Family & Dependant Visas from India
A family or dependant visa lets a spouse, a partner or a parent join, visit or stay with a close family member abroad. This page covers the seven routes IndoWorld Visa and Education Services assists with: three for Canada, which are decided by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), two for the United Kingdom, which are decided by the UK Home Office through UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI), one for New Zealand, which is decided by Immigration New Zealand, and one for Australia, which is decided by the Australian Department of Home Affairs.
Each route has its own rules about who can apply, what the lead person or sponsor must hold, and which documents matter most. Use the seven routes below, or the comparison table, to find the one that matches your family’s situation. Every route guide links to the official government page it is based on.
IndoWorld helps with the visa application only. We do not provide, arrange or promise jobs, and no outcome is promised: the decision on every application rests with the authority concerned. You can meet our team at our Vadodara office or work with us remotely.
Choose Your Route
Canada Super Visa
Lets parents and grandparents visit a child or grandchild in Canada for up to 5 years at a time, with multiple entries for up to 10 years.
Parents and grandparents of a Canadian citizen, permanent resident or registered Indian who lives in Canada.
Canada Family Class – Spouse PR
A sponsorship route for a Canadian citizen or permanent resident to bring a spouse or partner to Canada as a permanent resident.
Spouses and common-law partners of a Canadian citizen or permanent resident who is at least 18 and signs an undertaking and sponsorship agreement.
Canada Spousal Open Work Permit
An open work permit that lets a spouse or common-law partner work for any employer in Canada, with a few exceptions.
Spouses of eligible international students, such as in a master’s program of 16 months or longer, and of workers in eligible occupations.
UK Student Dependant Visa
Lets the partner and children of a student apply to come to the UK, or stay longer, as their dependants.
Partners and children of government-sponsored students on a course longer than 6 months, or of full-time postgraduate students on a course of 9 months or longer (currently a doctorate or research-based higher degree).
UK Graduate Route Dependant Visa
Lets a partner or child who joined the student in the UK as a dependant apply to stay as a dependant on the Graduate visa.
Partners and children who joined the lead person in the UK as dependants on their Student visa. A partner must also be able to show they are still the lead person’s partner.
New Zealand Parent Boost Visitor Visa
A multi-entry visitor visa that lets parents visit their children and grandchildren in New Zealand for up to 5 years. It is a temporary visa and does not give a pathway to a resident visa.
Parents who are sponsored by an adult child who is a New Zealand citizen or resident, and who are living outside New Zealand when they apply.
Australia Sponsored Parent Visa (Subclass 870)
A temporary visa that lets a parent of an Australian citizen, Australian permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen visit Australia for up to 3 or 5 years. It does not allow the holder to work in Australia.
Parents of an Australian citizen, Australian permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen. The parent needs an approved Parent Sponsor before the visa application can be lodged.
Which Route Fits You?
| Your situation | Route to look at | Official page |
|---|---|---|
| You are a parent or grandparent of a Canadian citizen or permanent resident and want to visit them for a long stay in Canada. | Canada Super Visa | IRCC: Super visa for parents and grandparents |
| You are the spouse or common-law partner of a Canadian citizen or permanent resident and want to become a permanent resident of Canada. | Canada Family Class – Spouse PR | IRCC: Sponsor your spouse, partner or child |
| Your spouse or common-law partner is an eligible student, or a worker in an eligible occupation, in Canada and you want to work there. | Canada Spousal Open Work Permit | IRCC: Help your spouse or common-law partner work (students) IRCC: Open work permits for family members of foreign workers |
| Your spouse or partner is studying in the UK and you want to join them. | UK Student Dependant Visa | GOV.UK: Student visa, your partner and children |
| Your partner is moving from a UK Student visa to a Graduate visa, and you were already in the UK as their dependant on the Student visa. | UK Graduate Route Dependant Visa | GOV.UK: Graduate visa, your partner and children |
| You are a parent whose adult child is a New Zealand citizen or resident, and you want to visit them in New Zealand for a long stay. | New Zealand Parent Boost Visitor Visa | Immigration New Zealand: Parent Boost Visitor Visa |
| You are a parent of an Australian citizen, Australian permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen and want to visit them in Australia for a long stay. | Australia Sponsored Parent Visa (Subclass 870) | Home Affairs: Sponsored Parent (Temporary) visa, subclass 870 |
The official page sets the rules. The route guide explains them for applicants from India. Whether you qualify depends on the full facts of your case, so use this table to find the right page to read first. How we think about route fit.
