Canadian companion visa
The Canadian government recognizes the importance of keeping immigrant families together and has made it possible for close relatives of applicants or holders of Canadian visas to obtain a companion visa. This is an opportunity that is rarely available in other countries, which puts Canada in a leading position.
If you’re thinking about bringing family members to Canada or planning to join them there, this article provides you with comprehensive and useful information about the Canadian companion visa.
Who qualifies for a companion visa in Canada?
If you fall into one of the three categories below, you qualify for the Canadian student companion visa:
1. You are the spouse of the student visa applicant or holder;
2. You are the dependent child of the student visa applicant or holder;
3. You are the parent of the student visa applicant or holder;
The Canadian student companion visa can be applied for in two ways:
An Open Work Permit for companions or a Tourist Visa (TRV) for companions.
The accompanying individual applies either at the same time as the main applicant or after receiving the main applicant’s visa.
Latest news
Currently, the accompanying work visa is only available to spouses of phD and master’s students whose programs last at least 16 months.
Join your loved ones - Canada, the generous
Your student life in Canada will be a special time for you and your family. On one hand, you need to focus on studies and university, and on the other hand, your personal life, family, and spouse and children. Likely, it will be a tough time. Let’s look at the positive side. Having family in Canada can be very beneficial for mental health and ease the stresses of immigration.
Canada’s commitment to preserving family unity provides international students and their families the opportunity to experience life in Canada together. Regardless of whether this period lasts a few months or a few years, international students will achieve their dream of studying in Canada alongside their loved ones and family.
Definition of a companion - Who is a companion?
Spouse or partner
By answering the questions below, you’ll understand the difference between a spouse and a common law partner.
Are you legally married and have a marriage certificate?
Yes
Your companion in the immigration system is referred to as a Spouse, and your spouse can apply for a companion visa.
No
If you have a partner with whom you have lived under one roof for 12 months and share an emotional bond, but you don’t have a formal registration, you are considered Common Law partners. Your partner can accompany you and apply for a partner visa for Canada.
A Common Law partner means someone with whom you have lived for 12 months under one roof, having an emotionally close relationship in every aspect. It’s important to note that this goes beyond just being friends or dating. Here, there is an emotional bond and a type of sharing that resembles a marriage, going beyond just a friendship.
Otherwise, you have no option for applying as a companion.
Canada does not recognize remote marriages.
Children
Children under 22 who are single are considered your dependents. If your children are over 22 but financially dependent on you due to a physical or mental issue, they are still considered dependents.
What is a Minor child in immigration terms?
Any child who has not yet reached the legal age is recognized as a minor child. The legal age varies in different provinces. In Alberta, Manitoba, Ontario, Prince Edward Island, Quebec, and Saskatchewan, the legal age is considered to be 18. In British Columbia, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Northwest Territories, Nova Scotia, Nunavut, and Yukon, the legal age is considered to be 19.
Minor children who have previously lived with at least one of their parents authorized to study or work in Canada do not need a study permit to attend preschool, elementary, or secondary school. However, as soon as the child reaches the legal age in their province of residence, they must obtain a study permit to continue their education in Canada.
Parents
Parents of students or students in Canada are also considered companions. Consider the following two scenarios:
If you have a school-age child under 18, according to Canadian government law, you are allowed to accompany your student child. Therefore, by obtaining a parent student visa for Canada, which is a type of tourist visa, you can accompany your child to Canada.
To apply for a tourist companion visa, you can either submit your application at the same time as your child’s student visa application or you can apply for a Canadian tourist visa after your child has received their student visa and entered Canada.
If your child is over 18 and has obtained a Canadian study permit, you can obtain a parent student visa to visit and join them in Canada. The parent student visa for Canada is the same as a tourist visa, but the purpose of this type of tourist visa is to visit your student child.
Unlike the student companion visa in Canada, you cannot apply for this type of tourist visa at the same time as your child’s study permit application. Instead, you must wait for your child to obtain their study permit, enter Canada, and then apply for the tourist visa with the intent to visit them.
Conditions for a Companion Visa Canada
As the spouse of a Canadian student or the parent of a student or school-age child in Canada, you must meet the following conditions to obtain a companion visa:
Prove that you will leave Canada after your spouse or child’s studies are completed.
