Length of the process. The spouse or partner sponsorship process usually takes approximately one year to gain final approval. The processing time is dependent on the workload that the visa or immigration office is experiencing, as well as how complete the application is.

Family reunification is the second largest category of Canadian immigration. That's why international students are eligible to bring their families with them when they come to Canada to study. While here, your spouse or common-law partner would be eligible for an open work permit.

If your spouse or common-law partner is in Canada on a temporary resident (visitor) visa, they have to apply for a work permit to be able to work. Your spouse or common-law partner can apply for a work permit from inside Canada if they have a temporary resident permit that is valid for six months or more.

In this way, a student's entire close family can benefit from a Canadian experience. The spouse or common-law partner of an international student may apply for an open work permit. The student must be studying full-time at A public post-secondary institution.

Yes, in most cases, your spouse or common-law partner can work in Canada. However, they will usually need a work permit to work in Canada. In other cases, your spouse or common-law partner must apply for a work permit for a specific employer. The employer may have to get a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA).

You cannot change your tourist visa into student visa. You must apply from within Canada to extend your stay or visit three weeks before your visa expires. After June 1, 2014 it is possible to change from visitor visa to study permit while you are still in Canada.

Most visitors to Canada cannot work or study in Canada without a permit. If you are visiting Canada and you want to work or study, you have a few options if you still have legal status in Canada. For a new work permit, you can apply: from your home country or another country where you are lawfully admitted.

Changing Immigration Status in Canada. So although the status change process can be initiated in Canada, an individual has to be prepared to leave Canada if the work permit process is not completed by the time his or her visitor visa status expired. Changing status from visitor to permanent resident is not possible.

An open work permit can be issued to a foreign national only under one of the Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) exemptions. A foreign national may apply for an open work permit outside Canada, at a port of entry or after arrival to Canada, as per program requirements.