Canada Hong Kong Open Work Permit: 3 Years and May 2029 Deadline

Under Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada’s (IRCC) official Hong Kong PR applicant open work permit page, an applicant must already have applied for permanent residence through one of Canada’s two pathways for Hong Kong residents and must have held a Canadian work or study permit within the previous 3 years before that permanent-residence application. The applicant must also be in Canada and eligible for a work permit; the open work permit can be valid for up to 3 years and allows work while the permanent-residence application is processed. IRCC says you need this permit only when your current temporary-resident status will expire during that processing, and the deadline to apply is May 2029—not the expiry date of every permit.

Who qualifies for Canada’s Hong Kong open work permit?

The eligibility conditions are cumulative:

Requirement	Current IRCC rule
Permanent-residence application	Already applied through one of the two pathways for Hong Kong residents
Earlier immigration status	Held a work or study permit within the 3 years before applying for permanent residence
Physical location	Must be in Canada
Work-permit eligibility	Must be eligible to apply for a work permit
Programme restriction	Available only to applicants under the Hong Kong permanent-resident pathways
Permanent-residence application status	Cannot use this public policy if the permanent-residence application has been refused, withdrawn or returned

The wording is “within the previous 3 years.” The page does not state that the earlier work or study permit had to remain valid throughout the entire 3-year period.

When is this permit actually needed?

IRCC’s rule is tied to the expiry of temporary-resident status:

Situation	What the official rule says
Current status will expire while the permanent-residence application is being processed	You need to apply for this open work permit
Current status will not expire during processing	IRCC says you do not need to apply for this permit
Status expired less than 90 days ago and you are in Canada	You remain eligible, subject to the other requirements, but must request restoration of temporary-resident status and pay the restoration fee

The cited page does not provide a separate allowance for a status that expired 90 days ago or more, so applicants in that situation should confirm their options with IRCC.

The restoration-fee amount is not stated on the cited page. Check the IRCC fee list for the applicable amount when preparing to file. The open work permit application deadline is May 2029; the page does not provide an exact day within that month.

Which employers can the permit holder work for?

The permit allows work for any employer in Canada, subject to two stated exceptions. The employer cannot be:

• Listed as ineligible because it has failed to comply with work-permit conditions; or
• An employer that regularly offers striptease, erotic dance, escort services or erotic massages.

An open work permit should not be treated as automatic study authorization. IRCC states that the applicant or their family members may need a separate study permit.

Can family members apply and study under this route?

A spouse, common-law partner or dependent child over the age of 18 may apply when the principal applicant applies for an open work permit if that family member was included on the permanent-residence application.

This means they can submit an application with the principal applicant; it does not mean that inclusion in the permanent-residence application guarantees an open work permit.

Study authorization is assessed separately:

• A principal applicant for permanent residence through one of the Hong Kong pathways may be eligible to study without a study permit.
• Family members may need a study permit if they plan to study in Canada for longer than 6 months.
• A dependent minor child may also need a study permit. The age of majority depends on the province or territory where the family plans to settle.

How is the application submitted?

Applications under this route are submitted online. Before completing the application:

1. Read the official instruction guide. IRCC says it explains how to complete each field on the form.
2. Prepare electronic document copies. A scanner or camera is required.
3. Arrange payment. A valid credit or debit card is needed.
4. Address any expired status. If the applicant is in Canada and their status expired less than 90 days ago, the application must include the request to restore temporary-resident status and payment of the restoration fee.
5. Use the correct online channel. The page directs applicants to an IRCC secure account, which can be used to pay fees, submit the application and check status. It also states that an Authorized Paid Representative can submit the application on the applicant’s behalf through the APR Portal.
6. Enter the prescribed form information. In Box 1, select “Open Work Permit.” In Box 4, enter HK OWP as the job title and HK OWP – APR applicant in Canada public policy as the brief description of duties.
7. Pay at the end of the application. IRCC says fees are requested after the application has been completed.

Depending on the applicant’s circumstances, the supporting-document list may include:

• Proof of a medical examination;
• A marriage certificate;
• Certified translations when documents are not in English or French;
• Statutory Declaration of Common-law Union, Form IMM 5409;
• Family Information Form – Visitors, Students and Workers, Form IMM 5707;
• Use of a Representative, Form IMM 5476, when using an authorized representative; and
• Authority to Release Personal Information to a Designated Individual, Form IMM 5475, when authorizing another person to receive case-file information.

What does the application cost?

Fee item	Official position
Open work permit application	IRCC lists the work permit fee as $155
Applicant and accompanying family members	In most cases, processing fees include the applicant and everyone included on the application; the cited material does not state separate family-member amounts
Restoration of temporary-resident status	Required when applying under the less-than-90-day expired-status condition; the amount must be confirmed in the IRCC fee list
Payment timing	Fees are requested at the end of the online application

The cited page does not state a processing time. The permit’s possible 3-year validity should not be interpreted as an estimate of how long IRCC will take to decide an application.

What happens if the work permit is about to expire?

An extension application can be submitted before the current work permit expires. While IRCC processes a timely extension application, the holder may continue working under the same conditions as the original permit. IRCC calls this maintained status.

IRCC sends the holder a letter through the account. It can be printed or shown with the current work permit as evidence that continued work is authorized.

If the application has not been decided by the letter’s expiry date, the holder may continue working beyond that date until IRCC makes a decision, provided the conditions remain the same as those on the original work permit.

General information only: Confirm your status, programme and filing requirements with IRCC or, where relevant, the appropriate Canadian consular office before applying.

Sources

• Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada: Hong Kong PR applicant open work permit
• Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada: Fee list

Frequently asked questions

Must the earlier work or study permit have lasted all three years?

IRCC says the applicant must have held a work or study permit “within” the 3 years before applying for permanent residence. It does not state that the earlier permit had to remain valid for the full 3-year period.

What if my temporary-resident status expired less than 90 days ago?

If you are in Canada, you remain eligible for this route, assuming the other requirements are met. Your application must include the request to restore temporary-resident status and payment of the restoration fee.

Does May 2029 mean my open work permit expires then?

No. May 2029 is the application deadline stated on the official page. The permit itself can be valid for up to 3 years.

Can my spouse or adult dependent child apply with me?

A spouse, common-law partner or dependent child over 18 can apply with you if they were included on your permanent-residence application. The page provides an application route, not automatic issuance.

How long will IRCC take to process the application?

The cited official page does not state a processing time or provide a decision estimate.