Show that you have sufficient financial means to cover your living expenses in Canada, separate from the living and education costs of your spouse or child.
Be in good health.
Have no criminal background.
Note
Having a good travel history or travel history to the Schengen area is not a requirement for obtaining a companion tourist visa, and the Canadian immigration office does not enforce strict rules in this regard.
If your spouse has received a study permit, and you now intend to apply for a work permit for spouses in Canada or a tourist companion visa to join your spouse, it is necessary for your spouse to be present in Canada and actively studying as a student.
Spouse Visa for Students in Canada
But how can your loved ones join you? We have categorized the information here to make it easier for you.
Visitor or Tourist Visa for Canada
Your spouse can apply for a Canadian tourist visa simultaneously or after you receive your visa. Your student visa approval is sufficient for this application.
When your student spouse enters Canada, the border officer will decide how long to allow them to stay in Canada. If it’s the same day as yours, the officer will issue permission to stay until the end of your study permit. In this case, your spouse’s authorization will be a visitor record. The visitor record specifies your exit date from Canada.
With the visitor status, your spouse is not allowed to study or work in Canada.
What’s the difference between a visitor record and a visitor visa?
A visitor visa pertains to your permission to enter Canada, while a visitor record relates to your exit date from Canada. These two are completely different.
Open Work Permit for Canada
Applying for an open work permit for your spouse is possible both from inside or outside Canada. For your spouse’s work permit in Canada, a job offer is not necessary.
With an open work permit, you can work full-time. However, be aware that there are restrictions for certain occupations, such as health or educational positions, which will be mentioned in the work permit.
Usually, a work permit is valid for the same duration as the study permit.
Conditions for obtaining an Open Work Permit for a Student’s Spouse:
Your spouse must be a full-time student.
Your spouse must be enrolled in an academic program or studying. If they are taking prerequisite courses, like language classes, they cannot apply for a work permit.
Apply for the Open Work Permit from inside or outside Canada?
Both are possible. If you’re applying from outside Canada, just like someone receiving a study permit, you will also get a POE letter, and by presenting it at the border, the officer will issue the work permit.
If you’re applying from inside Canada after entering with a tourist visa, you can submit your application either online or by visiting one of Canada’s immigration points.
What are the advantages of obtaining an open work permit?
An Open Work Permit allows its holder to work for any employer in Canada without needing a Labor Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) or a job offer. However, there may be exceptions for specific jobs that require maintaining public health, unless the applicant undergoes immigration medical examinations.
This way, not only does the student’s spouse or partner gain a valuable work opportunity in Canada, but they will also be more successful in supporting their family financially.
Student Visa for Canada
If your spouse intends to study for more than six months, they must apply for a study permit. The rules for applying for a study permit differ between inside and outside Canada. If you’re applying for a study permit from within Canada, you must first complete a prerequisite course before submitting your study permit application.
How to apply for a Canada accompanying visa
As a spouse, dependent child of a student, or parent of an international student, you can apply for a work accompanying visa or a tourist accompanying visa at the same time as their study visa application, or you can apply separately after your spouse or child receives their study visa for Canada.
The steps for applying for a Canada accompanying visa, whether simultaneously or separately, differ somewhat, and we will explain them in the following article.
Apply for a Canada accompanying visa simultaneously:
In this case, the main visa applicant is the student’s spouse or child, and you are the accompanying person to the main applicant. Therefore, the primary visa application will be for the study visa for Canada, and when filling out the application and answering questions, you need to indicate that you are accompanying the main applicant as their spouse, dependent child, or parent. Additionally, while answering questions, you must specify the type of accompanying visa you are requesting (work or tourist).
Step one: Prepare the necessary documents.
All the documents required for the Canadian study permit, along with all the necessary documents for the accompanying visa for Canada, should be prepared and organized as PDF files with proper naming. In the following sections of the article, we will explain in detail the documents needed for the accompanying visa for Canada.
All files, except the photo file, should be in PDF format and not exceed 4 megabytes in size.
