As an international student, you may invite your spouse, common law partner, children or parents to visit you in Canada.
Citizens of many countries require a Temporary Resident Visa (TRV), also known as a visitor visa or entry visa, to travel to Canada. This page offers tips for supporting family members who require one to apply.
Summary of contents
• Apply for a visitor visa for family
• Tips for an easy application
• Extending a visit
• Further information
Apply for a visitor visa for family Before you leave your home country, your family member(s) may apply for a visitor visa (or an open work permit, in the case of spouses) online or through the Visa Application.
Centre (VAC) serving your country of citizenship or legal residence. This can be done at the same time that you are applying for your study permit.
If you are already in Canada and wish to invite your family to join
Student Spouse Visitor Visa
Visitor visas for your family
As an international student, you may invite your spouse, common law partner, children or parents to visit you in Canada.
Citizens of many countries require a Temporary Resident Visa (TRV), also known as a visitor visa or entry visa, to travel to Canada. This page offers tips for supporting family members who require one to apply.
Summary of contents
• Apply for a visitor visa for family
• Tips for an easy application
• Extending a visit
• Further information
Apply for a visitor visa for family Before you leave your home country, your family member(s) may apply for a visitor visa (or an open work permit, in the case of spouses) online or through the Visa Application.
Centre (VAC) serving your country of citizenship or legal residence. This can be done at the same time that you are applying for your study permit.
If you are already in Canada and wish to invite your family to join you, you can support their visitor visa applications by sending the following documents:
Letter of invitation
You must write a letter of invitation on your family member’s behalf. Be sure to include the following information:
• your relative’s name, their address, and their telephone number
• your relative’s date of birth
• your name, address and telephone number (home and office) in Canada • an invitation to your relative to join you in Canada and information about how long you wish them to stay here
Your current status documents
• a copy of your study permit (or work permit, if applicable)
• a confirmation of enrolment letter from your registrar’s office (if you are a continuing student)
Information about financial support
Required only if inviting a spouse or child to come stay with you during your studies.
Can include:
• a copy of the last four months of your bank statements
• a letter describing any scholarship you may have and its specific amount
• a letter indicating the amount you are paid for work, if you have a job in Canada
• a letter from a sponsor (if you have one) that includes information about their financial circumstances
• documents describing any other source of financial support you have
Although your spouse is eligible to apply for a work permit and may look for work upon arrival in Canada, IRCC will not take into consideration the possibility of this additional income when assessing financial support.
Tips for an easy application
If you are inviting a family member who is not your spouse (for example, your parents or your siblings), they should show proof of enough funds for their stay in Canada (bank statements, pay stubs, etc.). They will also need to show a strong connection to their home country (job, business, family, etc.).
We strongly recommend that you send an invitation letter and the other documents to your family member even if they are coming from a country whose citizens do not require a visa to enter Canada. Upon arrival, immigration officers usually ask visitors about the purpose of their visit – having the invitation letter from you, and the other documents, can make this process easier. Extending a visit
If your spouse gets an open work permit, she or he will be allowed to stay in Canada for the duration of your studies. However, if your spouse applies only for the visa, you should be aware of the following:
They will be admitted to Canada as visitors, and may initially only be given status for six months (or fewer). The exact time period is decided by an immigration officer and the exact expiry date is communicated in one of three ways:
1. A hand-written date on the stamp in the passport which confirms entry to
Canada.
2. A document which states how long the visitor can stay in Canada (6 months or fewer), known as a visitor record.
3. In some cases, the immigration officer does not write anything on the passport or provide a document to the visitor. In such cases, it is assumed that the visitor is allowed to stay in Canada for up to six months from the date of the stamp. If they don’t stamp the passport, it is recommended to keep a record of the flight in case there is a need to prove the date of arrival.
To stay longer, the visitor should apply to extend their stay before the expiry of the allowed time period. To do so, they should apply for an extension of their status as a visitor, which will allow them to stay longer. A successful application will result in a visitor record being issued.
If you have children, you should extend their stay before the expiry of their allowed visit period. You can apply for an extension of their status as a visitor on their behalf.
Children can attend school with a visitor record. They do not necessarily require a study permit.
Visiting parents are not necessarily able to extend their status to match yours, like a spouse/partner or children. They can request an extension of their initial visitor status though.
Further information
• If you will be accompanied by your spouse/partner, you can include him or her in your application. They can request a spousal work permit. Please visit our Work permits page for more information.
• If you are a parent bringing your children, we recommend that you include them in your application and request study permits for them, if they will be attending primary or secondary school. If they are too young to attend school, they can enter Canada as visitors using just their passport and a visitor visa or electronic travel authorization (ETA), if required. Usually, visitors are allowed to stay in Canada for up to 6 months.
Once you are in Canada, you should extend your child’s status before the expiry date of the allowed visit period. You can apply for an extension of their status as a visitor on their behalf. Children can attend school with a visitor record. They do not necessarily require a study permit.
• If you need help finding schools or daycare for your children, we encourage you to contact the Family Care Office here at the University.
• If you are a dependent of a Canadian citizen, permanent resident or a temporary worker, you may be eligible for ‘domestic’ tuition fees. To determine whether you qualify, please visit the University’s Student Accounts webpage and speak with your registrar’s office.
