Study Permit or Visitor Record for a Minor Child? Three Practical Differences for Families in Canada

Published: July 25, 2025

When a parent holds a Canadian study or work permit, a minor child attending preschool, primary school or secondary school in Canada may be exempt from the requirement to hold a study permit. That exemption, however, does not make a study permit and visitor status functionally identical.

For many families, the practical choice is whether the child should remain in Canada as a visitor—often documented by a visitor record—or obtain a study permit. The better option depends on the child’s travel plans, immigration documentation and provincial health-coverage rules.

1. A study permit can make future travel-document applications more straightforward

A study permit is not a travel document. A child who requires a temporary resident visa (TRV) must still hold a valid TRV to travel to Canada. However, IRCC’s in-Canada process for a new TRV is generally available to people in Canada who hold a valid study permit or work permit and meet the other stated requirements.

A child who is studying without a study permit and holds only visitor status does not fit that in-Canada student-or-worker process. If the child’s TRV expires and the family plans international travel, the child may need to use the outside-Canada TRV process. This can add processing time and uncertainty to the family’s travel plans.

Practical point: Families should check the child’s passport, TRV or eTA, and immigration status well before booking travel. A visitor record extends or documents status in Canada; it does not authorize travel to Canada and does not guarantee re-entry.

2. Re-entry creates a new examination at the border

A visitor record shows the period for which a person was authorized to remain in Canada. It is not a visa and does not guarantee that the same period of stay will be granted after the person leaves and returns.

On every entry, a Canada Border Services Agency officer determines whether the person may enter and, if admitted as a visitor, how long the person may remain. If the officer does not place a stamp or provide another document showing an expiry date, visitor status is generally granted for six months from the date of entry.

Families travelling with a child who previously received a visitor record should carry the child’s current immigration documents and evidence explaining the purpose and expected duration of the stay. If the authorized period after re-entry is unclear, the family should confirm the child’s status and apply to extend it before it expires.

3. Provincial health coverage and fees may differ

Immigration status can also affect provincial health coverage. In British Columbia, the International Student Health Fee is currently $75 per month for individuals enrolled in MSP who hold a study permit valid for six months or longer, including K–12 students.

A child studying with visitor status is not charged that international-student fee merely because the child attends school. However, visitor status does not automatically provide MSP eligibility. The Province notes that visitors are generally ineligible for MSP except in limited circumstances, although a spouse or child accompanying a qualifying work or study permit holder may be eligible depending on the family’s documentation. Families should confirm the child’s actual coverage with Health Insurance BC and maintain private insurance whenever provincial coverage is unavailable or has not yet begun.

How should a family choose?

A visitor record may be workable when the child is clearly exempt from the study-permit requirement, has reliable health coverage, and is unlikely to travel internationally. A study permit may offer a clearer documentary framework when the child will travel, requires a new TRV, or when the family wants formal evidence of the child’s authorization to study.

The decision should be made by reviewing the child’s nationality, existing TRV or eTA, expected travel, the parent’s permit validity, the child’s school arrangements and the rules of the province where the family lives.

Official sources: IRCC — Who can study without a permit; IRCC — Visitor visas for workers and students applying from inside Canada; IRCC — Visitor records; and British Columbia — International Student Health Fee.