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Studying
in Canada Canada welcomes foreign students and recognizes their contribution to Canada's academic and cultural communities. Your decision to study in Canada is an important one. You will need at least six months to gather the required information and documents, and to plan and prepare for your move. For greater clarity, note that Canadian citizens and permanent residents do not need a study permit from the Department of Citizenship and Immigration to study in Canada. Minor children in Canada may study at the pre-school, primary or secondary level without a study permit. This does not include children accompanying parents who are in Canada as visitors, or minor children outside Canada who apply to study in Canada at the primary or secondary level. If you or your family members want to upgrade your education before applying to a post-secondary school, make sure that the courses which you take will allow you to register at the post-secondary school you choose. Canada's educational standards are set individually by each province and territory. If you wish to attend a primary or secondary school, information on provincial standards is available at the Council of Ministers of Education, Canada Web site at www.cmec.ca/educmin.stm or by writing to the Department of Education in the provincial or territorial capital. If you have any questions, you may also write to one of the organizations listed in this pamphlet. Each Canadian university, university college, technical school or community college sets its own entrance requirements. The registrars of these schools can provide information on:
Generally, foreign students who study at the primary or secondary school level are required to pay tuition fees. All post-secondary students in Canada must pay tuition fees, unless they are exempted under an agreement between the province and their country of origin. The fees vary from school to school and from year to year. Before you enroll in a private institution, please check with the Department of Education of the province or territory in which the institution is located to ensure that the institution meets education requirements. Canada has two official languages: English and French. You must have sufficient knowledge of either English or French in order to follow course lectures and assignments. Some post-secondary schools may require that you take a language test. It is your responsibility to pay any fee that may be charged for this test. You may want to update your language skills at the educational institution before beginning your formal program of studies. Language requirements are set by each school. Medical, hospital and dental care in Canada can be expensive. As a foreign student, you will have to pay these expenses yourself. Some provinces or territories may provide health and dental coverage for foreign students under their health-care plans, or there may be group insurance available through educational institutions. Be sure to inquire at the school that you wish to attend about the availability of health insurance for foreign students. If the school does not provide health insurance for foreign students, or the insurance provided by the school does not meet your needs, you should make your own arrangements through private insurers before coming to Canada. Once you have decided on the courses you want to take, and have submitted an admissions application, officials at the school where you apply will tell you if you qualify to attend the school. If your application is accepted, you will receive a letter of acceptance from the registrar, the school board or the school itself. This letter will be a key document for your application for a study permit and visitor visa, as necessary. To be acceptable to Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) officials, the letter should:
In order to streamline processing, a standardized Letter of Acceptance has been posted on the CIC Web site at www.cic.gc.ca/english/pdf/pub/acclet-e.pdf for use by educational institutions. Educational institutions are invited to download the letter and to import their respective letterhead into the document. You must have your letter of acceptance in order to apply for your study permit at the CIC office abroad. You must also have your letter of acceptance available to show to immigration officials when you arrive in Canada. If you have any questions about the letter of acceptance or the study permit, you should check the CIC Web site at www.cic.gc.ca/english/study or write to the CIC office in your country. If you wish to attend a school in the province of Quebec, you must apply for a Certificat d'acceptation du Québec (Quebec certificate of acceptance, or CAQ). You must obtain a CAQ before you apply for a study permit. In order to reduce delays, the application process can be started simultaneously by the closest CIC office and Relations avec les Citoyens et Immigration Québec (Quebec Immigration). There may be a Quebec office in your country where you can get information. Your educational institution can give you all the necessary information about the procedures that apply in the province of Quebec. Before you apply for your study permit, you must have:
Citizens of certain countries will also have to apply for a visitor visa along with a study permit (see the Passports and visas section). You must be able to prove that you can support yourself and any accompanying family members before a study permit can be issued. A letter from your bank, a bank draft or a letter from your source of funding will show CIC officials that you can afford to pay expenses for yourself and any dependent family members accompanying you, while you are in Canada. These expenses include post-secondary tuition, food, clothing, shelter, books, transportation, medical insurance, entertainment, personal or family needs, and return trips home. The winters in Canada can be cold, so include the cost of warm clothing when calculating your living expenses. The cost of living varies across Canada. CIC officials in your country will tell you approximately what it will cost to live in the area where you will be attending school. To be accepted by CIC officials, you must prove you are a responsible person and that you have no criminal record. You may be asked to provide evidence of this through your local authorities. You must be in good health. You may be asked for a medical certificate if you have been living in a country with a high health risk. Canadian officials will tell you what you need when you make your application. Once you have all the letters and documents required, you may apply for your study permit. You must include a list of all of your immediate family