Indian students in Canada, particularly those from Punjab, are facing heightened uncertainty in the wake of the recent regulations in the North American nation that limit the number of international students and alter the rules concerning Spousal Open Work Permit (SOWP).
Most students who pursue diploma courses in Canada were so far able to bring their spouses along, but the current rules have imposed a virtual ban on the spouse visa. Nevertheless, certain opportunities remain available for Indian students seeking to study in Canada while bringing their spouses along. What are these opportunities, and how do they work? The Indian Express explains:
Yes, students can still bring their spouses along despite the changes, provided their file was submitted before March 19, 2024 under any programme, including diploma and degree courses.
Students enrolled in specific professional degree programmes can still bring their spouses to Canada despite the new regulations.
Which programmes allow spousal accompaniment?
Kapurthala-based consultant Gurpreet Singh says eligible programmes include Doctor of Dental Surgery (DDS, DMD), Bachelor of Law or Juris Doctor, Doctor of Medicine, Doctor of Optometry, Pharmacy (PharmD, BS, BSc, BPharm), Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM), Bachelor of Science in Nursing, Bachelor of Education (BEd), and Bachelor of Engineering.
Experts say that for medical streams like pharmacy and nursing, additional mathematics requirements are there to apply for a spousal visa. For non-medical fields, there are various offers including doing an engineering degree in any field. Students from the arts stream are also eligible if they opt for LLB or BEd courses, etc.
What about students with pending spouse visa applications?
Experts say the new rules apply to pending applications submitted after March 18, 2024. Additionally, applications filed before March 18 but were turned down are also subject to the new regulations. The new announcement came on March 22.
However, certain options are still available for these students. Indian students can bring their spouses to Canada after completing their studies when they become eligible for a work permit. In such cases, spouses must wait at least three years for the completion of their partner’s studies. Alternatively, students can switch to eligible programmes, including Masters or PhD, that allow immediate spousal sponsorship. This may involve cancelling the previous admission offer and enrolling in a different course, incurring a potential loss ranging from 1,000 to 2,500 Canadian dollars (approximately Rs 61,000 to Rs 1.53 lakh).
Students unable to change their programmes can still bring their spouses on a Visitor Visa, although spouses cannot work in Canada under this arrangement. Another option is obtaining an LMIA (Labour Market Impact Assessment), enabling students to obtain work permits and subsequently sponsor their spouses.