To be eligible for a BOWP, foreign nationals must:

• Be currently in Canada.
• Have valid status on a work permit that is due to expire within the next 4 months.
• Be the principal applicant on an APR.
• Have completed one of the following APR stages:
• Electronic application for permanent residence (e-APR) submitted under Express Entry has passed the section 10 of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations (IRPR) completeness check; or
• Receipt of a positive eligibility assessment on their paper APR submitted by mail under one of the economic classes.
• Have applied for an open work permit.
• Have paid the work permit processing fee and the open work permit holder fee.
• Have provided, as applicable, evidence that their provincial nomination is unrestricted (for example, nomination certificate)

Note: Foreign nationals in the Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) are eligible for a BOWP only if they have provided a copy of the nomination letter issued by the nominating province or territory along with their application, and there is no indication that employment restrictions exist as conditions of the nomination.

• Foreign nationals in Canada under section R186 who are exempt from the work permit requirement.
• Foreign nationals who have let their status expire.
• Foreign nationals whose work permits are valid for longer than 4 months or who already have a new LMIA that can be used as the basis for a new work permit application.
• Foreign nationals applying for a BOWP at a port of entry (POE) or visa office.
• Spouses and dependants of principal permanent resident applicants.
• Foreign nationals who are inadmissible to Canada.