• Government Institutions

It ranks as the world’s 4th most popular destination for international students.

There were 494,525 international students in Canada in 2017, representing a 119% increase since 2010, and an increase of 20% over the previous year.

In order to study in Canada, an individual will require a study permit (with certain exceptions, including programs of study totalling less than 6 months in duration).

The study permit is a document  issued by Canadian visa office  that allows foreign nationals to study at designated learning institutions (DLI) in Canada.

Postsecondary designated educational institutions:

https://www.canada.ca/en/employment-social-development/programs/post-secondary/designated-schools.html

Work Off Campus

International students enrolled in a full-time academic, professional or vocational training program with a designated learning institution in Canada are:

• eligible to work for an off-campus employer without a work permit;
• permitted to work for an off-campus employer for up to 20 hours per week throughout the regular academic school session and full-time during regularly scheduled academic breaks; and
• eligible for off-campus work immediately upon qualifying for a study permit.

Eligibility requirements

In order to be eligible to work off-campus during his or her studies, an international student must:

• hold a valid study permit;
• be studying full-time at a designated learning institution (DLI);
• have started studying and remain in satisfactory academic standing as determined by their institution;
• be studying in an academic, vocational or professional training program that is at least six months in duration and leads to a degree, diploma or certificate; and
• have a Social Insurance Number (SIN).

If an international student’s situation changes and he or she no longer meets any of the above eligibility requirements, he or she must stop working off-campus.

The following international students are not eligible to work off-campus:

• Students enrolled in an English as a Second Language (ESL) or French as a Second Language (FSL) program;
• Students taking a general interest course or program; and
• Visiting or exchange students at a designated learning institution

Immigration Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) considers a student’s full-time status based on the number of hours and credits allocated towards the completion of a degree, diploma or certificate, as determined by the DLI.

Work on-campus

An international student may be able to work within the boundaries of the campus where he or she is registered in if the student meets specific criteria.

For an international student to work on-campus without a work permit, he or she must:

-hold a valid Study Permit;
-have a Social Insurance Number (SIN);
-be registered as a full-time post-secondary student at a:

• public post-secondary school, such as a college or university, or CEGEP in Quebec
• a private college-level school in Quebec that operates under the same rules as public schools, and is at least 50% funded by government grants, or
• a Canadian private school that can legally award degrees under provincial law

On-campus work includes working for an employer located on the campus grounds of the educational institution where a student is studying.

An on-campus employer includes the school, a faculty member, a student organization, a private business (located within the boundaries of the campus), a private contractor that provides services to the school, and being self-employed on-campus.

Inviting your family to visit you in Canada

If a family member (such as a parent) requires a Temporary Resident Visa (TRV) and wants to come visit an international student  in Canada temporarily – for example, to attend  graduation ceremony – the student can provide documents to assist them with their TRV application.

It may be possible for an international student’s family members to come live with them in Canada during the duration of their studies .

Your spouse or common-law partner may apply for a Work Permit if you are a full-time student and you have a valid Study Permit. Your spouse/partner will not require a job offer to apply, and his/her permit will be valid for the same period as your study permit.

Eligibility

Your spouse or common-law partner may apply for a work permit if:

• you are a full-time student at:
  – a public post-secondary institution, such as a college or university or collège d’enseignement général et professionnel (CEGEP) in Quebec
  – private post-secondary institution that operates under the same rules and regulations as a public institution, and receives at least 50 percent of its financing for its overall operations from government grants (currently, only private college-level educational institutions in Quebec qualify) or
  – a Canadian private institution authorized by provincial statute to confer degrees
• you have a valid study permit or
• you have a valid work permit

Dependent Children

International students are also eligible to bring their dependent children with them while they study. A dependent child is any child under the age of 22,  or over the age of 22 who has depended substantially on their parents for financial support since before the age of 22 and is unable to be financially self-supporting because of a mental or physical condition.

