When a spouse's study permit is about to expire and the primary applicant's Spousal Open Work Permit (SOWP) depends on that study permit remaining valid, the timing between the two applications matters.
What group members advised:- Apply for the study permit extension and the SOWP extension together, rather than waiting for one to be decided before starting the other, to avoid gaps in status.
- Be aware a study permit extension may not be possible once the program is finishing — if the study program completes on schedule (rather than being extended), the study permit itself generally can't be extended past program completion, which changes the basis for the SOWP extension.
Because this is a program- and case-specific timing question, it's worth confirming directly with IRCC or an immigration consultant how the SOWP extension should be filed if the study permit is ending because studies are complete (versus ongoing), since the two scenarios lead to different application strategies.