Temporary Resident Visa
A Temporary Resident Visa (TRV) is an official document (counterfoil sticker) issued by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) and placed in your passport to show you have met the requirements for admission into Canada as a temporary resident.
If you are from a visa-exempt country, you require an Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) instead of a TRV.
A TRV will be automatically stamped on your passport once your initial study permit is approved. A TRV can be issued for a single entry or multiple entries. Typically, international students are issued multiple entry visas.
If you need to extend your study permit or apply for your Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP) from inside Canada, your TRV will not be automatically renewed. You will need to do this separately.
If your TRV expires, your status in Canada is still tied to your study permit. A TRV is only required for your entering or re-entering Canada. Therefore, you will need a TRV to re-enter Canada if you intend to travel outside Canada. We recommend students maintain a valid TRV in case emergency travel is required.
How do I apply for a new TRV?
We recommend you apply for a TRV online within Canada, and the application fee is $100. Typically, your TRV will be granted for the duration of your study permit.
Once you have signed into your account, you will complete a questionnaire to generate your own personalized document checklist.
The application form you will submit is the Application for Visitor Visa (Temporary Resident Visa) Made Outside of Canada (IMM5257).
In addition, you’ll also need to provide the following supporting documents:
- recent education transcript
- proof of next term’s enrolment — current SAIT international students can request the letter by completing the online letter request form
- your study permit
- proof of means of financial support — you must provide evidence you can support yourself and any accompanying family members while you are in Canada
- your passport and digital photo ID.
Once you apply online and if your application is approved, IRCC will ask you to mail your passport so the visa can be added.
If your study permit expires soon, you should renew your study permit before you apply for your TRV. The validity date on your TRV will be tied to your study permit.
Bringing your family to Canada
As an international student in Canada, you can have your family members live with you or visit you. You can provide documents supporting their temporary resident application to Canada.
If you are an international student studying full-time and have a valid study permit, your spouse or common-law partner can apply for an open work permit. Your spouse/partner does not need a job offer to apply, and the Spousal open work permit will be valid for the same period as your study permit. With an open work permit, your spouse/partner can work while you study for any employer unless restricted by the work permit itself.
In order for your spouse to be eligible for an open work permit, you need to study full-time in a certificate, diploma, or degree program that is at least 8 months long. If you are studying in ELF, Academic Upgrading, open studies or a certificate program shorter than eight months, your spouse/partner will not be eligible for an open work permit.
The spousal open work permit can be applied for together with your initial study permit or later after you come to Canada. If the application will be submitted after you start your program, you can include a Confirmation of Enrollment letter from SAIT and a copy of your study permit in the application. Find out more about the process to apply for a spousal open work permit.
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.
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.
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.