An international student in Canada for 10 months hadn't yet applied for their spouse's Spousal Open Work Permit (SOWP) or their 14-year-old son's study permit. Their own study permit was nearing its end, and a consultant warned that applying for the SOWP now could look inconsistent to an officer (why sponsor a spouse's work permit if your own study status is about to expire?). The consultant suggested waiting until after receiving the PGWP, but that full sequence (PGWP approval, then SOWP, then study permit) could take 9-10+ months total.
What the thread recommended:- You can apply for your spouse's and child's permits together with your PGWP application, rather than strictly waiting for PGWP approval first — several members indicated this bundled timing is workable.
- If your study permit is expiring within roughly 2-4 months, it's generally safer to wait for your PGWP to be filed/approved first before applying for dependents' permits, to avoid the exact inconsistency the consultant flagged.
- Convocation/graduation timing was flagged as a good window to apply for a visitor visa for dependents if that window hasn't passed yet — but if it has, the practical advice was to wait rather than force an earlier application.
Practical takeaway: rather than either applying immediately or waiting the full sequential 9-10 months, consider applying for your spouse's SOWP and child's study permit alongside your own PGWP application, which several members treated as an acceptable combined approach — but if your study permit already has only a few months left, leaning toward waiting for PGWP first (rather than applying while still on an about-to-expire study permit) was seen as the safer route.