If you're a married or common-law applicant planning to study in Canada, you might wonder whether your spouse can accompany you or join you later. The answer is yes, they could come either on a visiting visa or a spousal open work permit depending on eligibility and other factors unique to your family.
What Type of Application Should Your Spouse Submit?
Spousal Open Work Permit or Visiting Visa
In March 2024, IRCC updated the criteria for the Spouse Open Work Permit (SOWP). Spouses or common-law partners of international students are now eligible for an open work permit only if the student is:
Enrolled in a Master’s or doctoral degree program, or
Pursuing certain professional programs.
Additionally, IRCC plans to further restrict eligibility for SOWP to spouses of students enrolled in master’s programs lasting 16 months or longer. Considering these changes, it’s essential to assess your program of study carefully when planning your spouse’s application. If you do not meet the criteria mentioned above, your option to accompany your spouse will be to apply for a Canadian visa.
The key difference between a Canadian visa and a Spousal Open Work Permit is employment eligibility. With a Canadian visa, you cannot work for a Canadian employer. However, individuals on a Spousal Open Work Permit are permitted to work for Canadian employers.
Spouses eligible for a Spousal Open Work Permit can also choose to apply for only a Canadian visa instead. In our experience, some spouses opt for a visa rather than a work permit, often considering the following factors when making their decision:
The Planned Duration of Stay for Your Spouse
How long does your spouse want to stay in Canada? A short visit to drop you off and come in from time to time or to remain in Canada through the duration of your studies? We have seen cases, where the spouse will choose to be visiting the spouse studying in Canada due to his or her employment or business commitments in their home country but would love to have access to visit at any time during the duration of the student's study in Canada. In this case, a visiting visa may be appropriate.
In other cases, the spouse is ready to leave it all and accompany the student to Canada and remain in Canada for the duration of their studies. In this situation, a work permit may be more appropriate if eligible.
Funds Available
As a student, you are required to show a minimum total of your tuition fees, living expenses & transportation costs to Canada. For example, a student coming for a one-year $20,000 program with an average transport cost of $2000 plus a required living expense of $20,635 minimum, you are looking at a total of $42,635 CAD to start.
If the duration of your program is more than one year, this cost goes up. When adding a spouse to accompany you on a visit or work permit, you also have to include the cost of their living expenses for the duration of their stay as well as their transportation cost.
Ties to Home Country (for you and your spouse)
In an application for a study permit, applicants are required to show ties to their home country. Ties sometimes include( but are not limited to) Family, Business, Employment, Landed assets, and Financial Assets.
It is important that you have enough ties to show for yourself and your partner if applied together as this would be accessed independently for each applicant. A spouse who is coming on a visiting visa could still be one of your ties to your home country if he plans to return after the short visit.
However, in the case of a work permit, your spouse would not be a tie in your home country if he plans to remain with you in Canada for the duration of your studies. Therefore, you would be required to highlight other factors in your application to prove your ties to your home country.
Case Study 1
Solly’s dream was to reunite with his wife, who is in Canada on a study permit and pursuing a master's degree . In March 2024, he applied for a Spousal Open Work Permit, but the application was refused—a setback that could have discouraged many.
But Solly didn’t give up. He turned to us for guidance. Together, we prepared a stronger application, and on July 5, 2024, he re-applied and in November 14, 2024, the approval came through. Solly’s Spousal Open Work Permit was finally approved, paving the way for him to join his wife in Canada.
Case Study 2
Buki dreamed of starting a new chapter in Canada with her family by her side. In May 2024, she applied for a study permit, while her spouse and two children applied for a visiting visa and study permits, respectively. Spouse applied for a visiting visa because student is coming for a Post Graduate Diploma program. On September 13, 2024, we submitted a reapplication. Just 1 month and 24 days later, on November 6, 2024, the approvals came through! Buki’s study permit was approved, her spouse received a visiting visa, and both of their children secured open study permits.
Not sure which direction to take?
While this is a good place to start when trying to determine whether to apply for a visiting visa or a work permit, Book our Spousal Work Permit Or visiting Visa Consultation to discuss you and your spouse's options while studying in Canada with one of our knowledgeable Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultants!
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