Canada Announces 18 Categories of Workers Eligible for Open Work Permit Fee Exemption
- Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada has published an official list of workers who qualify for exemptions on open work permit fees
- The list covers 18 categories of workers, ranging from refugee claimants to military family members and vulnerable workers
- Some categories receive exemptions on both the work permit processing fee and the open work permit holder fee, while others qualify for only one
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Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has released an official breakdown of foreign worker categories exempt from open work permit fees, covering 18 distinct groups.
The information distinguishes between two types of fee relief: exemption from the work permit processing fee and exemption from the open work permit holder fee. Not all eligible workers qualify for both, and these distinctions matter for applicants navigating the Canadian immigration system.
Source: UGC
Canada: Who qualifies for both fee exemptions
Several categories of workers are exempt from paying both the processing fee and the open work permit holder fee. These include:
- Refugee claimants who need to work to support themselves
- Failed refugee claimants or others whose removal order can’t be enforced and who need to support themselves
- Members of the Convention refugees abroad class or members of a humanitarian-protected persons abroad class
- Family members of members of the Convention refugees abroad class or of a humanitarian-protected persons abroad class
- Persons who have received stage-1 approval on an application for permanent residence on humanitarian and compassionate grounds or based on public policy considerations
- Family members of permanent residence applicants who have received stage-1 approval on humanitarian and compassionate grounds or based on public policy considerations
- Protected persons (permanent resident applicants in Canada)
- Family members of protected persons
- Individuals who have an unenforceable removal order who need to support themselves
- Destitute students
- Temporary Resident Permit holders
- Victims of family violence who hold a temporary resident permit for at least 180 days
- Vulnerable workers
- Live-in caregivers who have met the work requirement of 3,900 hours (or 2 years) and have applied or are applying for permanent residence
- Family members of someone in the Live-in Caregiver Class in Canada who have applied for permanent residence and whose application has been approved in principle
- Family members of U.S. Government personnel who are working in Canada on official U.S. Government business
- Family members of military personnel who are working under a reciprocal agreement
- Family members of accredited foreign missions workers.
The IRCC's full fee exemption table makes clear that eligibility depends heavily on an applicant's specific immigration status, the type of permit they hold, and, in some cases, the permit's duration. Applicants should verify their circumstances against the official criteria before submitting a work permit application, as each category has specific conditions.
In a similar report, Legit.ng published that Canada announced special groups whose families qualify for immigration fee exemption.
Canada visa biometric applications: Age groups exempted
Meanwhile, Legit.ng previously reported that Canada announced biometrics exemptions for visa and permit applicants, including two age groups that do not need to submit fingerprints or a photo.
But the exemptions don't apply to everyone: People seeking asylum must provide biometrics regardless of age. Who else is spared from the requirement?
Source: Legit.ng