Why Apply Through IndoWorld?
- An honest read before you spend money: You get a plain assessment of your family’s situation at the start, before any money goes into an application.
- We tell you upfront if a case is weak: If the file is weak, we say so at the start. In some situations our guidance is to wait before applying.
- Costs explained in writing: The costs of application work are explained in writing before you decide.
- No outcome is promised: The authority decides every application. No consultant can decide it for you, and none can promise the result.
- Visa application help only: We do not provide, arrange or promise jobs.
- Canada: IRCC guidelines: For Canada, IndoWorld’s guidance follows the guidelines IRCC publishes on its website. The decision on every application rests with IRCC.
- UK: GOV.UK rules: For the UK, our guidance is based on the rules published on GOV.UK. The decision on every application rests with the UK Home Office through UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI).
- New Zealand and Australia: official pages: For New Zealand and Australia, our guidance is based on the pages published by Immigration New Zealand and the Australian Department of Home Affairs. The decision on every application rests with that authority.
What IndoWorld Does, and What Stays With You
IndoWorld assists with:
- Checks your situation against the official page for the route.
- Prepares a document checklist for your family.
- Reviews your documents for gaps and for details that do not match.
- Helps you prepare the application forms and any written explanation.
- Explains costs in writing before you decide.
- Tells you upfront if a case is weak.
You remain responsible for:
- Providing genuine, unaltered documents.
- Giving truthful answers about your relationship, your travel history and any earlier refusals.
- Attending the biometrics, medical or other appointments the authority asks for.
- Accepting the decision, which rests with IRCC for Canada, with the UK Home Office through UKVI for the UK, with Immigration New Zealand for New Zealand and with the Department of Home Affairs for Australia.
Documents Commonly Required Across Family & Dependant Routes
Proof of the relationship
Marriage certificate, birth certificates or other records that show how you are related to the lead person, as each route requires.
Identity and passport
Valid passports for every applicant, and photographs where the application asks for them.
Civil documents
Birth, marriage and other civil records, with translations where the authority asks for them. Names and dates should match across all records.
Financial evidence
Where a route sets a financial requirement, evidence of income, savings or funds. The type and the details differ by route, so check the route guide.
Status documents
Documents that show the lead person’s status: Canadian citizenship or permanent residence, a Canadian study or work permit, a UK Student or Graduate visa, or New Zealand or Australian citizenship or residence.
Route-specific papers
Items that only some routes ask for, such as a letter of invitation, health insurance, a medical exam, a police certificate or proof of enrolment.
IndoWorld Application Intelligence for Family & Dependant Visas
Four of the ten dimensions from our Application Intelligence Framework that apply across family and dependant routes.
Relationship Evidence
Each route asks you to show how you are related to the lead person. We check that your records and supporting evidence tell one consistent story before you apply.
Financial and Status Continuity
Some routes ask for income, savings or funds held for a set period, and every route depends on the lead person’s status. We review these against the official page for your route.
Civil Document Alignment
Names, spellings and dates of birth should match across passports, certificates and forms. We reconcile differences before submission.
Route Fit and Timing
Which route to use, and whether to apply from India or from inside the country, depends on your facts. We explain the options in writing.
Representative Case Studies
Canada Super Visa case studies
Representative cases for parents and grandparents applying for a Super Visa.
Canada Spousal Open Work Permit case studies
Representative cases for spouses applying for an open work permit.
Dependent and family case studies
Representative cases for family and dependant applications.
How we document case studies
What “representative” means, how sources are chosen and how to read a case study.
Case studies on this site are representative. They describe an applicant type and a scenario, not a named client or a specific visa decision, and no outcome is promised.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which Canada route lets my spouse work without a job offer?