Step Two: Create an Online Account on the CIC Website
Go to the Canadian immigration website and on the opened page in the Apply Online section, answer the two questions asked:
The first question asks whether you are applying from inside Canada, outside Canada, or at the border.
Choose the appropriate option for you:
Then answer the second question: Are you applying online or on paper?
Based on your answer, the necessary instructions will be displayed, and at the bottom of this page, you should click on the Create an Account or Sign in option.
After entering the new page, out of the 4 available options, click on the Don’t have an account option to create an account.
Then you will need to enter your first name, last name, email address, and date of birth. After that, a series of questions will be displayed that you must answer correctly. Based on your responses, the titles of the forms and the required documents will be shown to you. Any incorrect answer will result in the display of incorrect documents.
Step Three: Answer the Application Questions
After creating the account and entering the main application, you will encounter the following page. Your spouse, who is the primary applicant for the Canadian study permit, should select the first option, which is Visitor visa, Study and/or work permit.
After selecting the first option, a series of questions will be shown to you. The audience for all the questions is the primary applicant, that is, your spouse. Initially, the two main years will be asked from him/her. Since the primary applicant is applying for the Canadian study permit, in response to the first question, they should select the Study option, and in response to the second question, they should select the Temporary – more than 6 months option.
In addition to these questions, a series of other questions will be asked of the student visa applicant. After finishing the questions related to the main applicant and identifying the type of visa as a Student Visa, other questions will arise, including “Do you intend to submit a visa application for a family member?”
According to the image below, if you are going to accompany your spouse as a student in Canada, you should select Yes in response to this question.
After answering the above question, another question is asked regarding “Why does the accompanying person intend to go to Canada?” In response to this question, if you plan to accompany your student spouse by obtaining a work visa, then you should select the option Work with an Open Work Permit from the suggested options, according to the image below.
However, if your intention is to accompany your spouse for a short visit, then you should apply for a tourist visa and select the option Visit-All other types, as shown in the image below.
Following this question, additional questions about the accompanying person will be posed that you must answer correctly.
If you have a child who will be accompanying you and your student spouse to Canada, then you must also apply for a visa for them and specify the type of accompanying visa they need.
You will then face the following question, where the main applicant is asked, “Are you intending to submit a visa application for another family member?”
If you have a child, the answer will be Yes, but if you do not have a child, select No, as seen in the image below.
After answering all the questions related to the main visa applicant and their accompanying individuals, a list of documents and forms needed for the student visa and accompanying visas will be displayed.
Step Four: Upload the required forms and documents in the online application
Based on the answers you have provided, the forms and documents related to the student visa for the main applicant and the open work permit or tourist visa for the accompanying individuals will be displayed separately.
It is necessary to download the forms for each applicant, fill them out, sign them, and upload them in the appropriate place in the application.
Also, upload each of the required documents that you have previously prepared and organized in their designated spots.
Step Five: Pay the application fee and submit it
After uploading the documents, you move on to the final step, which is paying the application fee or application costs. If you haven’t completed the biometric screening for Canada, you’ll need to pay the visa application processing fees as well as the biometric fees for the Canadian visa at this stage.
It’s worth mentioning that children under 14 do not need to complete biometrics or pay the associated fee.
Step Six: Complete the Canadian visa biometrics
After submitting the application, you’ll receive a letter called the Biometric Instruction Letter within a few hours to a few days. You’ll need to use the information in that letter to schedule an appointment at one of Canada’s biometric centers and get your biometrics done on the specified day.
Since the Canadian embassy is not present in Iran, you will have to travel to neighboring countries where the Canadian embassy is located to complete your biometric process at the VAC offices.
You will need to complete the biometrics only if you haven’t done any Canadian visa biometrics in the last ten years.
Step Seven: Congratulations! You got the visa
After reviewing the case and if it’s accepted by the Canadian immigration office, a letter called a Pass Request will be sent to the main applicant and each accompanying member, asking you to send your original passport to the Canadian embassy for the visa label to be inserted.
For this purpose, you need to either go in person or use a reputable company to pick up the Canadian visa. The visa pick-up usually takes a few weeks.
Apply separately for the accompanying visa to Canada.
