Canada Study Visa For Minors: Requirements and How To Apply

Last Updated On 30 October 2023, 9:59 AM EDT (Toronto Time)

Did you know that minors can apply for a Canada study visa if they have a Canadian citizen or permanent resident relative who can become their custodian?

Apart from this, if you are coming to Canada on a study visa or work permit and your child is accompanying you, then they can also apply for their study visa.

This article delves into the important information that parents must know about the schooling visa for Canada.

Who is considered a minor child for a schooling visa?

The age of majority varies for every province and territory of Canada. Following is the categorization for age of majority across Canada:

Province or territory	Age of majority
Alberta, Manitoba, Ontario, Prince Edward Island, Quebec, Saskatchewan	18
British Columbia, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Northwest Territories, Nova Scotia, Nunavut, Yukon	19

Parents or legal guardians

Minors of foreign nationality can come to Canada for study if they can prove that they either:

• come with their parent or legal guardian “OR”
• have a custodian in Canada (A Canadian citizen or PR who will take care of and support the minor child)

How do I appoint a custodian?

To appoint a custodian, a declaration form from custodian is needed to be sent along with the study permit application.

As per IRCC guidelines, two pages of the form look similar, but:

• the first page needs to be signed by the custodian and notarized (certified by a lawyer or notary) in Canada
• the second page needs to be signed by the parents or legal guardians of the minor child and notarized in their home country

Furthermore, as per IRCC’s website, minors already in Canada may study without a study permit if they:

• are in kindergarten, no matter what their parents’ status is in Canada
• want to go to pre-school, primary or secondary school and have a parent who is allowed to work or study in Canada
• are refugees or refugee claimants
• have parents who are refugees or refugee claimants
• came to Canada as a visitor for a course or program of studies of six months or less
• will study in a course or program of six months or less
• are in Canada by themselves

Choosing DLI for a Study Visa

To apply for a study visa, always ensure that you are getting admission to a Designated Learning Institution (DLI).

All the primary and secondary schools in Canada are designated, so minors who want to apply for study in classes up to the 12th standard can choose any school that offers admission.

For post-secondary study, you can click here to check whether a college or university is a designated learning institution or not.

Minors accompanying parents with a valid study or work permit

There are a few things to consider for underage children accompanying their parents who are already on study or work permits.

Such children must apply for a study permit before they enter Canada. However, they don’t need to provide a letter of acceptance from a school at the time of application.

But you’ll need a letter of acceptance if you are a minor child in Canada with a family member who had a work or study permit approved before entering Canada.

---

canada study visa, canada schooling visa, studying in canada as a minor, canada immigration news, immigration news canada, new ircc update,