Hi! I am in Canada and I have a LMIA-exempt work permit until end of August, however my contract ends next year (the shorter permit was due to my old passport expiring - I now have a new one), so I need to renew it. However I am also now eligible to apply for an open work permit as my spouse is sponsoring me.

Should I apply for the open work permit, since that would allow me to work in my current job and also give me more options when my contract ends? Or, should I just stick to the closed permit, since that's the contract I have? I'm a bit worried about timing (I couldn't apply any sooner as I had to leave the country and needed my passport) - are either of them faster?

Thanks very much for any guidance.

What stage of the PR application are you at? The open work permit via a spousal sponsorship application will take around 4 months usually, so it would be unlikely you'll have that by August.

I'd go with the extension of your current permit, it takes even longer but once you've applied you'll be covered under implied status. And you just need to apply 30 days before your current permit expires.

Good luck.