NewStats: 3,262,809 , 8,178,227 topics. Date: Tuesday, 03 June 2025 at 04:39 PM 3k692o

Can you guys please share your timelines here so that it would give an idea for others to proceed.

please sharing your timeline for SOWP application

paper/Online Application
Medical Request-
Medicals Done
Medicals ed
port Request
port Submitted
Visa Approval

can people share more info on this thread?

Yes please!!! My husband applied online on 18th spet/ 2016
Biometrics- 21/ sept/ 2016
Medicals- still waiting!

Hi everyone. I am one of the applicants for work permit. I did my biometrics on July 8 with upfront Medicals but no response yet. Mine is not sowp tho but just open work permit. Please anyone here who has this Same experience,? Is there anyone else that has gotten his or her work permit visa this year? Please share your stories here. Thanks a lot

Work permit applicants anyone ??

Ruth222:
Hi everyone. I am one of the applicants for work permit. I did my biometrics on July 8 with upfront Medicals but no response yet. Mine is not sowp tho but just open work permit. Please anyone here who has this Same experience,? Is there anyone else that has gotten his or her work permit visa this year? Please share your stories here. Thanks a lot

You said yours is not SOWP but Open work permit, I have a question, are you a spouse of a foreign worker or international student? under what category is your work permit?

Ruth222:
Hi everyone. I am one of the applicants for work permit. I did my biometrics on July 8 with upfront Medicals but no response yet. Mine is not sowp tho but just open work permit. Please anyone here who has this Same experience,? Is there anyone else that has gotten his or her work permit visa this year? Please share your stories here. Thanks a lot

What is the difference between SOWP and open work permit?

an open work permit allows the holder to work in any position for any employer in Canada for the length of time stated on the document, whereas Accompanying spouses or common-law partners of foreign students are eligible for an open work permit, which means they do not need a job offer or a labour market opinion from Service Canada.



What is the difference between SOWP and open work permit?[/quote]

Ruth222:
an open work permit allows the holder to work in any position for any employer in Canada for the length of time stated on the document, whereas Accompanying spouses or common-law partners of foreign students are eligible for an open work permit, which means they do not need a job offer or a labour market opinion from Service Canada.



What is the difference between SOWP and open work permit?

Dude open work permit is open work permit whether through your spouse or other means.

Toh! Thanks so much . Biometrics done july8 , upfront Medicals, no response yet.

justwise:


Dude open work permit is open work permit whether through your spouse or other means.

I actually thought they were two different things

justwise:


Dude open work permit is open work permit whether through your spouse or other means.

why does work permit proocessing time keep increasing every week. its now 17weeks

Biometrics - 8 th July. #stillwaiting oooo

Ruth222:
an open work permit allows the holder to work in any position for any employer in Canada for the length of time stated on the document, whereas Accompanying spouses or common-law partners of foreign students are eligible for an open work permit, which means they do not need a job offer or a labour market opinion from Service Canada.





I think its the same.
What is the difference between SOWP and open work permit?

I really dont know why. And the truth is some of us have waited more than 17weeks. Someone did biometrics April and still waiting. Another may. Mine is july8. Please when did you do biometrics? Have you bin called for Medicals ? Or did you do upfront Medicals. Please share ur experience

lekan282:
why does work permit proocessing time keep increasing every week. its now 17weeks

no medical yet......biometric OCT 12

March 14th no medical request yet........na God

Have you tried sending them a mail.

damisakin:
March 14th no medical request yet........na God

Anybody apply for work permit through nanny or child care route? Closed work permit of course

If you have applied and it is more than 17weeks. Your spouse or your employer can try and your member of parliament. They will let them know what is happening.....and sometimes that can kick start the process

I meant their* member of parliament....not yours.

justwise:


What is the difference between SOWP and open work permit?

Dear Justwise, it is unfortunate that you were so quick to close a thread started on this topic. I know you know a great deal about Canada visas however, not all visas fall under student visa which I believe you have become an expert. There are different types of work permits for working in Canada.
Here are some types that I know of:
SOWP: for spouses of people already in Canada
Open work permit: No restriction on jobs you can apply to and you are not a spouse.
Closed work permit: You need LMIA and must only work for a specific employer.
LMIA Exempt Work Permit: Mostly for people who have been nominated for Permanent residency in a Canadian Province but need a work permit to resume work before PR processing is complete. You are given a work permit letter along with your provincial nomination certificate.

There are some of us who may have a PR application in progress but also have a work permit application in progress. We cannot benefit from the information in the Visitors, Students (Travelling to Canada) and Federal Skill workers program. I have a PR in progress but it is not even under Federal Skill workers/Express Entry.

