Office
C-240 (pavillon principal)
Phone
514-340-4711 ext. 4853
Students (Undergraduate, Graduate and DESS)
sep-international@polymtl.ca
Exchange program
etudiant.echange@polymtl.ca
Admission Inquiries and Double Degree Program
futur@polymtl.ca
IMPORTANT
This website has no legal value; it is a summary of the procedures in effect, compiled to the best of our knowledge on the date it was prepared. This information is subject to change without notice. The laws and regulations of Québec and Canada, as well as the information found on the MIFI and IRCC websites take precedence over this website.
Updated: 2026-03-06
Would you like to invite family or friends to visit you or accompany you to Canada?
It is possible to enter Canada as a visitor for a maximum period of 6 months, but the Canada Border Services Agency officer may set a shorter period when you arrive at the port of entry.
To enter Canada as a visitor, a temporary resident visa (TRV) is required for nationals of most countries. Most people who are exempt from the TRV requirement must obtain an electronic travel authorization.
Your guests must submit their own TRV application online, which will be processed by the Canadian visa office (CVO) that serves their territory of residence or citizenship.
It is important to provide all the necessary documents, as these may vary depending on the CVO.
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) recommends that applicants provide a letter of invitation written by their host in Canada. If your relative is coming to visit you in Canada, it will be up to you to write them a letter of invitation.
Some CVOs may require that the invitation letter be “notarized,” meaning signed in front of a sworn person. Your relatives should consult the instructions specific to their CVO to find out if they require a notarized invitation letter. Notarization of documents is a service available at certain offices of the City of Montreal, and at the AECSP office (C-419) for graduate students only. You can also consult the Register of commissioner for oaths to find one near your home.
If your relatives are coming to visit you for a special event (e.g., graduation), it is advisable to include a copy of the invitation or registration for the event with your TRV application, in addition to the letter of invitation.
If your spouse or common-law partner wishes to accompany you or join you in Canada while you are studying in a master's or doctoral program, he or she may apply for an open work permit that will allow him or her to take any job that is not subject to restrictions or prohibitions specified on the permit. Please note that spouses or common-law partners of individuals admitted to a bachelor's or DESS program are not eligible for such a permit.
When applying, you will need to provide evidence that you have sufficient financial capacity to cover the essential needs of your family unit, without relying on your spouse's potential employment income. If the application is approved, a work permit for a period equivalent to that of your study permit will be issued.
It is also possible for your spouse or common-law partner to enter Canada as a visitor and apply for a work permit from here. However, processing times for work permits in Canada can take several months, and the right to work can only begin once the work permit has been obtained.
The immigration authorities recognize the following:
