The Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) said that it is not issuing exit clearance to Filipinos with an open work permit issued by the Government of Canada under the International Mobility Program.

The POEA clarified that it “only documents the employment overseas of Filipino workers with a valid work visa or work permit and a signed employment contract verified by the Philippine Overseas Labor Office or Philippine Embassy or Consulate nearest their work site.”

POEA explained that Canada’s open work permit is “not tied to a specific job,” thus, its “holder leaves under sponsorship and does not have a perfected employment contract yet with any Canadian employer.”

The POEA noted that the open work permit is issued to foreign nationals, including Filipinos, without the required Labor Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) document. Such exemptions include the spouses or common-law partners of skilled workers (C41) and foreign students (C42) who are engaged in full time studies at a Canadian university and educational institutions.

POEA said that eligible nationals can also apply for open work permit through the LMIA exemption codes of bridging open work permits (A75) as well as through its pilot program for permanent resident applicants in the spouse or common-law partner in Canada class (A70).

 “A foreign national may apply for an open work permit outside Canada, at a port of entry or after arrival to Canada, as per program requirements,” POEA added.