So I have to ask this question - since when does the game force you to start in open play in the ‘noob’(I prefer new player) zone?
Because I don’t remember it ever doing that when I started playing on console.
When you first start there is no option to play open / solo / private - just "continue" (which is Open play as evidenced by the hollow icon of a commander as I launched from the Asellus Primus station). Only after you have created your commander and then exited to main menu (maybe to desktop?) and restarted are the game options presented.
I checked this tonight (sorry, last night now

).
I was able to start an alt in the PF zone just before console transfer. I had a choice of whether to do the Ody start and chose no, then added it letter to get the Ody training mission.
At the time it was fairly busy, though that was during summer not a normal Monday.
I'd have a look at the weekend if that's what you're interested in.
They're usually in open while in the zone switching to solo as they leave possibly.
As I stated, I did a clear save, started fresh and did it several times, via EDH start, EDO start, doing the tutorials, skipping the tutorials and in every case I was not given the permit or started in the noob zone. The EDO starts found me in the concourse of some surface base, the EDH starts were the option of a surface base sidey in Asellus Primus or a LHS 3447 sidey with not much money and a 10K mission (the EDH start had lots more money* and a sidey in the hangar.)
* EDIT - EDO start has 250,000Cr (presumably in place of the "go explore" mission that was in the noob-zone).
BTW In either case the only permit you have is the HIP22460 permit (the Salvation annoys the Thargoids system).