Student’s Family

Yes. You may bring your spouse, common-law partner, and dependent children. Your spouse or common-law partner will receive an open work permit for the duration of your studies. The open work permit will allow your spouse or partner to work for any employer within Canada.

Determine your eligibility

Your spouse or common-law partner may apply for a work permit if:

you are a full-time student at:

• a public post-secondary institution, such as a college or university or collège d’enseignement général et professionnel (CEGEP) in Quebec
• a private post-secondary institution that operates under the same rules and regulations as a public institution, and receives at least 50 percent of its financing for its overall operations from government grants (currently, only private college-level educational institutions in Quebec qualify) or
• a Canadian private institution authorized by provincial statute to confer degrees

you have a valid study permit

Validity

Work permits for your spouse or common-law partner are valid for the same period of time as your study permit.

Note: Accompanying spouses or common-law partners of foreign students are eligible for an open work permit, which means they do not need a job offer or a labour market opinion from Service Canada.