If your student spouse has received a study visa or your school-aged child has received a student visa for Canada and entered Canada, and now you want to apply for a dependent visa to join them in Canada, in this case, you would also need to apply for either a work permit or a tourist visa for your dependent.
This time, you are the primary visa applicant. After creating an account and while answering the questions, you should select either the Open Work Permit or Visit visa type for your application.
The steps for applying for a dependent visa are nearly the same as applying for a concurrent dependent visa. The only difference lies in the type of questions asked. One of the questions will ask, “Are you the spouse, partner, or child of an international student with a study permit in Canada?”
In response to this question, as shown in the image below, you should select Yes.
Then another question will ask, “Are you accompanying a family member who has study status in Canada or has recently had their study permit approved?” You should also respond Yes to this question, as shown in the image below.
The other application questions will relate to your personal information, and you must answer all of them correctly. The remaining steps for this type of visa are similar to applying for a concurrent dependent visa, and you can proceed according to the steps mentioned in the previous section. That means in the end, you will need to upload the necessary documents, pay the fees, and submit your visa application. After that, you will also need to arrange for fingerprinting for the Canadian visa and, if you receive a request for your passport, pick it up.
How much does a Canadian dependent visa cost?
Whether it’s a work permit or a tourist visa for accompanying a student, there are several costs you need to consider, which include the application processing fee at the Canadian immigration office, the fingerprinting fee, travel expenses to a third country for fingerprinting, document translation fees, and if hiring an immigration lawyer, the cost of hiring the lawyer as well as providing proof of financial support.
Application processing fee at the Canadian immigration office:
| Student dependent work visa (Open Work Permit) | $255 |
| Tourist visa for accompanying a student per person | $100 |
| Tourist visa for accompanying a school student per person | $100 |
Biometrics Costs
| Canada biometrics per person: | $85 |
| Biometrics for families (two or more people): | $170 |
Note: If the dependent student children who intend to accompany them are under 14 years old, they are not required to do biometrics in Canada.
Document Translation Costs
The cost of document translation varies based on the number of documents but typically ranges between CAD 250 to CAD 300.
Hiring a Canadian Immigration Lawyer
For work permit visas, the average cost to hire a lawyer is between CAD 1,000 and CAD 1,500.
For tourist visas, the average cost to hire a lawyer is between CAD 500 and CAD 1,000.
Of course, these amounts may vary depending on the lawyer’s experience, success rate, and reputation.
Financial Capacity
For a Canadian accompanying visa, the required financial capacity varies depending on whether you apply for your visa simultaneously with the main applicant or separately. We will explain this further in the next section of the article.
Financial Capacity for Canadian Accompanying Visa
When applying for a Canadian accompanying visa as a student or pupil, you need to show bank funds to cover at least one year of living expenses in Canada.
As mentioned in the previous section of the article, whether you apply for the accompanying visa at the same time as the main applicant or separately affects the amount of bank funds you need to provide, but it still covers the cost for one year.
Financial capacity required for the accompanying student or pupil applying for a visa simultaneously
In this case, the student or pupil is considered the main applicant, and you, as the student’s spouse or the pupil’s parents, or as the dependent child of the student, are considered part of the family.
| Number of people traveling to Canada | Annual living expenses (excluding tuition) |
|---|---|
| 1 person: | 20653 |
| 2 people: | 25690 |
| 3 people: | 31575 |
| 4 people: | 38346 |
| 5 people: | 43491 |
| 6 people: | 49050 |
| 7 people: | 54610 |
| More than 7 people per additional person: | 5559 |
Financial capacity required for the accompanying student or pupil applying for a visa separately
If your spouse has obtained a student visa, or if your student or school-age child has received a study visa and has gone to Canada for their education, and now you intend to apply for a work companion visa or a tourist companion visa to join them, you need to provide the required financial support as follows:
Financial support needed for a work companion visa
For a work companion visa that you apply for separately, you must show enough bank funds to cover at least one year of living expenses in Canada. For instance, if we consider an average monthly cost of 1,000 dollars, the yearly cost sums up to 12,000 dollars. Since your spouse has already rented a place to live in Canada, there’s no need to factor in housing costs.
