Accompanying Children

If you will be entering Canada together, you should request that your child be issued a visitor record valid until the expiration of your study permit or work permit.

Your child can come to Canada as a visitor if they will:

• be attending daycare (“garderie”)
• be attending kindergarten (“maternelle” – held in elementary schools)
• will not be attending daycare, kindergarten, elementary, secondary, or post-secondary school (e.g. too young to attend daycare or school; visiting Canada for a short period of time, such as a school holiday)

If your child will be attending daycare (i.e. is 5 years old or less) or kindergarten (called “maternelle” in French), or if your child is too young to attend daycare or kindergarten, they can simply come to Canada as a visitor. Once in Canada as a visitor, your child can then continue on to elementary school without needing a CAQ or Study Permit. Your child must maintain a valid visitor status throughout their stay or studies in Canada.

Depending on your child’s country of citizenship, they may need to obtain a Temporary Resident Visa (TRV) or Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) to travel to Canada.

The border services officer at the port of entry (e.g. airport or land border) will decide how long your child can stay in Canada. The officer will use one of three ways, as described on Immigration Canada’s website, to note how long your child can stay in Canada. It is important that your child leaves Canada or applies to extend their stay by or before the expiry date of their authorized stay.

IMPORTANT: If your child entered and remained in Canada as a visitor, to attend kindergarten or before he/she was of school-age, your child does not need a CAQ or Study Permit to study at the elementary (“primary”) and secondary levels. However, they must maintain a valid visitor status for the duration of their stay or studies in Canada.

Your child must apply for a CAQ and Study Permit before entering Canada if your child will:

• be attending elementary/primary school (1^st grade to 6^th grade)
• be attending secondary school (7^th grade to 11^th grade / secondary 1 to secondary 5)
• be attending post-secondary school (e.g. CEGEP, university)

All students who will have children with them in Canada and intend to send them to school (1^st grade or higher), must obtain a CAQ and a Letter of Introduction for a Study Permit for each child before coming to Canada.

School registration can be done after you have arrived in Montreal – i.e., your child does not need to provide a letter of acceptance from an educational institution with their CAQ and Study Permit applications.

IMPORTANT TIPS

• When applying for your child(ren)’s CAQ and Study Permit, include:
  • A copy of your acceptance letter from McGill
  • An explanatory letter explaining that your child(ren) will be joining you in Canada during your studies at McGill
  • A copy of your Study Permit *If you will be applying for your child(ren)’s Study Permit(s) separately from your own
• U.S. citizens and permanent residents of the U.S. can apply for their Study Permits at their Port of Entry (e.g. airport or land border)

In Quebec, the age of majority is 18.

The following minor children (i.e., children under 18 years) do not need to apply for a CAQ or Study Permit to study:

• are attending kindergarten
• are already in Canada as a visitor and
  • their parents are allowed to work or study in Canada and
  • will attend pre-school, primary, or secondary school
• are refugees or refugee claimants
• parents are refugees or refugee claimants

You can find out if your child needs a Certificat d’acceptation du Québec (CAQ) on the Quebec Government website.

You can find out if your child needs a Study Permit Government of Canada website.