Dependent Family Members of NBCC Students

Family members and/or friends can visit you during your studies at NBCC.  They must have permission to enter and remain in Canada and meet certain conditions. Close family members, such as your partner or dependent children, may also benefit from your status – allowing them to work or study – while in Canada.

A family member who is coming for less than six (6) months to visit you in Canada will need to apply for an electronic travel authorization (eTA) or temporary resident visa (TRV), depending on their country of citizenship. They can review the requirements at this link: https://www.cic.gc.ca/english/visit/visas.asp.

You may write a letter of invitation to support their application for a temporary resident visa (TRV). There is more information writing a letter of invitation and a template that you can use in the ‘Resources’ section of https://nbcc.ca/international/visas-permits-and-immigration,.

If you are a full-time student at New Brunswick Community College (NBCC), your partner (a spouse or common-law partner) may be able to work while you study.

Your partner will need a separate work permit, also called a spousal open work permit. This permit allows your partner to work for any employer – with a small number of exceptions - and anywhere in Canada.

They can apply when you make your initial study permit application from outside Canada or apply separately to join you after you’ve arrived. Typically, their work permit will be issued for the same length as your study permit.

Note for common-law partners: be sure to include proof of your common-law relationship as supporting documentation in your application, along with a notarized Statutory Declaration of Common Law Union [IMM8 5409] form.

For more information on this application, you can visit https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/study-canada/work/help-your-spouse-common-law-partner-work-canada.html.

If have recently graduated from NBCC and are working on a Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP) in a job that is at Skill Level O, A, or B, in Canada’s National Occupational Classification (NOC), you may apply to extend your partner’s open work permit. You can find further details on this requirement by answering the questionnaire at this link: https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/work-canada/permit/temporary/need-permit.html.

Important: an open work permit may exclude a small number of occupations (such as jobs in hospitals or schools). These conditions may be removed with a medical examination conducted in Canada by a panel physician, provided that exam is included with your partners application.

In New Brunswick, a minor is defined as a person under the age of 19. If your child or children are already in Canada (and you or your partner is a temporary resident of Canada with a valid study or work permit), your children are authorized to study at the pre-school, primary or secondary level. In this case, these children in Canada must possess a visitor’s visa or record.

When applying from overseas and your children are still outside Canada, however, you will need to apply for a study permit for all children and other family members that intend to join you for six months or longer.

Children usually start public school in the year they turn 5 years old. If your child is not yet school aged, they do not require a study permit and should apply for a Temporary Resident Visa or electronic travel authorization, as required. You should request a Visitor Record for them when entering Canada. 

Minors coming to Canada with parents who have a valid study or work permit don’t need to provide a letter of acceptance from a school when applying for a study permit (See: Apply for a study permit outside Canada).

If your child is 19 or older, they will need to apply for their study permit independently. If they meet the definition of a dependent child, you can submit their Visitor Record application together with your study/work permit application.

For more information on applying for a study permit for your dependent children, please visit: https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/study-canada/study-permit/prepare/minor-children.html#sp-minor.

If your family will all be arriving in Canada at the same time, you should submit one complete application for your entire family. Alternatively, you have the option to submit your study permit application alone. Then, once you receive a decision, submit all subsequent applications for your family members at that time, or after you have travelled to Canada.

When you extend your documents, you will likely need to extend each dependent’s status in Canada as well. You can extend their stay at the same time you extend your study permit or apply for the Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP).

Be sure to extend the documents for each individual (even infants) before their status in Canada expires. Applications must be submitted before 11:59 pm UTC (not local time) on the date their status expires to remain in Canada under maintained status. 

Follow the links for more information on how to:

• Extend their stay as a visitor
• Extend their stay as a student
• Extend their stay as a worker 
• Extend their Temporary Resident Visa in Canada (for study or work permit holders only)