Anyway, I think this thread (SOWP) applicants is close enough to contain information that might be relevant to our case, though my Work permit is not SOWP. Please do not Close this thread!

lekan282:
why does work permit proocessing time keep increasing every week. its now 17weeks

I think the processing time on CIC website (now 17 weeks) is referring to the time they start working on your file. Your file might be in queue for as long as possible. I wonder how many people people have applied for the queue to be so long! lol.

If you have applied and it is more than 17weeks. Your spouse or your employer can try and your member of parliament. They will let them know what is happening.....and sometimes that can kick start the process

Principessa0:

I think the processing time on CIC website (now 17 weeks) is referring to the time they start working on your file. Your file might be in queue for as long as possible. I wonder how many people people have applied for the queue to be so long! lol.

Have you gone for medicals? Did you have to email them before they called you for medicals

Principessa0:

I think the processing time on CIC website (now 17 weeks) is referring to the time they start working on your file. Your file might be in queue for as long as possible. I wonder how many people people have applied for the queue to be so long! lol.

My MP ed them when it was about 7-8 weeks and they said application was in process

Principessa0:


Dear Justwise, it is unfortunate that you were so quick to close a thread started on this topic. I know you know a great deal about Canada visas however, not all visas fall under student visa which I believe you have become an expert. There are different types of work permits for working in Canada.
Here are some types that I know of:
SOWP: for spouses of people already in Canada
Open work permit: No restriction on jobs you can apply to and you are not a spouse.
Closed work permit: You need LMIA and must only work for a specific employer.
LMIA Exempt Work Permit: Mostly for people who have been nominated for Permanent residency in a Canadian Province but need a work permit to resume work before PR processing is complete. You are given a work permit letter along with your provincial nomination certificate.

There are some of us who may have a PR application in progress but also have a work permit application in progress. We cannot benefit from the information in the Visitors, Students (Travelling to Canada) and Federal Skill workers program. I have a PR in progress but it is not even under Federal Skill workers/Express Entry.

Anyway, I think this thread (SOWP) applicants is close enough to contain information that might be relevant to our case, though my Work permit is not SOWP. Please do not Close this thread!

You know very little about what you are talking about judging by few of your posts i have read since yesterday.



Please stop duplicating threads and search this section before starting a new thread.

I am waiting for port request. If by end of next week and I didn't get an email from them I will have to do as you said, get my employer to the MP. It is exactly 32 weeks since my application.

justwise:


You know very little about what you are talking about judging by few of your posts i have read since yesterday.



Please stop duplicating threads and search this section before starting a new thread.

Iron Man

justwise:


You know very little about what you are talking about judging by few of your posts i have read since yesterday.



Please stop duplicating threads and search this section before starting a new thread.

Well, you may be right that I know very little about anything but I am always willing to learn more. More than one person has agreed that the other threads did not meet the need for work permit applicants.

I believe that Nairaland is a place to share information with other people and learn from them as well. There is no fast rule that says that I must come here to post before I get my work permit and subsequently permanent residency. I believe there might be people who might benefit from that information.

The problem is with these guys in Nigeria/Ghana as the case may be.

I applied since May 16th and nothing from them but when i emailed them (Accra) additional documents, they replied me the next day that they 'acknowledge receipt of my email'. What an irony after several previous emails no response!

damisakin:
March 14th no medical request yet........na God

I saw this and i got more vexed with the way they treat Work permit applications. Hopefully, they gather themselves and do the needful before the end of the year. I think they practically know that there is nothing for them to in the application because they gave the study permit/PGWP to the spouse of the applicant and as such, they decided to take it lightly.

My SOWP application is 23 weeks and 3 days but I Know God is in control, we will all have reasons to rejoice soon by God's grace.

Thank you!!!!

Principessa0:


Dear Justwise, it is unfortunate that you were so quick to close a thread started on this topic. I know you know a great deal about Canada visas however, not all visas fall under student visa which I believe you have become an expert. There are different types of work permits for working in Canada.
Here are some types that I know of:
SOWP: for spouses of people already in Canada
Open work permit: No restriction on jobs you can apply to and you are not a spouse.
Closed work permit: You need LMIA and must only work for a specific employer.
LMIA Exempt Work Permit: Mostly for people who have been nominated for Permanent residency in a Canadian Province but need a work permit to resume work before PR processing is complete. You are given a work permit letter along with your provincial nomination certificate.

There are some of us who may have a PR application in progress but also have a work permit application in progress. We cannot benefit from the information in the Visitors, Students (Travelling to Canada) and Federal Skill workers program. I have a PR in progress but it is not even under Federal Skill workers/Express Entry.

Anyway, I think this thread (SOWP) applicants is close enough to contain information that might be relevant to our case, though my Work permit is not SOWP. Please do not Close this thread!