Spouse and Family Work and/or Study
Canada’s generous immigration policy allows certain family members of international students to come to Canada to work and/or study.
On this page:
- Visitor Visas
- Work permits for spouses
- Minor children and Canadian study permits
- Applying together
- Extensions
Visitor Visas
A Temporary Resident Visa (TRV), also referred to as a visitor visa, is an official document issued by a Canadian visa office that is placed in your passport to show that you have met the requirements for admission to Canada as a temporary resident (either as a visitor, a student, or a worker).
Work Permits for Spouses
Determine your eligibility
Your spouse or common-law partner may apply for a work permit if:
- you are a full-time student at:
- a public post-secondary institution, such as a college or university or collège d’enseignement général et professionnel (CEGEP)in Quebec
- a private post-secondary institution that operates under the same rules and regulations as a public institution, and receives at least 50 percent of its financing for its overall operations from government grants (currently, only private college-level educational institutions in Quebec qualify) or
- a Canadian private institution authorized by provincial statute to confer degrees
- you have a valid study permit
Validity
Work permits for your spouse or common-law partner are valid for the same period of time as your study permit.
Note: Accompanying spouses or common-law partners of foreign students are eligible for an open work permit, which means they do not need a job offer or a Labour Market Impact Assessment from Service Canada.
Minor Children and Canadian Study Permits
Minor children already in Canada are authorized to study without a study permit at the pre-school, primary or secondary level if
- they are either accompanying parents claiming refugee status or are claimants themselves;
- one of their parents (biological or adoptive) is a Canadian citizen or permanent resident;
- one of their parents (biological or adoptive) is authorized to work or study in Canada; this includes temporary residents who are
- work permit holders,
- study permit holders,
- visitor status holders (e.g., visitor record holders) who are either authorized to work without a permit, as per section 186 of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations(IRPR), or authorized to study without a permit, as per section R188; or
- neither parent is physically in Canada.
Minor children intending to study are required to apply for a study permit before entering Canada.
It should be noted that minor children of a temporary resident (visitor) who is not authorized to work or study require a study permit to study in Canada.
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Applying Together
if you are planning to bring your family to Canada while you study, and you’ll be arriving at the same time, you may consider filling out one application for the entire family. If you have a variety of different permit applications (your study permit and your spouse or common-law partner’s work permit, for example) you will need extra documentation and will need to include additional fees (such as the additional fee for the work permit).
Extensions
If you wish to extend or change your conditions while you are in Canada, you will need to complete a separate application. Make sure to check the date of expiry on your study permit and apply at least 30 days before that date if you would like to extend your stay.