Canada's spousal open work permit. IRCC says an open work permit lets the spouse or common-law partner work for any employer in Canada, with a few exceptions. It is available to the spouse or common-law partner of some international students, for example in a master's degree program of 16 months or longer or a doctoral degree program, and of some foreign workers, depending on the worker's occupation. Check the IRCC pages for the current student and worker rules.
Official source: IRCC: students · IRCC: foreign workers
Can my parents stay longer than a normal visitor visa?
Yes, with a Super Visa. IRCC says a Super Visa lets parents and grandparents visit a child or grandchild who is a Canadian citizen, permanent resident or registered Indian for 5 years at a time, with multiple entries for up to 10 years. IRCC points to a visitor visa for a stay of 6 months or less. Dependants cannot be included in a Super Visa application.
Official source: IRCC: Super visa · IRCC: who can apply
Can a UK student bring a partner?
Sometimes. GOV.UK says a partner can apply to come to the UK if the student is a government-sponsored student starting a course longer than 6 months, or a full-time student on a postgraduate level course of 9 months or longer. For postgraduate level courses, GOV.UK currently requires the course to be a PhD or other doctorate, or a research-based higher degree. The partner is the student's husband, wife, civil partner or unmarried partner, and must provide evidence of the relationship.
Official source: GOV.UK: Student visa, your partner and children
Can a Graduate route holder bring a partner who is still in India?
GOV.UK says a partner can apply to stay as a dependant on a Graduate visa only if they were a dependant on the lead person's Student visa, and the lead person must show the partner is still their partner. GOV.UK adds that new dependants may be able to join from outside the UK if the lead person switches to a different visa, for example a Skilled Worker visa. Read the GOV.UK page for the current position.
Official source: GOV.UK: Graduate visa, your partner and children
Who can sponsor a spouse for Canadian permanent residence?
IRCC says a sponsor must be at least 18, be a Canadian citizen, permanent resident or person registered under the Indian Act, and live in Canada. A Canadian citizen living outside Canada must show a plan to live in Canada when the sponsored person becomes a permanent resident, and a permanent resident living outside Canada cannot sponsor. The sponsor must also sign an undertaking and sponsorship agreement.
Official source: IRCC: Check if you’re eligible to sponsor
Can my parents stay in New Zealand for a long visit?
They may be able to apply for the Parent Boost Visitor Visa. Immigration New Zealand says it is a multi-entry visitor visa that lets parents visit their children and grandchildren in New Zealand for up to 5 years, with no time limit on each visit, although the holder must leave New Zealand during the third year of the visa for a health and insurance check. The applicant must be sponsored by an adult child who is a New Zealand citizen or resident and must be living outside New Zealand when applying. It is a temporary visa and does not give a pathway to a resident visa.
Official source: Immigration New Zealand: Parent Boost Visitor Visa
Can my parents stay in Australia for a long visit?
The Sponsored Parent (Temporary) visa, subclass 870, may be an option. The Department of Home Affairs says it lets a parent of an Australian citizen, Australian permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen visit Australia for up to 3 or 5 years per visa, and that further visas can be applied for to visit up to a maximum period in Australia of 10 years. The visa holder cannot work in Australia. A parent must have an approved Parent Sponsor before the visa application can be lodged.
Official source: Home Affairs: Sponsored Parent (Temporary) visa
Does IndoWorld promise approval or help with jobs?
No. IndoWorld helps with the visa application only. We do not provide, arrange or promise jobs, and no outcome is promised, because the decision on every application rests with the authority concerned: IRCC for Canada, the UK Home Office through UKVI for the UK, Immigration New Zealand for New Zealand and the Department of Home Affairs for Australia. You get an honest read of your situation before you spend money, we tell you upfront if a case is weak, and costs are explained in writing.
Read more: Official Visa Sources · How we document case studies
Every visa application is assessed individually by the authority concerned: IRCC for Canada, the UK Home Office through UKVI for the UK, Immigration New Zealand for New Zealand and the Department of Home Affairs for Australia. Published case studies illustrate procedural and evidentiary strategies and do not constitute a promise of future application results.
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