Family members of foreign nationals authorized to work in low-skilled occupations (TEER 4 or 5) [R205(c)(ii) – C47 and C48] – Canadian interest – International Mobility Program
In these instructions, “officer” refers to employees of both Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada and the Canada Border Services Agency.
The instructions on this page should be reviewed in conjunction with the following:
- Open work permit – General processing and issuance
- Conditions and validity period on work permits
On January 30, 2023, the minister designated the work performed by family members of principal foreign nationals who are or will be employed in low-skilled occupations as necessary for public policy reasons related to the competitiveness of Canada’s academic institutions, or economy, under subparagraph 205(c)(ii) of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations (IRPR). Prior to this date, family members of low-skilled workers were not eligible to apply for an open work permit under paragraph R205(c)(ii).
In these instructions, family member is defined as per subsection R1(3) as
- the spouse or common-law partner of the principal foreign national
- the dependent children of the spouse or the principal foreign national
- dependent children of the dependent children (grandchild of principal foreign national or spouse)
Low-skilled occupations are considered to be those in the National Occupational Classification (NOC), Training, Education, Experience and Responsibilities (TEER) categories 4 and 5.
As of July 13, 2023, the designation of work performed under paragraph R205(c)(ii) applies to all new and pending applications.