Note: We recommend that Iranian applicants provide a higher amount for financial support so that the immigration officer can be assured that you won’t be adding to your spouse’s expenses during your stay in Canada and that you can handle your personal living costs.
Financial support needed for a tourist companion visa
Since the maximum stay in Canada with a tourist visa is 6 months (which can be extended), if we consider a minimum of 2,000 dollars for monthly living expenses in Canada for the tourist visa, you will need to show a total of 12,000 dollars in bank funds. Additionally, health insurance costs are added for the tourist visa to Canada.
We recommend providing a higher amount of financial support than the minimum required for the tourist companion visa to Canada.
Issues related to the children's companion visa in Canada
You or your spouse have a study permit or work permit and plan to take your child to Canada (child accompanying a student visa)
If you or your spouse currently have a work or study permit in Canada, your child can study in preschool, elementary, or secondary school without a study permit. When your work or student status is extended, your child’s status will also be extended.
Tuition for accompanying children: In most public schools in Canada, tuition for children is free.
Accompanying children after reaching the legal age: Keep in mind, when your child reaches the legal age in the province where you live, they will need to apply for a study permit to continue their education in Canada. This application can be made from within Canada.
Duration of the study visa for children: If either parent has a work or study visa, usually the child’s visa will be valid until the end of their passport’s validity or for the duration of the parent’s study or work visa.
When can children study without a study permit?
You and your child have a tourist visa and are in Canada, and your child is attending preschool or kindergarten.
You or your spouse have a study permit or work permit.
Can children with a tourist visa study in Canadian schools?
It depends on the parents’ immigration status.
If one of the parents has a study permit or work permit, there won’t be an issue for the child to study without a study permit, but only at the school level.
If neither parent has a work, study, or resident status and they both have a tourist visa, the child can only study in preschool without a study permit, and to study at other levels, a study permit must be applied for.
Your child has a student visa and you are going to Canada with them (parents accompanying a student visa)
One or both parents enter Canada with a tourist visa along with the student child. In this case, neither parent has the ability to work or study. If they wish to study or work, they must obtain the relevant permits. Read more about this topic on the Canadian student visa page.
Does an international student in Canada need a study permit?
To answer this question, consider the following two scenarios:
Children who are in Canada with their parents, and whose parents have work or study permits, are not required by Canadian law to have a study permit and can study at preschool, elementary, and secondary levels without one. Children outside Canada who plan to come to Canada with their parents who have work or study visas can accompany them under a tourist visa as per Canadian law, and they don’t need to obtain a Canadian study permit; however, sometimes the Canadian immigration office may require a study permit for the child, and when they arrive at the airport in Canada, the immigration officer may prevent the child from entering without a study permit. So, be prepared for this situation and apply for a study visa for your child in advance if needed.
| If the child: | Needs a study permit? | Document Requirements |
|---|---|---|
| is a Canadian citizen | No | Passport& citizenship card or birth certificate |
| has permanent residency in Canada | No | Housing records permanent & residency confirmation or permanent residency card |
| is a foreign individual accompanying their parents as a tourist | Yes | Stamp on the child's passport or on the parents' passport where the child is listed as their son or daughter. |
| is alone or with parents who are temporary residents and have a study permit or work permit. | No | Child's passport or parent's passport where the child is mentioned. The child may have a tourist history. Parents must have work or study permits. |
| is a refugee with or without parents. | No | Eligibility determination from the immigration organization. Child's passport or child listed in the parents' passport or any available travel or identity documents. |
| is in Canada but their residency status is unclear. | No | Child's passport or child listed in the parents' passport or any available travel or identity documents |
Required documents for a Canada accompanying visa
Depending on whether the accompanying person is the student’s spouse, dependent child of the student, or a parent of the student, certain documents are needed to obtain a Canada accompanying visa, which we will outline below:
Necessary documents for obtaining a spouse visa for a student in Canada
Personal documents:
A scan of the first page of the passport and all stamped pages
Translation of the latest degree and academic transcripts
Employment certificate
The last three pay slips
Insurance history (if available)
Language certificate (not mandatory – if available)
Military service card or exemption card
Certificate of no criminal record
One photo 3.5 x 4.5
Documents proving the relationship of the accompanying person with the student:
Marriage certificate
Birth certificate
Photos from the marriage ceremony and contract signing (for those who have recently married)
Documents showing the financial capability of the student’s spouse:
Bank capability letter
Detailed bank statement preferably for the last 4 months
Property documents like house, land, apartment, shop, car, etc.
