If you are reading this blog, chances are you are either preparing or already staying in Canada for studies or work and you want to take your spouse or other family members with you, or maybe you are the one who is planning to join a loved one who is heading there or already residing in Canada. Either way, you will get the best guidance through this blog. Applying for a dependent visa for Canada is a big step. One of the most important and often underestimated parts of this visa application process is writing a solid statement of purpose (SOP). Now, if writing is not your strong suit or you are simply overwhelmed, which is a totally valid reason, you can get professional help. Contentholic is one name that pops up repeatedly when it comes to expert visa SOP writing. Whether you are applying for a dependent visa Canada for spouse, a student dependent visa Canada, or even PR family sponsorships, our professional SOP writers can write a document for every scenario.
An SOP for dependent visa is a written document that explains your relations with the primary applicant (your spouse or any other family member). It also includes why they would be visiting or staying with you, why you are staying in Canada, and what your dependents would be doing in Canada till their visa is valid. Think of it as a way of convincing the visa officer that your dependent’s visit is genuine, temporary, and in accordance with Canadian immigration policies. It shows that you or your family member have genuine reasons to apply for the dependent visa for Canada.
Who Needs a Dependent Visa?
But first, let’s understand who exactly needs a dependent visa. If you are someone who is heading or staying in Canada under any of these categories, your dependents (usually spouse/children/parents) will be eligible to join you:
- Student visa holders: If you are going to or staying in Canada for study purposes, then your spouse or children can apply under a student dependent visa Canada route.
- Work Permit holders: If you are heading to or staying in Canada for a job, then your spouse can apply for a dependent visa for Canada work permit. Under this visa, your spouse can also get an open work permit to work for any employer, given they fulfill certain eligibility criteria.
- Permanent Residents or Citizens: If you are a permanent resident or citizen of Canada, you can sponsor your dependents under family sponsorship.
What Should You Include in An SOP for a Dependent Visa?
Here, we provide a solid structure you can follow, especially if you are planning to work on your SOP draft later.
- Introduce Yourself: Introduce yourself to the visa officer who you are and who is the dependent visa applicant (mention your relation with them). Write about what your purpose is behind this application.
- Your Personal Background: If you are the primary visa holder who is applying for your dependent family member, then give a brief background about yourself. This should include what you do in Canada (study or work). Give the name of your course and institution or your employer. Also, mention your duration of stay in Canada.
- Relationship Proof & Background: Take the help of SOP for dependent visa samples and see how the relationship between the primary visa holder and the dependent is explained. In case you are applying for dependent visa Canada for spouse, then you have to provide a brief history of your relationship, marriage details, or long-term relationship information, along with attached evidence (such as marriage certificate, pictures, etc).
- Reasons for Applying: If you are writing for your dependent family member or you are the dependent, write why you want to join them. If you read some of the SOP samples for Canada dependent visas, you can observe that some specific reasons are given as to why they now wish to join the primary visa holder.
- Intentions During Stay: Explain what would be the intentions of the dependent visa holder during their stay in Canada. Get ideas from the SOP sample for Canada dependent visa to see how applicants have talked about exploring work opportunities, taking care of the kids, giving emotional support, among others. Show that you understand the Canadian rules and abide by the dependent visa rules.
- Ties to Home Country: Ensure the visa officer that the dependent applicant will return after their visa expires. This is usually asked in the case of the primary visa holder being a student or working in Canada. Therefore, you can take the help of a dependent visa for Canada student sample as given in the blog. You can mention property, family, job, or business back home.
- Financial Proof: Explain how the dependent will sustain themselves financially in Canada. If they are sponsored by the primary visa holder or work in Canada, they have to provide these financial details. Look at the SOP for dependent visa samples to see how the applicants have mentioned incomes, bank statements, savings, affidavits, and properties to demonstrate financial stability.
- Closing Statement: In the end, reiterate your interest, express gratitude and mention all the documents that are attached with the application.
Below is the Sample SOP for Dependent Visa for Canada
To
The Visa Officer
High Commission of Canada
Sub: Application requesting my children to be given dependent visas
Dear Sir/Madam,
Please allow me to introduce myself as Zara Mohabir, an Indian resident, bearing passport number XXXXXXXX. I am a student of Cape Breton University, currently pursuing a two-year Post Baccalaureate Program in Business Management. My study program commenced in January 2022, and since then, I have been staying in Canada, managing my studies, and working part-time. By the medium of this application, I seek to express my desire to invite my children to stay with me in Canada for the remaining duration of my study program.
I am a mother to two sons, Mustafa Hasnain Kagalwala, 16 years of age, and Burhanuddin Hasnain Kagalwala, 15 years old. Mustafa is studying in Grade 10 at Seventh Day Adventist Higher Secondary School and Burhanuddin is currently in grade 9 at the same school. I am a single mother and my sons are now staying with my parents in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India. Since the time I left for Canada, I have been missing my children terribly as we share a strong bond. My kids are growing up and I want to be by their side and support them emotionally as well as financially.
