A worker coming to Canada on a work permit asked whether their 19-year-old could apply for a study permit from within Canada. The thread's answers:
- Yes — if the child is in Canada with valid status. Members confirmed that someone already in Canada (e.g. on a visitor visa/record as an accompanying family member) can apply for a study permit from inside the country. Being the child of a work-permit holder is one of the situations that allows an in-Canada study permit application.
- At 19, they're an adult international student. The key correction in the thread: a 19-year-old who has finished 12th grade is not a minor child who can study on the parent's status — they count as an international student in their own right. That means a letter of acceptance from a college (DLI) is required before applying, even though the parents hold work permits.
- Study visa vs study permit. A member usefully distinguished the two: the visa (TRV/eTA) is the travel document to enter Canada, while the study permit is the authorization to study, issued at the border or via the in-Canada application. An approved permit application still doesn't guarantee entry — the border officer has final authority.
- Suggested sequence: child enters with the family (visitor status) → secures a college acceptance letter → applies for the study permit from within Canada.