Bringing Your Family to Canada

Spousal or common law partner

Only spouses of students in master’s degree, doctoral degree or selected programs are eligible for a spousal open work permit in Canada. Please note that current SAIT programs do not fall under these categories.

In place of an open work permit based on your student status, your spouse may be eligible for a study permit, visitor visa or working holiday visa or any other type of work permit depending on their individual circumstances and eligibility.

After graduation, your spouse or common-law partner might be eligible for an open work permit if when you apply for hold a post-graduation work permit (PGWP)  you are working in an occupation in TEER category 0, 1, or in certain occupations in TEER category 2 or 3 of the National Occupation Classification system and you can work in Canada for at least 16 months after IRCC receives the open work permit application.

For more information, please visit the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada website.

Spouses or common-law partners who currently hold an open work permit based on their partner’s study permit are eligible to extend their open work permit as long as the principal applicant (i.e. the study permit holder) is extending their study permit for the same program of study.

Study permit for your children

If you’d like your minor children to accompany you and to study in Canada, you can submit study permit applications for them as part of your initial study permit application or at a later time.

Parents who will have or currently have a valid study permit do not need to include a Letter of Acceptance for their minor children when applying for a study permit.

If the study permit application for your child is submitted after your study permit application has been approved, you should include a copy of your study permit and a Confirmation of Enrollment letter as part of the application.

If your minor children are already in Canada as visitors, they can study without a study permit as long as you have a valid study permit. However, if they will apply for a study permit from inside of Canada, then the application needs a Letter of Acceptance from their school.

Find out more information about minor children studying in Canada.

Please contact the school board where you intend to enroll your child for information about tuition costs.

Tuition for your children

Your children will be charged for general school fees if you (the parent) are in one of the following situations:

• A study permit holder that enrolled in:
  • A full-time provincially recognized diploma or degree program that is at least two years in duration; or
  • A full-time graduate or post-doctoral program of study that is at least one year in duration
• A work permit holder; or
• A refugee claimant; or
• Has diplomatic status in Canada

If you (the parent) do not qualify as a temporary resident (as defined above), your children may be charged for international tuition.

Please contact the school board where you intend to enroll your child for detailed information.

Invite family to visit Canada

Most visitors to Canada need a Visitor Visa or an Electronic Travel Authorization to enter Canada.

The documents that your family must submit to apply to visit Canada depend on many factors, such as their nationality and how they will travel to Canada. Find out what documents your family needs to apply to visit you in Canada.

Supporting documents from you:

• copy of your passport*
• copy of your study permit*
• Confirmation of Enrollment letter
• Letter of Invitation (a letter drafted by you and including information about you, your family members applying to visit Canada, and the purpose of your family’s visit to Canada.)

When your family travels to Canada, they may want to carry the above-supporting documents in case a border services officer asks to see them.

_{*These should be valid for the duration of your family’s proposed visit.}