If your dependent child is school-aged, they are eligible to attend public elementary or secondary schools, while you study without needing their own student permit.

Depending on his or her age and level of study, your minor child may be eligible to study in Canada without a study permit (i.e. he or she can study while in Canada on visitor status).

Find out if your child needs a study permit

• Minor children (under the age of 19 in British Columbia) already in Canada can study without a study permit at the pre-school, primary, or secondary level if at least one parent is authorized to work or study in Canada.
• Minor children applying from outside Canada to accompany a parent for work or study in Canada should apply for a study permit. In general, having a study permit (rather than a visitor record) can make the immigration process run more smoothly for accompanying minor children.
• Note that minor children who are accompanying a family member who has applied and been approved for a work or study permit before entering Canada do not need to provide a letter of acceptance from an educational institution. Please contact us for more information.
• You should bring two years of official school records for your children, in English or with a certified English translation. You may also need immunization records since birth and their original birth certificate.

When extending documents, each dependent (including children) requires their own valid documentation to stay in Canada. Extend their documents before the expiry date and pay the appropriate fee for each person.

Post graduate work permit (PGWP) is a great program for those International students who would like to acquire valuable Canadian work experience after graduation. Also, this program can help foreign students to transition from temporary resident status to permanent residency.

The length of PGWP depends on the student’s study program length. A PGWP’s duration will be equal to the length of the educational program that the international graduate completed, up to a maximum of three years.  Any completed program that is longer than two-years will result in a three-year work permit.

Eligibility Criteria

In order for an international graduate to obtain a PGWP after graduating, an international student must:

• have a valid study permit when applying for their PGWP;
• have continuously studied full time in Canada, except for the final academic session, where part-time studies are permitted;
• have completed and passed a program of study that is at least eight months in duration at either a public post-secondary institution, a private post-secondary institution that operates under the same rules and regulations as public institutions, or at a Canadian private institution if the student was enrolled in a program of study which led to a degree; and
• apply for the work permit within 90 days of receiving written confirmation from their educational institution that they have met the requirements for completing their program of study.

• Official Study in Canada Portal
  Includes a program finder, cost calculator, study permit information, and links to provincial, territorial and individual school information.
• Government of Canada Scholarships
  Contains a list of major international scholarships funded by the Government of Canada.
• Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC)
  Offers information for international students considering Canada as a study destination, including study permits, visa details and work permits.
• Council of Ministers of Education, Canada (CMEC)
  Provides leadership in education at the pan-Canadian and international levels and contributes to the fulfilment of the constitutional responsibility for education conferred on provinces and territories.
• Canadian Information Centre for International Credentials (CICIC)
  In cooperation with the provinces and territories, CICIC provides the Directory of Educational Institutions, the only authoritative on-line database of universities, colleges and institutes in Canada. The site also includes information on how academic credentials earned outside Canada are assessed and recognized for study purposes.

Associations

• Colleges and Institutes Canada (CICan)
  Represents colleges and institutes to government, business and industry, both in Canada and internationally.
• Universities Canada
  Represents Canadian public and private not-for-profit universities and university-degree level colleges.
• Canadian Association of Public Schools – International (CAPS-I)
  Represents Canadian public school districts/boards that recruit international students at the elementary and secondary levels.
• Association des collèges et universités de la francophonie canadienne (ACUFC) (French only)
  Brings together post-secondary institutions in eight Canadian provinces outside Quebec.
• Canadian Accredited Independent Schools (CAIS)
  Represents Canadian elementary and secondary independent schools from across Canada, some of which offer boarding to international students.
• Canadian Bureau for International Education (CBIE)
  Dedicated to the promotion of Canada’s international relations through international education.
• Languages Canada
  Represents Canadian language schools accredited under an internationally recognized quality-assurance mechanism.
• Polytechnics Canada
  Represents the leading polytechnic institutions in Canada that offer stand-alone bachelor’s degrees in addition to all other college-level programs.