Published: August 13, 2026
When a parent holds a Canadian study permit or work permit and a child accompanies the parent to Canada for school, should the child obtain a separate study permit, or is a Visitor Record sufficient to maintain visitor status? This is a common question for families coming to Canada.
Under section 30(2) of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, a minor child who is already in Canada and is accompanied by a parent authorized to work or study in Canada may generally attend preschool, primary school or secondary school without a study permit. The child must nevertheless maintain valid temporary resident status.
If a study permit is not legally required, why do some parents still obtain one? The answer depends on the different functions of three documents that are often confused with one another.
1. Distinguishing the three documents
A Study Permit (SP) authorizes the child to study in Canada subject to the conditions stated on the permit.
A Visitor Record (VR) does not itself authorize study. It records how long the child may remain in Canada as a visitor. A child who separately meets the minor-child study permit exemption may attend school while holding visitor status.
A Temporary Resident Visa (TRV) is the travel document used by a visa-required child to seek entry to Canada from abroad. Neither an SP nor a VR replaces a TRV or guarantees re-entry.
2. Why obtain a study permit when an exemption is available?
2.1 Applying for a TRV from inside Canada
This is one of the most practical advantages of an SP. A child who holds a valid study permit and plans to leave and return to Canada in the near future may use IRCC’s in-Canada TRV application process for students and workers when the existing TRV has expired or is about to expire.
A child who holds only a VR cannot use that process, because it is limited to valid study permit or work permit holders. If the child leaves Canada after the TRV has expired, the child will generally need to use the outside-Canada TRV process and wait for approval and passport counterfoil issuance before returning.
Example: In September 2024, eight-year-old A travelled to Canada on a TRV with her mother, whose study permit was valid until the end of 2026. A then obtained a VR valid to the same date. Before a family trip in summer 2025, they discovered that A’s TRV had expired at the end of 2024. Although the VR remained valid, it was not a travel document. A still required a new TRV to return to Canada. Had A held a valid study permit, applying for the new TRV from inside Canada would generally have been more convenient.
Families planning to rely on a VR for an extended period should therefore monitor the child’s TRV expiry date as well as the VR expiry date.
2.2 A clearer transition for continued studies
The exemption for minor children does not continue indefinitely. Once the child reaches the age of majority in the applicable province or territory, a formal study permit will generally be required to continue studying. The exemption also cannot be relied upon for later college or university studies.
If a child remains on visitor status until the end of secondary school, the family may need to address study permit eligibility, school documentation and processing time shortly before the child’s transition to post-secondary education. Maintaining an SP throughout may make that transition more predictable.
2.3 A study permit has a stated expiry date; re-entry requires a fresh assessment
An SP states a clear period of validity. A VR records a period of stay previously granted in Canada and is not a travel document. When the child leaves Canada and later seeks re-entry, CBSA makes a new decision on admission and the authorized period of stay. The family should not assume that the old VR expiry date will automatically govern the new entry.
In practice, the officer may record a period corresponding to the prior VR, admit the child without writing a different date—in which case the usual period is six months from the new entry—or issue a new VR with a stated expiry date.
It is prudent to carry the prior VR, a valid TRV, proof of current school attendance or admission, and the parent’s valid study or work permit. If no new period is recorded, families should generally manage the child’s status on the basis of six months from the latest entry and apply to extend the stay before that period expires.
3. What are the advantages of a Visitor Record?
For a child who already qualifies for the study permit exemption, a VR application may be simpler. In some provinces, it may also avoid certain costs associated specifically with international students holding study permits.
3.1 A more direct application
A VR application generally does not require the full set of study permit materials. The family must still establish the parent-child relationship, the parent’s valid Canadian status, the reason for the child’s continued stay and the family’s ability to support the child in Canada.
3.2 Potentially lower costs in some provinces
In British Columbia, international students enrolled in MSP while holding a valid study permit are currently charged the monthly $75 International Student Health Fee, including K-12 students.
A child is not charged that fee merely because the child holds visitor status. A dependent child holding a VR may also be eligible for MSP as the family member of a study permit or work permit holder if the applicable residency and enrolment requirements are met. Health Insurance BC assesses eligibility based on the family’s particular immigration documents; a VR does not create automatic eligibility.
4. Which option is more appropriate?
An SP will often be preferable where the child travels frequently, the existing TRV has a short remaining validity, the child is approaching the age of majority, or the family expects to use the in-Canada TRV process. The application requires more documentation, but the child’s study status and future travel arrangements may be clearer.
A VR may be simpler and more economical where the child is young, already in Canada, eligible to study without a permit, supported by parents with stable status, unlikely to travel in the near future, or already holds a long-valid multiple-entry TRV.
Before deciding, consider at least three matters: the remaining validity of the child’s TRV, likely travel during the next one or two years, and the time remaining before the child reaches the age of majority or begins post-secondary studies.
Official sources verified as of August 13, 2026: Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, s. 30(2); Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations, ss. 183 and 215; IRCC guidance on minor children studying in Canada, visitor records, and in-Canada TRV applications; Province of British Columbia guidance on MSP and the International Student Health Fee.