Study in Canada

Everything you need to know about studying in Canada

More than 130,000 students come to study in Canada every year. The provinces regulate education and schools in Canada. For more detailed information on living and studying in a specific province or territory, contact the school where you wish to study.

According to Citizenship and Immigration Canada, you usually have to obtain a study permit if you want to study in Canada.

To be eligible to study in Canada:

In some cases, however, you do not require a study permit to go to school in Canada.

• If you wish to study in a short-term course or program
  You do not need a study permit if you plan to take a course or program in Canada that lasts six months or less. You must complete the course or program within the period authorized for your stay in Canada. Even if you do not need a study permit, it is a good idea to apply for a permit before you come to Canada. If you decide that you want to continue your studies in another program after you complete your short-term course or program, you must apply through a Canadian visa office outside Canada for a study permit if you do not already have one.
• Foreign representatives to Canada
  If you are a family member or staff member of a foreign representative to Canada accredited by Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada, you may not need a permit to study in Canada. You should contact your embassy in Canada. Your embassy can contact the Office of Protocol at Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada to find out whether you need a study permit.
• Members of foreign armed forces
  If you are a member of a foreign armed force under the Visiting Forces Act, you do not need a permit to study in Canada. If your family members, including minor children, want to study in Canada, they must meet the requirements.

When you arrive in Canada, you will be met by an officer from the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) who will ask to see your travel documents when you arrive in Canada. You should be ready to show the following documents:

• a valid passport or travel document
• the letter of introduction from the visa office that you received when your study permit was approved (this letter contains your permit reference number and the CBSA officer needs this letter to issue your study permit)
• a valid temporary resident visa (if required)
• a copy of the letter of acceptance from the school at which you are permitted to study
• proof that you have enough money to support yourself during your stay in Canada and
• letters of reference or any other documents recommended by the visa office where you applied.

If there are no problems at the point of entry, the officer will let you enter Canada and will issue your study permit. You should:

• check the study permit to make sure your personal information is accurate and
• check the expiry date on your study permit. You must leave Canada by this date.

Understanding the terms and conditions of your study permit

The conditions listed on your permit tell you:

• at which institution you can study
• if you are allowed to work in Canada
• whether you need to report for a medical examination, observation or treatment
• if your travel within Canada is restricted and
• when you must leave Canada.

If you wish to change any of the terms and conditions on your study permit, you must submit a completed Application to Change Conditions or Extend Your Stay in Canada. If you are a post-secondary student with a valid study permit, you do not need to submit an application if you want to change your program of study or the institution where you are studying.

It is an offence under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act if you do not comply with the conditions imposed on you when your entry into Canada was authorized, or when your study permit was issued. You may voluntarily leave Canada, or you may be subject to an admissibility determination or hearing. This could lead to your removal from Canada. You will lose your temporary resident status and any permit you have, if you break any of the conditions of your stay.

If you leave Canada and want to return, you must have:

• a valid passport or travel document
• a valid study permit if you are returning to study in Canada and
• a valid temporary resident visa, if you are a citizen of a designated country for which Canada requires a visa.

Please note that if you are a citizen of a designated country and you travel to a country other than the United States, Greenland or Saint-Pierre et Miquelon, you need a multiple-entry visa to re-enter Canada. If your temporary resident visa has expired, or if your visa was only valid for a single entry, you will have to re-apply for a temporary resident visa at a Canadian visa office outside Canada if you want to re-enter Canada.

If you want to extend your stay in Canada as a student, you must complete the Application to Change Conditions or Extend Your Stay in Canada. Check the expiry date on your study permit, and make sure you apply before that date. You should apply for renewal at least 30 days before your current permit expires. If you apply for a renewal of your study permit, and the permit expires before you receive an answer, you can continue to study in Canada under the same conditions until you receive a decision. You should apply to renew your study permit if you intend to travel outside Canada and your permit will expire while you are travelling. You cannot extend your study permit beyond the expiry date on your passport. If your study permit has expired, and you have not applied for an extension, you must leave Canada.

In some cases, you may apply to restore your status as a student within 90 days of losing it. You may only apply if you have continued to meet the requirements under which you were allowed to enter and stay in Canada and you have met all the conditions imposed on your permit. After you apply to restore your status, you may stay in Canada until a decision is made on your application but you are not allowed to study until your status has been restored. There is no guarantee that your application to restore your status will be accepted. On your application, you must provide full details of all the facts and circumstances that caused you to lose your status. In addition to a fee for renewing your study permit, there is also a fee for restoring your status. An officer will evaluate your request for restoration of status and will process an application for a study permit.

Further information on studying in Canada can be obtained on Citizenship and Immigration Canada website http://www.cic.gc.ca/.