International students may bring immediate family members known as ‘dependents’ to live with them while they study in Canada. Read below to discover how dependent family members can join you in Canada.

Please note: applications to have dependents accompany you in Canada while you study are not guaranteed to be approved.

Who Is A Dependent Family Member?

In the context of an application to Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada, a family member is defined as:

  • Spouses: A legal marriage partner. This term refers to both opposite- and same-sex relationships
  • Common-law partners: A person who has been living with another person in a conjugal relationship for at least one year. The term refers to opposite-sex and same-sex relationships.
  • Dependent children: Assess whether your children are considered dependents using this IRCC tool.

Visas for Dependent Family Members

Family members who intend to join you in Canada will require documents to travel and remain in Canada. Depending on their nationality, family members may require a Temporary Resident Visa (TRV) or may be able to travel on an eTA (electronic Travel Authorization for visa-exempt nationals). You can determine which document is required through the IRCC’s online tool.

Your family member(s) can apply with you when you make your initial study permit application from outside Canada, or they can apply to join you separately after you have arrived in Canada. Each family member will be required to hold their own valid immigration document for their stay in Canada (this could include: visitor record, stamp in passport authorizing visitor stay of up to 6 months, study permit, or work permit).

The authorized period of time allowed for a family member’s stay in Canada will usually correspond to the principal applicant’s (the Algonquin College student) study permit.

Accompanying Family Members

If you will be bringing your family to Canada and plan to arrive all at the same time, you can include your family members when you apply for your initial study permit.

Please note that you will be responsible for proving you can financially support all family members who are joining you in Canada.

Family Members Applying After You Have Arrived

Options for family members outside Canada to apply to come to Canada after you have arrived include:

  • If you will be submitting an immigration application after you arrive in Canada, you may add your dependents on your in-Canada immigration application such as a study permit extension, co-op/internship work permit or post-graduation work permit by answering questions in your IRCC secure account.
  • If your family member will be submitting an application on their own, they can start the process using the Come to Canada Tool. Your dependent family member should indicate they are accompanying you as the international student.

Documents that should be used to support their application include:

If your family members enter Canada without you, they may receive a visitor visa of only 6 months in length.

To increase the likelihood that they will receive a visitor record for the same length of time as your study permit, ensure your family member can present to an officer at the border the following documents from the primary study permit holder:

Extending A Family Member’s Status in Canada

It is important that all family members maintain a valid status in Canada for the duration of their stay. Check the expiry date of your documents and apply to extend your stay before these documents expire.

If you are in Canada and need to extend your study permit, you can include your family member(s) by answering the questions found in the questionnaire of your IRCC secure account. Questions may include if you have family member(s) with you in Canada and if you would like to extend their stay as well.

If your family member needs to extend their stay separately, please review the following resources:

IRCC can only issue a permit for the length of a valid passport. If the passport expires in advance of the permit’s full validity period, the permit will reflect the passport expiry date.