Immigration topics for Students

  • In general, a person cannot study at a Canadian educational institute without a Study Permit
  • There are some exceptions:
    • Students can take courses that are up to six months in duration without needing a Study Permit. The course must be completed within their original period of Visitor Status. They can take a second course after the first as long as they apply for a Study Permit.  That would require applying for Study Permit at a Visa Office outside Canada.
    • Some people can study on a full time basis without a Study Permit.

      Examples are children or spouses of people who are in Canada on Work Permits or Study Permits. There is also a rule that allows a minor who is in Canada to study as long as neither of his parents is in Canada on Visitor Status. For example, a sixteen-year-old could come here and enter any school - public or private - that would accept him without a Study Permit as long as his parents were not in the country with him.
  • A person who needs a Study Permit cannot obtain one in Canada if that person is a visitor. He must apply for it at a Visa Office abroad. Only U.S. Citizen may obtain a Study Permit at the border.
  • However, he does not have to apply for it in his own country of residence. He can apply for it at the nearest Visa Office (for example Seattle), as long as he can legally enter the United States. He can file the application by mail.
  • Foreign students are allowed to go to private schools but they are also allowed to go to public schools, colleges and universities, as long as they pay higher Foreign Student Fees.
  • Study Permits may allow the student to work off campus (students are permitted to work on campus without a Work Permit), and students are allowed to have both a Study Permit and Work Permit at the same time. Someone on a Study Permit can apply for a Work Permit in Canada, if eligible.
  • If a student wants a Work Permit, they are normally subject to the same conditions as anyone else who wants a Work Permit (see Immigration topics for Temporary Workers). However, there are some Work Permits that are specifically for students. These include Work Permit for Co-Op Programs, Off-Campus Work Permits (after six months of successful study in Canada), and Work Permits for Graduate Students who get Research and Teaching Assistantships and Work Permits for indigent students.
  • Students can work on campus without a Work Permit. Any student who graduates from a post-secondary school that is publicly funded can have a Work Permit for from one to three years (Post-Graduate Work Permit) to gain experience in their intended profession.
  • Some provinces have developed special programs (called Provincial Nomination Programs) that allow students to become permanent residents of Canada without having to qualify under the normal selection criteria.
  • Anyone in Canada on a Study Permit who lets the permit accidentally expire can apply to have their student status restored as long as they apply within 90 days, and have not committed any other Immigration Offense.
  • Many students in Canada decide that they want to apply to become permanent residents of Canada. For some, this is quite easy.
  • They must first apply at a Sydney, Nova Scotia and apply at a Visa Office outside Canada. They do not have to apply at the Visa Office in their country of normal residency. They are allowed to apply at the Visa Office in Buffalo (NY, USA.). Normally there is no personal interview requirement and for that reason, no United States Visitor Visa is needed.
  • To qualify to immigrate, a student must have one year of skilled work experience and must have enough points. Currently the pass mark is 67. Applicants can score themselves by visiting the Canadian Immigration Center website. Many students find that they do not have enough points. A typical student might score for example: Age: 10, Work Experience: 15, English: 16, Education: (Bachelor Degree) 20 for a total of 61. But if they get five more points for two years of study in Canada, they will have 68 points, which is sufficient to pass.

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