A parent applied for a visitor visa for a one-year-old to accompany the mother (a study-permit holder) and asked whether selecting a stay of more than six months turned it into a 'dependent visa'. What members clarified —
note this thread is from the 2021–22 backlog era, so quoted waits are historical:
- Very young children accompany as visitors. Members confirmed that a child below school age applies for a visitor visa (TRV); school-age children need their own study permit to attend school in Canada.
- The application type is what you selected. One member put it plainly: the visa being processed is the one chosen on the application. Requesting a stay longer than six months doesn't convert a visitor application into a different category — it's still a TRV, with the intended long stay explained in the SOP.
- Family-accompaniment files were processed slowly. A member cited waits of well over a year for accompanying-dependent files during the backlog period — worth factoring into travel plans, since the studying parent may need to travel first while the child's TRV is pending.
- Medical requests are normal for long stays. The child in the thread was asked for a medical exam, consistent with a stay intended to exceed six months.