Study

You can apply to study in Canada as a minor child, an international student, and even work while you are studying and after you graduate.

 

If you are a minor child and need to study in Canada, you can study without a Study Permit if you are in Canada and:

 

• A Canadian Citizen

• A Permanent Resident

• A foreign national accompanied by a parent who is a Canadian citizen or permanent resident of Canada

• A foreign national accompanied by a parent in the visitor class

• Alone in Canada

• With a parent who is a temporary resident and has a study or work permit if neither parent is in Canada

• A refugee claimant whose parents are refugees or refugee claimants

• Or in Canada without status

 

If you have a minor child outside Canada, you must apply for a study permit before they enter Canada, and this includes minor children who come with parents who already have a valid study or work permit. 

 

Even if your minor child meets the above-mentioned criteria, it is still a good idea to have a study permit which may allow them to:

 

• Remain in school when they are no longer a minor

• Get a secondary school co-op work permit

• Have access to social services in some provinces or territories

 

You do need a study permit if you want to study in Canada as an international student for a period longer than 6 months. While you study, you will be eligible to work a certain number of hours on and off-campus, and get a work permit for your common-law partner or spouse.

 

To be eligible to study in Canada and apply for a study permit as an international student, you must:

 

• Be enrolled in a Designated Learning Institution, which is a post-secondary institution in Canada that has been approved by the a provincial or territorial government to host international students

• Prove you have sufficient financial means to pay for your tuition fees, living expenses for yourself and any family member who accompany you in Canada, as well as for your return transportation back to your home country

• Obey the law, have no criminal record and if required get a police certificate/police check

• Be in good health and if required get a medical exam

• And prove to an officer when you land that you will leave Canada when your study permit expires

 

If eligible, you can apply for a faster process to get a study permit through the Student Direct Stream. To be eligible, you must:

 

• Be a legal resident of Antigua and Barbuda, Brazil, China, Colombia, Costa Rica, India, Morocco, Pakistan, Peru, Philippines, Senegal, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago, or Vietnam

• Have an acceptance letter from a post-secondary Designated Learning Institution

• Live outside of Canada when you apply

• Have a Guaranteed Investment Certificate of CAD $10,000

• Have a Quebec Acceptance Certificate if you are planning to study in Quebec

• Get a medical exam and police certificate if you need them

• Have your most recent secondary or post-secondary school transcripts

• Have a language test result of either 6.0 or higher IELTS score in each skill, or a CLB 7 or higher in each skill

 

You may also be eligible for a Post-Graduation Work Permit that will allow you to stay in Canada longer for a temporary period to work in a related occupation to your diploma or degree from a Designated Learning Institution.

 

If you are currently in Canada, you can apply for a Post-Graduation Work Permit if:

 

• Your study permit has been valid within the last 180 days and you have a valid visitor record

• You submitted an application to extend your study permit before it expired and no decision has been made on your application

• You submitted an application to change your status to visitor before your study permit expired and no decision has been made on your application

• You have maintained full-time status as a student in Canada during each semester (except the final semester) of your study program

 

There are some cases in which you cannot apply for a Post-Graduate Work Permit, including if you:

 

• Have a study permit that expired more than 180 days before you applied

• Already received a PGWP

• Studied English or French as a second language

• Took general interest or self-improvement courses

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Not sure if you want to hire an RCIC for the full application? We can also provide a review of any application you completed yourself with a detailed report identifying any issues, as well as a meeting before and after your application review.