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Ontario Tech acknowledges the lands and people of the Mississaugas of Scugog Island First Nation.

We are thankful to be welcome on these lands in friendship. The lands we are situated on are covered by the Williams Treaties and are the traditional territory of the Mississaugas, a branch of the greater Anishinaabeg Nation, including Algonquin, Ojibway, Odawa and Pottawatomi. These lands remain home to many Indigenous nations and peoples.

We acknowledge this land out of respect for the Indigenous nations who have cared for Turtle Island, also called North America, from before the arrival of settler peoples until this day. Most importantly, we acknowledge that the history of these lands has been tainted by poor treatment and a lack of friendship with the First Nations who call them home.

This history is something we are all affected by because we are all treaty people in Canada. We all have a shared history to reflect on, and each of us is affected by this history in different ways. Our past defines our present, but if we move forward as friends and allies, then it does not have to define our future.

Learn more about Indigenous Education and Cultural Services

Partners working in Canada

Spousal Open Work Permit for the Spouse/Common-Law Partner of a Student

Your partner (either spouse or common-law partner) may be eligible to get an open work permit often known as a Spousal Open Work Permit (SOWP) while you are in Canada on a study permit.

If you have a valid study permit and have been admitted to, or are enrolled full-time in a program of study that is eligible for a Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP), your spouse or common-law partner can apply for a work permit.

Frequently Asked Questions

Spousal Open Work Permit for the Spouse/Common-Law Partner of a PGWP Applicant/Holder

Standard Policy

If you apply for a Post-Graduation Work Permit and have ‘skilled work’ (jobs in TEER categories 0, 1, 2, or 3 in the National Occupational Classification), your spouse/common-law partner is eligible to apply or extend their open work permit. If you do not have ‘skilled work”, your spouse/common-law partner can have visitor status in Canada. More information can be found on the IRCC website.

Temporary Policy Change – January 30, 2023

On January 30, 2023, IRCC issued a temporary policy for a period of two years. The temporary policy relaxes the employment requirement from ‘skilled work’ to ‘all skill levels’ and allows working-aged dependent children, working-aged dependent child of the dependent child (your grandchild or your spouse’s grandchild) and spouse or common law partner to obtain a work permit. More information regarding this temporary policy can be found on the IRCC website.

Frequently Asked Questions