BRING YOUR FAMILY
Starting January 21, 2025, there are new eligibility requirements to apply for an open work permit for spouses or common-law partners. Make sure you meet the new before submitting your application. For more information, review the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) .
If your spouse or common-law partner and/or any dependent children would like to accompany you to Canada, they are advised to apply for their immigration documents at the same time that you apply for your study permit.
Permits for dependent children
Anyone under the age of majority (19 in British Columbia) is considered to be a minor child. Minor children who want to study for 6 months or more must apply for a study permit before they enter Canada. This includes minor children who come with parents who are applying for a study or work permit. They do not require a letter of acceptance (LOA) from a Canadian educational institution.
For more information, . For schooling and childcare for your dependent children, please see Support for your family.
Spouse or common-law partner work permit
Starting January 21, 2025, your spouse or common-law partner may be eligible for an (which means they do not need a job offer or a Labour Market Impact Assessment) if you have a valid study permit and you鈥檙e:
- a full-time student studying in a master's degree program of 16 months or longer or doctoral degree program; or
- participating in an , or
- studying in one of the following professional degree programs:
- Doctor of Dental Surgery (DDS, DMD)
- Bachelor of Law or Juris Doctor (LLB, JD, BCL)
- Doctor of Medicine (MD)
- Doctor of Optometry (OD)
- Pharmacy (PharmD, BS, BSc, BPharm)
- Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM)
- Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BScN, BSN)
- Bachelor of Nursing Science (BNSc)
- Bachelor of Nursing (BN)
- Bachelor of Education (BEd)
- Bachelor of Engineering (BEng, BE, BASc)
Ineligible A片资源吧
Graduate certificates and diplomas are not master's degree programs and are not eligible for this program. Spouses or common-law partners of international students in other levels of study, including undergraduate and college programs are not eligible for an open work permit unless they already hold one under this stream and are seeking to extend their existing work permits.
Visit the for full details of the open work permit eligibilty criteria.
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada defines common-law partners as people of the same or opposite sex who are cohabitating and have cohabitated in a conjugal relationship for at least one year. In Canada, a common-law partner is regarded in the same manner as a legal spouse. Visit the for more information.
Required Documents
If your dependent family will be joining you, they will require some or all of the following documents from you as part of their application for temporary residence in Canada (in addition to their own supporting documents, as specified by the responsible visa office):
- Required application forms, available on the
- Your SFU letter of acceptance (also referred to as your admission offer/letter) or Confirmation of Enrollment letter plus your official SFU transcript (if you have begun your studies)
- For SFU exchange students, they can use your SFU Exchange/Study Abroad Letter
- An from you
- Proof of funds: This could include letter(s) from a bank, employer, scholarship provider, or SFU
- Proof of relationship: A copy of your marriage certificate, proof of common-law status or birth certificate
- If you鈥檙e a single parent applying for a minor, you may need additional documents
- A copy of your study permit (if applicable) and passport
- and/or an may also be required
- For dependent children: birth certificate, official school records in English or English translation, medical records
Make sure to keep copies of all the documents your family member submits with their application.
How to Apply
馃椄 At the same time as your initial study permit application
馃椄 If your dependent child, spouse or common-law partner has already entered Canada as a visitor, they may apply for an a study permit or open work permit online from inside Canada, providing are met. Please refer to Extend your family members' documents
馃椄 At port of entry, if they are if they are TRV-exempt and have an eTA or a citizen or permanent resident of the United States (US)
Please contact an International Student Advisor, Immigration Specialist if you have questions about how to apply.
Length of Stay
If your family members apply at the same time as your inital study permit, the length of your dependent family members' permits will generally be issued for the same length as your study permit.
If your family members enter Canada without you and they have not applied for a study permit or work permit, they may be admitted on visitor status for six months or less. As per the , visitors in Canada are permitted to stay for up to 6 months. The officer at the border will determine the approved length of stay.
If your family members travelling to Canada after you have travelled, we recommend that you send them copies of the documents listed above for them to present at the Canadian border crossing.
The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) no longer stamps all passports at airports with . This includes Vancouver International Airport/YVR. If you and/or your family member(s) need a stamp in your passport as proof of entry into Canada, request a stamp from a border services officer after completing the kiosk or the eGate transaction.
Visitors admitted for six months or less are not eligible for BC鈥檚 Medical Services Plan (MSP), so they should apply right away to extend or change their immigration document.