Lease agreement of the property (if available)
Source of bank capability (if available)
(If the student’s spouse and the student are applying for a visa simultaneously, they can submit financial capability documents jointly, such as bank letters in the name of the joint account holder or property documents with shared ownership).
Documents showing the student’s educational status in Canada (in cases where the accompanying person applies separately and their spouse has obtained a Canadian student visa):
A scan of the student’s passport with the Canadian student visa label on it
Student study permit
University registration letter
Student course selection documents
University tuition payment receipt
Visa application forms for the accompanying person:
If the accompanying person is applying for an Open Work Permit visa:
Form 1295
Form 5257b, known as the travel history form.
Form 5707, also known as the Family or Family Information form.
Necessary documents for obtaining a visa for accompanying children of a student in Canada
Necessary documents for obtaining an accompanying student visa for Canada
If you’re accompanying your child as a parent on a trip to Canada, you’ll need to provide the following documents:
Personal documents:
A scan of the first page of your passport and all stamped pages.
Translation of the latest diploma and academic transcripts.
Employment certificate (if employed).
Last three pay slips (if employed).
Insurance history (if available).
Language certificate (not mandatory – if available).
Military service card or exemption card (if the father is accompanying the student).
Certificate of no criminal record.
A passport-sized photo (3.5 x 4.5 cm).
Documents showing the relationship between the parents and the student:
Translation of the birth certificate.
Financial capacity documents:
As a parent accompanying your student child, you need to provide enough proof of financial capacity. This can be provided by either parent or jointly by both:
Bank statement.
Transaction history for the last four months.
Property documents like house, land, apartment, shop, car, etc.
Lease agreement (if available).
Source of financial capacity (if available).
Visa application forms for accompanying a student:
Form 5257e.
Form 5257b (travel history form).
Form 5645e (family form).
Processing time for a Canada accompanying visa:
If you apply for the accompanying visa simultaneously with the main applicant (student):
In this case, your visa status depends on your spouse’s student visa or your child’s student visa. Whenever their student visa is issued, your visa will be issued too. Therefore, you should consider the processing time for Canada’s student visa, which usually takes from a few days up to 4 months.
If you apply for the accompanying visa separately after the main applicant (student) has received their visa:
In this case, if you apply for an open work permit or a visitor visa, the processing times may vary, and you can check this on the Canada immigration department’s website.
After opening the Canadian immigration website, answer the three questions at the bottom of the page as follows, and then click the “Get processing time” button. You will then see the average processing time for applications. Keep in mind that your application may be processed sooner or later than this time, and unfortunately, there is no guarantee on the response time from the Canadian embassy.
Converting a Spousal Visa to a Work Visa in Canada
We will look at converting a spousal visa to a Canadian work visa in two scenarios:
You are the spouse of a student in Canada and enter Canada on a tourist visa
If you enter Canada on a tourist visa to visit your student spouse, you can convert your tourist spousal visa to an Open Work Permit while you are there. In this case, you need to have sufficient reasons to change your tourist visa to a work visa and submit your application from within Canada.
The conditions, documents, and steps for applying for an Open Work Permit from inside Canada are the same as those for applying from outside Canada, but the difference lies in the processing time and application submission “from within Canada.”
You are a parent of a student and enter Canada on a tourist visa.
If you obtain a tourist visa to accompany your student child, after entering Canada and receiving a job offer from a Canadian employer, you can convert your tourist visa to a work visa.
The job offer in the Canadian job classification system must be at TEER levels 0, 1, 2, or 3, and the employer must obtain an LMIA from the Canadian Ministry of Labour.
By obtaining a work visa in Canada, your child’s education in Canadian public schools will be free. After working for a year, you can also apply for permanent residency for yourself and your child.
Extending a Spousal Visa in Canada
To extend a spousal visa, you need to check the status of the person to whom your visa is dependent (your spouse or child) and ensure that there are no issues on their end. As long as the primary applicant has no problems, you can apply for an extension of your spousal visa.
