid work permit or through provisional approval for a work permit supported by a letter of introduction;
- Be working, or expected to work, under a valid Significant Investment Project agreement;
- Be physically residing in Canada while employed, or if only provisionally approved, plan to physically reside in Canada during the period of employment;
- Be in a genuine spousal or common-law relationship with the applicant.
If the spouse or partner applies from inside Canada, they must also meet one of the following status requirements:
- Hold valid temporary resident status;
- Be on maintained status;
- Be eligible to restore temporary resident status and eligible to apply for a work permit from within Canada.
Spouses or common-law partners who receive an open work permit under this policy may also renew it later, provided they continue to meet all eligibility requirements.
How to Apply: A Special Code Must Be Entered Online
In guidance issued to officers, IRCC states that eligible foreign workers should generally receive instructions from their employer on how to apply for a spousal open work permit.
In practice, spouses or common-law partners must still submit a standard work permit application to IRCC. However, to help officers identify applications under this special policy, applicants must enter the following code in the “Job Title” field of the online application:
SIPSPOUSEBC
This code helps IRCC categorize the application under the British Columbia Significant Investment Projects spousal open work permit stream.
What Officers Will Focus On During Assessment
According to IRCC’s instructions, officers reviewing these applications will pay particular attention to two categories of supporting documents:
1. Proof of a Genuine Relationship
Applicants who are spouses or common-law partners must provide evidence showing that the relationship is genuine. Examples may include:
- A marriage certificate;
- A Statutory Declaration of Common-Law Union (IMM 5409), among other documents.
2. Proof of the Principal Applicant’s Work Status and Project Category
Applicants must also show that the principal foreign worker:
- Holds a valid work permit; or
- Has been approved for a work permit under the Significant Investment Projects – Provincial agreements category [R204(c) – T13].
Supporting documents typically include:
- A copy of the provincial letter identifying the name of the Significant Investment Project;
- A copy of the principal applicant’s work permit or letter of introduction.
However, if the spouse or partner is applying together with the principal applicant as part of the same group application, this additional documentation is generally not required.
Policy Background: Canada Is Still Tightening SOWP Eligibility Overall
It is important to note that this new facilitative measure for the two B.C. companies does not signal a broad relaxation of Canada’s spousal open work permit policy. On the contrary, it has been introduced against the backdrop of broader national restrictions.
As part of a wider package of temporary resident control measures announced in September 2024, IRCC tightened eligibility for open work permits for family members of international students and foreign workers effective January 21, 2025.
Before January 2025, spouses of most foreign workers were generally eligible for an open work permit regardless of the principal applicant’s occupation or skill level. Under the newer rules, spousal open work permits are now mainly limited to cases where the principal applicant works in:
- A TEER 0 or 1 occupation;
- Or certain TEER 2 or 3 occupations in sectors facing labour shortages or aligned with government priorities.
Spouses of international students also face tighter rules. At present, they are typically eligible only if the student is enrolled in one of the following:
- A master’s program of at least 16 months;
- A doctoral program;
- Certain designated professional degree programs.
Most undergraduate degree programs and college diploma programs no longer make spouses automatically eligible for an open work permit.
Policy Rationale: Balancing Talent Attraction with Temporary Resident Controls
In recent years, the Canadian government has repeatedly emphasized the need to balance international talent attraction with pressures related to housing affordability and infrastructure capacity. Tightening eligibility for family-based open work permits has been part of Ottawa’s broader effort to manage temporary resident growth.
Under the federal government’s stated target, Canada aims to reduce the temporary resident share of the population from 6.5% in 2026 to 5% in 2027. Against this broader tightening trend, the decision to grant targeted exemptions for significant investment project-related companies suggests that Canada’s immigration policy is becoming more selective and project-oriented.
Who Is Most Likely to Benefit?
In practical terms, the following groups are likely to benefit most directly from the new measure:
- Families of foreign workers already employed in British Columbia by Lululemon Athletica or Microsoft Vancouver;
- Families of foreign workers who have received job approval from one of the two companies but have not yet officially started work;
- Families that were previously ineligible because the principal applicant’s job level did not meet the standard spousal open work permit criteria;
- Spouses or common-law partners who already hold related permits and may later need to renew them.
For international talent planning to move to Canada, the measure may improve family settlement flexibility and help spouses enter the Canadian labour market more quickly, reducing the burden of employment restrictions during the initial settlement period.
Conclusion
Overall, Canada’s decision to expand open work permit access for spouses and common-law partners of foreign workers at two key British Columbia employers is a targeted exception tied to Significant Investment Projects. It does not alter the broader national trend toward tighter spousal open work permit rules, but it does provide meaningful support to major project-linked employers seeking to attract international talent and offer greater stability to relocating families. For foreign workers and their families considering a move to British Columbia, this policy could significantly improve flexibility in both employment and settlement planning.
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