Comprehensive reference for international students at UBC.
Documents for family members
Canadian immigration policy regards an international student’s common-law partner as a legal spouse. Common-law partners include people of the same or opposite gender who currently live together and have lived together in a conjugal relationship of at least one year
You can apply to have your relationship recognized as a common-law union by:
- completing the Statutory Declaration of Common Law Union
- attaching required documents
- submitting it with an application to CIC or a Consulate of Canada for a visitor record or work permit for your partner
If your family members are going to live with you in Canada while you study at UBC, they are advised to apply for visitor status at the same time that you apply.
Spouse/partner work permits
- Most students apply for a work permit for their spouse or partner after arrival in Canada, after they have been admitted as a visitor.
- US citizen spouses and partners of US citizen students are eligible to apply for a work permit at the border or through a Canadian Consulate.
- The work permit will be issued for the same length of time as the partner’s study permit and will allow up to full-time work.
- Your partner does not need a job offer to apply for a work permit.
TIP
You may download the I. House tutorials for general instructions (388 KB PDF), or step-by-step instructions on completing an Online MyCIC Application (2.72 MB PDF) or a Paper Application (536 KB PDF) for a spouse work permit.
Permits for children
Your school-age children (18 years of age or younger) do not require study permits, but study permits, rather than visitor records, can make the immigration process run more smoothly, especially if your child enters Canada without a parent. You should bring two years of official school records for your children, in English or with a certified English translation.
INVITING FAMILY: DOCUMENTS REQUIRED
Send the following documents to the Canadian visa office through which your family will apply for temporary resident status:
- The required application forms
- Your UBC admission letter or your UBC letter or enrollment plus your official UBC transcript (if you have begun your studies)
- A letter from you: it must state how long you have been in Canada and provide information on your current financial situation; your family members’ address(es), telephone number(s), birthdate(s), and occupation(s); and the intended duration of your family’s stay in Canada
- Proof of your financial status: This could include letter(s) from a bank, employer, scholarship provider, or UBC
- Proof of funds
- Proof of relationship: A copy of your marriage certificate or proof of common-law status is needed
- A copy of your study permit and passport
- Make copies of all the documents: one copy for yourself and another copy for your family members (your family members should contact the Canadian visa office as soon as they receive the documents)
TIP
You may download the I. House tutorial for general instructions (224 KB PDF) on inviting family members and writing a letter of invitation.
Length of stay
If your family members enter Canada without you, they may be admitted on visitor status for six months or less. Visitors admitted for six months or less are not eligible for BC’s Medical Services Plan (MSP), which is health insurance, so apply right away to extend or change their documents.
To ensure that your family members travelling without you are admitted to Canada as visitors for the length of your study permit, be sure to send them copies of the documents listed above for them to present at the Canadian border crossing.
Extending family immigration documents
- All dependants (including children) require their own documents.
- Documents must be extended before their expiry date.
- You can apply to extend your study permit, work permit and all the documents of your family members online through MyCIC.
- If you must extend your family’s documents (but not your own) your family must apply using a paper application to CIC for visitors or for work permits.
- Pay the appropriate fee for each family member.
- Visitor documents may include a stamp in the passport or a visitor record (looks like a study permit).
An undated customs stamp normally authorizes the visitor to remain in Canada for six months. Your family members should ensure their passports get stamped during the border crossing.