Reasons for Refusal of a Spousal Visa in Canada
Applications for dependent visas for Canada are usually rejected for the following reasons:
The purpose of travel is not convincing enough for the Canadian immigration officer;
Your financial ability to cover at least one year of living expenses in Canada is insufficient;
Your documents and reasons to prove your return to your home country after your spouse or child’s studies are inadequate;
Your ties to your home country are weak or you have relatives in Canada;
The submitted documents and information are incomplete or incorrect.
It’s stated in your spouse’s study file that you will remain in your home country as their sponsor (in cases where the dependent visa application is submitted after the spouse’s study visa is granted).
If your application for a Canadian dependent visa is denied, don’t get discouraged. You still have a chance to apply for the visa again. We’ve detailed the post-rejection steps and ways to address the rejection on the page about the reasons for Canadian visa rejections.
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Frequently asked questions
For the Canadian dependent visa, can I fill out one visa application form for all my family members?
This program has different subcategories. In all subcategories except for the international graduate subcategory for master’s and doctoral programs, you need to have a job offer from British Columbia to apply.
Can the spouse accompanying a Canadian visa holder work in Canada?
Yes, in most cases your spouse can work in Canada. To do this, they need to apply for an Open Work Permit and get a work authorization. With an Open Work Permit, they can work for any employer in Canada without needing an LMIA (Labour Market Impact Assessment) from the Canadian Ministry of Labor.
However, if you have obtained a study visa conditional on a language course, your spouse is not allowed to work while you’re completing that language prerequisite in Canada. They will need to apply for their work visa after you finish your language course.
Can dependent children with a dependent visa work in Canada?
It depends on the age and educational status of your children. The age of dependency for children in Canada is under 22 years.
If your accompanying child is under 18, it’s better for them to get a study permit for elementary or high school. During school, they cannot work while studying.
If your dependent child is over 18 but under 22 and plans to study at colleges or universities in Canada, they will need to obtain a study permit and can work part-time (20 hours a week) while studying in university without needing a work visa.
Once a child turns 22, they are no longer considered a dependent, and their visa status is separate from their parents’ visa status.
Can parents accompanying a student work in Canada?
No. The accompanying parent of a student, because they are in Canada on a tourist visa, is not allowed to work. To get work authorization, they need to apply for a work permit, which often requires securing a job offer from a Canadian employer.
What is the partner visa for Canada?
If you are an applicant or holder of a Canadian student visa, according to the regulations of the Canadian immigration department, you have the option to bring your partner with you to Canada and apply for a partner visa for them. The partner visa for Canada can be a tourist visa or a work visa. The documents and steps to apply for a partner visa in this case are quite similar to those for a spousal visa, which we have explained in this article.
A partner or life companion refers to someone who lives with you but you are not legally married to each other.
A common-law relationship is a type of partnership where both individuals have lived together continuously and jointly for a minimum of 12 months without being legally married. During this time, the partners must not live apart, unless the separation is temporary and short-term due to family commitments or business trips.
Is it possible to switch my student visa to my spouse's work visa?
The answer to this question is no. Your spouse’s work visa depends on your student visa, and in fact, if your student visa is canceled, their work visa is also effectively canceled. So, what you need to do is have your spouse get an academic acceptance and convert their work visa to a Canadian student visa. After that, as a dependent on your spouse’s student visa, you can apply for an open work permit in Canada and start working.
Does the child of an international student in Canada need a study permit?
According to Canadian government law, the children accompanying international students in Canada are not required to have a study permit and can study in preschool, elementary, and secondary education without a study permit. However, if you are outside of Canada and your child will be coming to Canada with you, the immigration officer at the airport may request a study permit, so it’s better to apply for a study visa for your child in advance.
What are Canada’s policies regarding dependent visas?
Every year, nearly one hundred thousand international students migrate to Canada from around the world for higher education and to receive recognized qualifications in post-secondary programs. Canada’s generous immigration policies allow international students to bring their spouse and dependent children along for work or study in Canada. This way, all immediate family members of the student can benefit from the experience of living in Canada.