A member applied jointly for a study permit (SP) and their husband's open work permit (OWP), with eligibility review starting the same day for both, but received a positive decision on their own SP weeks before hearing anything on the spouse's OWP.
What the thread suggested:- It's common for joint applications to be processed and decided on separately, even when submitted together and reviewed on the same date — members noted this doesn't necessarily signal a problem with the other application, just that IRCC processes them independently.
- Processing time for the accompanying spouse's OWP can vary widely — one member reported their own SP being approved in 16 days while the spouse's OWP was still pending three weeks later; others reported spouse permits taking anywhere from about 4 to 6 months, with some applicants from a similar period still waiting.
- Filing a web form (as the original poster already had) was mentioned as the standard way to flag a delayed companion application, though no guaranteed timeline for a response was given.
The practical takeaway: a delay on a spouse's OWP relative to your own study permit approval is common and not necessarily a red flag — expect it can take significantly longer, and use a web form to create a record if you want to follow up.