BRING YOUR FAMILY
We encourage students to monitor IRCC’s website for the most up-to-date information. New information relevant to SFU students will be posted on our News and Updates page as it becomes available.
Work Permit Eligibility
Starting January 21, 2025, your spouse or common-law partner may be eligible for an open work permit (which means they do not need a job offer or a Labour Market Impact Assessment) if you have a valid study permit and you’re:
- a full-time student studying in a master's degree program of 16 months or longer or doctoral degree program; or
- participating in an eligible program, or
- studying in one of the following professional degree programs:
- Doctor of Dental Surgery (DDS, DMD)
- Bachelor of Law or Juris Doctor (LLB, JD, BCL)
- Doctor of Medicine (MD)
- Doctor of Optometry (OD)
- Pharmacy (PharmD, BS, BSc, BPharm)
- Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM)
- Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BScN, BSN)
- Bachelor of Nursing Science (BNSc)
- Bachelor of Nursing (BN)
- Bachelor of Education (BEd)
- Bachelor of Engineering (BEng, BE, BASc)
Ineligible Programs
Graduate certificates and diplomas are not master's degree programs and are not eligible for this program. Spouses or common-law partners of international students in other levels of study, including undergraduate and college programs are not eligible for an open work permit unless they already hold one under this stream and are seeking to extend their existing work permits.
Visit the IRCC website for full details of the open work permit eligibility criteria.
Definition of Common-law Partner
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada defines common-law partners as people of the same or opposite sex who are cohabitating and have cohabitated in a conjugal relationship for at least one year. In Canada, a common-law partner is regarded in the same manner as a legal spouse. Visit the IRCC website for more information.
When a Study Permit is required
Anyone under the age of majority (19 in British Columbia) is considered to be a minor child.
Minor Children generally do not require a study permit to attend preschool, primary school or secondary school in Canada. This includes minor children who come with parents who are applying for a study or work permit. They do not require a letter of acceptance (LOA) from a Canadian educational institution.
Children under 5 years old may be eligible to attend daycare or preschool with a travel document [ie. temporary resident visa (TRV) or electronic travel authorization (eTA)].
School-aged minor children who are turning 5 years old and older are generally encouraged to apply for a study permit, as it may be required by the school district where the child will be enrolled. Obtaining a study permit at an early stage may help avoid disruptions to a child's studies once they become school-aged or transition to higher levels of education. If needed, the study permit should be extended before it expires.
For more information, see studying in Canada as a minor. For schooling and childcare for your dependent children, please see Support for your family.
How To Apply
Your family member(s) may apply:
- At the same time as your initial study permit application.
- Online from inside Canada, if they have already entered Canada as a visitor, providing all the eligibility criteria are met. Please refer to Extend your family members' documents.
- At a Port-of-Entry, if they are TRV-exempt and have an Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) or they are a citizen or permanent resident of the United States (US).
Please contact an International Student Advisor, Immigration Specialist if you have questions about how to apply.
For all family members
If your dependent family will be joining you, they will require some or all of the following documents from you as part of their application for temporary residence in Canada (in addition to their own supporting documents, as specified by the responsible visa office):
- Required application forms, available on the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) website
- Your SFU Letter of Acceptance (also referred to as your admission offer/letter) or Confirmation of Enrolment letter
- For SFU exchange students, they can use your SFU Exchange/Study Abroad Letter.
- Note: Spouses or Common-law partners of SFU Exchange students do not meet the eligibility requirements for an open work permit. They may, however, apply for other types of Canadian immigration documents to accompany their family member.
- Your official SFU transcript (if you have begun your studies)
- An invitation letter from you
- A copy of your study permit (if applicable) and passport
- Proof of funds: This could include letter(s) from a bank, employer, scholarship provider, and SFU funding letter
Biometrics and/or an immigration medical exam may also be required from your family member(s).
Make sure to keep copies of all the documents your family member submits with their application.
For Dependent Spouse or Common-law Partner
- Proof of relationship for Dependent Spouse: Marriage Certificate
- Proof of relationship for Common-law Partner: It is strongly recommended that you include documentation that proves your cohabitation (eg. joint bank accounts, shared property/tenancy documents, shared utility bills, government-issued IDs showing matching address, etc)
For Dependent Children
- If you’re a single parent applying for a minor, you may need additional documents depending on your scenario
Recommended additional documents:
- Official school records in English or English translation
- Medical records
Length of Stay
| If your family members: | Then... |
| apply at the same time as your inital study permit, | your dependent family members' permits (e.g. study permit, work permit) will generally be issued for the same length as your study permit. |
| are seeking entry to Canada as visitors, | they may be admitted for a period of 6 months or less. If you are unsure, please ask the Border Services Officer (BSO) at the port of entry. |
| enter Canada without you and they have not applied for a study permit or work permit, | they may be admitted on visitor status for six months or less. As per the IRCC website, visitors in Canada are permitted to stay for up to 6 months. The officer at the border will determine the approved length of stay. Note: Visitors admitted for six months or less are not eligible for BC’s Medical Services Plan (MSP), so they should apply right away to extend or change their immigration document. |
| are travelling to Canada after you have travelled, | we recommend that you send them copies of the documents listed above for them to present at the Canadian port of entry. |
The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) no longer stamps all passports at airports with Primary Inspection Kiosks or eGates. This includes Vancouver International Airport/YVR. If you and/or your family member(s) need a stamp in your passport as proof of entry into Canada, request a stamp from a border services officer after completing the kiosk or the eGate transaction.