A parent on an Intra-Company Transfer (ICT) work permit asked how their 18-year-old son could get a dependent study permit without first having a college Letter of Acceptance (LOA), since the usual order (get LOA, then apply) didn't fit their situation.
What the thread covered:- Core documents for an unmarried child under 21 applying as a dependent: passport and birth certificate are the baseline identity/relationship documents an immigration consultant will need to process the study permit application.
- The permit can list the study destination as 'to be decided' in some dependent scenarios, meaning the study permit process can begin before a specific college is finalized — but the applicant still needs to identify an eligible college once in the process.
- Once in Canada, a dependent child on a study permit can attend public school, which is a separate and more flexible pathway than requiring a specific post-secondary LOA up front — relevant if the plan is younger-grade schooling rather than a college program.
- Whether the sponsoring IT company handles this administratively varies — one member suggested the company should support the dependent's paperwork, but this isn't guaranteed and should be confirmed with the employer/immigration consultant directly.
Because dependent study permit rules and processing specifics can be case-by-case, confirm current requirements with an immigration consultant before assuming the 'LOA-later' approach will work for a specific college program.