members, whether they are accompanying you or not, when applying for a study permit. You can apply for your study permit at the nearest CIC office abroad or you may obtain an application Applying for a Study Permit on the CIC Web site at www.cic.gc.ca/english/study You do not require a study permit if the duration of your course or program of study is six months or less. If there is a possibility that you will want to continue your studies at the end of the six-month period, you should apply for a study permit before coming to Canada, even though it is not required. By doing so, you will not have to apply outside Canada should you decide to enroll in a long-term study program at the end of the six-month period. If you are a citizen or permanent resident of the United States, St. Pierre and Miquelon or Greenland, you may apply for a study permit at any Canadian Port of Entry. Wherever you apply, the requirements are the same. The study permit allows you to study in Canada. Keep it with your passport. Your study permit may specify conditions that govern your stay in Canada. The conditions may include the duration of your studies, the name of the institution or the level of studies you are allowed to undertake. Please read these carefully. If you do not understand the conditions, talk to CIC officials. Unless there are special circumstances, your study permit for post-secondary studies should be valid for the duration of your course of studies or until your passport expiry date. Once you have all your papers and have arrived in Canada, you must show the following documents to CIC officials at the Port of Entry:
CIC officials at the Canadian Port of Entry will issue you a study permit. If any documents are missing or incorrect, you could be refused admission to Canada. If you are a citizen or permanent resident of the United States, St. Pierre and Miquelon or Greenland, you do not need a passport or a temporary resident visa to enter Canada. However, you must provide documentary proof of citizenship or permanent residence, such as a national identity card or an alien registration card. If you are coming from any other country, you will need a passport and you may also require a temporary entry visa. Please refer to the CIC Web site for a list of countries whose nationals need a visa to come to Canada: www.cic.gc.ca/english/visit/visas.html If you do not have access to the Internet, CIC officials in your country will inform you as to whether you need a visa before you leave home. The temporary resident visa is affixed to a page of your passport. It shows the latest date by which you must arrive in Canada, and whether it is valid for one or more entries to Canada. When you arrive in Canada, you must show your passport and, if applicable, your visa to CIC officials. The passport will be stamped with the date by which you must leave Canada. If there is no date stamped on your passport, your authorized entry is for six months. Please ensure that the period allowed covers your entire stay in Canada. If you require an extension of your study permit, contact the CIC Call Centre to obtain an application kit. Do not stay beyond the date stamped on your passport. If there is something you do not understand, immigration officers will be happy to help you. If you want to renew your passport while you are in Canada, contact your Embassy or Consulate at least three months before your passport expires. You may wish to keep a photocopy of your passport, temporary resident visa, most recent immigration stamp and study permit for your own records. If you wish to return home or travel to another country, make sure that your passport will allow you to do so. As a foreign student studying in Canada, you are eligible for certain customs benefits, including the temporary importation into Canada of your household and personal effects. A number of conditions apply, so before coming to Canada you should refer to the booklet Entering Canada to Study or to Work. This is available from the Canadian Consulate or Embassy in your country, or by contacting:
Foreign students may be allowed to work while attending school. Jobs may be difficult to find in Canada, so you should not depend on finding employment. If you are a post-secondary full-time student enrolled in a publicly funded or degree-granting institution, you may be allowed to work if you meet one of the following requirements:
Your spouse may also be allowed to apply for a work permit. A CIC official can give you details on working in Canada as a foreign student. If you work without a work permit, you may be in violation of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, and you may be required to leave Canada. CIC charges a fee to process your application. Please refer to the brochure entitled Fee Schedule for Citizenship and Immigration Services, consult a CIC official for information or visit the CIC Web site at: www.cic.gc.ca/english/applications/fees.html If anything about your studies, funding or documentation changes, you must contact the CIC Call Centre immediately. Contact the Call Centre if:
Other questions about your stay in Canada can also be answered by CIC Call Centre officials. If you do not report your changed circumstances to CIC, you may be asked to leave Canada. For more information on educational options and requirements, contact one of the following organizations: Degree courses Canadian Bureau
for International Education Association of Universities
and Colleges of Canada Technical and other non-degree courses Association of Canadian
Community Colleges Privately funded institutions National Association
of Career Colleges International credentials Canadian Information
Centre for International Credentials All education sectors Canadian Education
Centre Network For more information on Citizenship and Immigration Canada, contact us at: Telephone If you are in Canada, contact the CIC Call Centre, Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. 4 p.m.
If you are hearing impaired and use a text telephone, you can access the TTY service Monday to Friday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. by calling 1 888 576-8502. If you are outside Canada, contact the Canadian Embassy, High Commission or Consulate responsible for your region. Citizenship and
Immigration Canada
Planning a visit to Canada? Log on to the Canadian Tourism Commission's Web site at www.travelcanada.ca for tourism information.
This is not a legal document. For precise legal information, consult the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act and Regulations. © Minister of
Public Works and Government Services Canada, 2002 |
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| Date Published: 2002-07 |  |
Important Notices | |