The decision to pursue higher studies was supported wholeheartedly by my sons, and I cannot thank them enough. Since they are reaching their adolescent age, I want to be their pillar of support, while also setting a good example for them as their mother. With my sons by my side, I will not have to worry about them. I would like to add that I have had them enrolled in Sydney Academy School, which is 2 kilometers away from my residence and also offers free bus transportation. Mustafa will be continuing with his grade 10 and Burhanuddin with his grade 9. Their study expenses are also being taken care of by me and my parents jointly.
As per the Canadian rules for working part-time, I have been serving two employers at present, within a 20-hour limit. Now that I have a summer break of four months, I will be working full-time. I work as a Chef at No Quarter Deli and Market, which is a six-hour shift, and I also serve Elemental Data Collection Inc as a Market Research Interviewer, which is a work from home job, and a 6.5-hour shift. I have been working at both these firms since February 2022.
As I put forth my request to invite my children to Canada, I do so by having ample financial backing. My parents and I will be jointly managing the finances of my sons, including the tuition fee and their living expenses. I want them to stay with me till the time I complete my program, after which, all three of us will be returning to India, my homeland. My father is a retired Sales Tax Officer and my mother is a homemaker. My sons share a deep connection with my parents and though it will be difficult for us to stay away for two years, we are willing to make the most of this time and return to them at the earliest. After returning to India, I will also start my own vocational training center, and settle in the country permanently.
After spending five months in Canada, I now feel lonely as I don’t have my two strongest supporters with me. Though we chat on video calls, the distance we have cannot be covered with those calls. Therefore, I wish to have my children live with me and give them every bit of assistance they need, whether it is their academics, personal interests, or emotional wellbeing.
I assure you that my pure intention in inviting my children is to reunite with them for the remaining duration of my course program and spend quality time with them. I have no intention to settle in Canada with my kids as I have no family ties in the country. I have my parents in India who want me by their side during their old age and being their daughter and closest family member, I do not wish to leave them alone. Therefore, I will not stay beyond the authorized period and will return to India.
As a law-abiding individual, I have displayed amicable behavior throughout my stay in Canada and I will continue to do so, ensuring that my sons also do the same. I request you to kindly consider my children as genuine temporary entrants and allow them with the relevant visa.
Sincerely,
Zara Mohabir
Documents enclosed:
- Details of finances: PPF balance, savings account balance, chequing account balance (CIBC bank statements)
- Health Insurance Card with children’s names added provided by Cape Breton University
- Admission letters of Sydney Academy School for both Mustafa and Burhanuddin
- College Statement of Purpose and study permit (SDharebanu Kasim Jariwala)
- Details of part-time employment
Download PDF

Common Mistakes to Avoid in SOP for Dependent Visa
Let us quickly flag a few things that could get your SOP for dependent visa rejected:
- Too short, too long, or too generic.
- No emotional connection or personal touch while describing the relation between the primary visa holder and the dependent.
- Insufficient proof of relationship.
- An SOP with poor grammar and filled with spelling mistakes.
- Overpromising intentions (for example, saying the dependent would work when they are not legally allowed as per the eligibility criteria).
- Inconsistent details with the main visa application.
Conclusion
We hope that through this blog, you have gotten some ideas about how to write effective SOPs. Creating an SOP along with the visa application can showcase that the dependent has the genuine intention of staying with the primary visa holder. By following the guidelines and tips as given in the blog, you can effectively invest your time and effort in writing the SOP for dependent visa. Additionally, taking inspiration from SOP for dependent visa samples can also help to understand the right structure and tone to be adopted. Even seeking help from professional SOP writers like Contentholic can be advantageous. Contentholic has a team of professional writers who have years of experience and extensive immigration knowledge. We have helped in thousands of successful visa approvals. With us, you can find SOP samples for Canada, detailed consultations, and documents specifically written to the embassy’s expectations.
FAQs
1. How much time it takes to get dependent visa for Canada?
The dependent visa processing time can take from 10 months to close to a year, depending upon who you are sponsoring as a dependent.
2. What is SOP for dependent visa for Canada?
SOP for dependent visa for Canada is a personal statement explaining the reasons why you wish to accompany a primary visa holder (student or worker) to Canada. This document showcases the genuine intent to move to Canada and the relationship between the primary visa holder and the dependent visa applicant.
3. Where can I find SOP for dependent visa samples?
You can easily find SOP samples for Canada dependent visas online through trusted websites like Contentholic. Contentholic offers not only high-quality samples but also provides blogs describing SOPs for different visa types and countries.
4. Do I need SOP for a student dependent visa Canada?
Yes, if the primary visa holder is a student in Canada, then you have to apply for a student dependent visa Canada.
5. Can I use the SOP sample for Canada to write my own?
Yes, you can use the SOP samples for Canada to write your own SOP. However, keep in mind that you are using the samples only for reference and personalizing the content when writing your own.
6. How long should the SOP for dependent visa be?
The length of the SOP for dependent visa should be ideally between 800 to 1500 words. It should be long enough to explain your case, but not too long to bore the reader.
7. What are the documents needed for dependent visa Canada for spouse?
For a dependent visa Canada for spouse, you will need to attach marriage certificates, photographs, the partner’s study/work permit, financial documents, and a solid SOP along with the visa application.
8. Can Contentholic help with SOP editing only?
At Contentholic we not only provide editing and proofreading services but also offer full writing services. Our expert writers can write an SOP from scratch according to your situation and visa requirements.