A worker on "applied" (maintained) status asked whether he could extend his wife's spousal open work permit before his own permit was decided, and whether an NOC B job was required. The most useful answer came from a member who had been refused and then approved:
- A full-time job for the principal applicant was the deciding factor. The member reported that NOC B was not the issue — what mattered was full-time employment. His first SOWP extension was refused; a lawyer and community members attributed it to the spouse (principal applicant) not holding a full-time job at the time.
- The requirement isn't spelled out on the application page. He stressed that this tripped him up precisely because it wasn't stated anywhere obvious — he only learned the reason after the refusal.
- Reapplying with proof of full-time work succeeded. The winning package: a job letter listing duties and responsibilities plus paystubs demonstrating full-time hours. With those documents the second application was approved.
- Unresolved in the thread: whether an extension can be filed while the principal is still on "applied"/maintained status — no member could confirm. Treat that as a question for IRCC or a licensed consultant.
(NOC B refers to the pre-2022 NOC system, since replaced by TEER categories; occupational skill-level rules for SOWPs have also changed over time — verify current eligibility criteria before applying.)