STUDY IN CANADA
Study Permit
Canada is home to many top notch colleges and universities. Every year, hundreds of thousands of students come to study in Canada. If you intend to study in Canada, you are required to obtain a study permit. Study permit is issued by the Canadian government which gives you permission to study in Canada temporarily. As an international student holding a study permit, you may also be able to work while studying. Upon graduation, you will be entitled for a Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP) if you successfully completed a program from a Designated Learning Institute (DLI).
To be eligible for a study permit, you must:
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- Have a Letter of Acceptance (LOA) from a Designated Learning Institute (DLI)
- Prove that you have enough money to pay for your tuition fees, living expenses for yourself and accompanying family members, and return transportation for yourself and accompanying family members
- Be a law-abiding citizen with no criminal record and get a police certificate (if required)
- Be in good health and complete a medical exam (if required)
- Prove to an immigration officer that you will leave Canada at the end of your study.
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Exceptions: You do not require a study permit if:
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- You plan to take a course that is six months or less in duration
- You are a family member or staff member of a foreign representative to Canada that has been accredited by Global Affairs Canada
- You are a member of a foreign armed force on official duties in Canada
- You have Registered Indian status in Canada, even if you’re a citizen of another country
- You are a minor child in Canada and meet the following:
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- You are a refugee or refugee claimant
- Your parents are refugees or refugee claimants
- You are in pre-school, primary or secondary school, and you are already in Canada with a parent who has a work or study permit
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Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP)
The Post-Graduation Work Permit allows international students an opportunity to work in Canada for up to 3 years after the successful completion of their study. In order to be eligible for a PGWP, the length of your program must be of at least 8 months. You are entitled for a PGWP that’s valid for up to the same length as your study program. If the duration of your program is 2 years or more, you will be eligible for a PGWP that’s valid for 3 years.
PGWP is a one-time opportunity for international students. Skilled Canadian work experience in Training, Education, Experience and Responsibilities (TEER) categories 0, 1, 2 or 3 that is gained through the PGWP program helps international graduates qualify for Permanent Residence in Canada through the Canadian Experience Class within Express Entry.
PGWP applicants are eligible to work full time without a work permit while waiting for a decision on their application if they meet the following:
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- They are or were the holders of a valid study permit at the time of the PGWP application
- They have completed their program of study
- They met the requirements for working off campus without a work permit
- They did not exceed the allowable hours of work.
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Spouse Open Work Permit (SOWP)
A spouse open work permit (SOWP) allows the spouse or common-law partner of a work permit or study permit holder to work for any eligible employer in Canada. The SOWP is not employer-specific, i.e. you do not require a job offer to apply for one. With a SOWP, you can look for a job after you arrive in Canada. Employers don’t need a Labor Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) from Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) to hire applicants who have a SOWP. The status of the work permit or study permit holder will determine their spouse’s or common-law-partner’s eligibility to apply for a SOWP.
To be eligible for a SOWP, you must meet the following requirements:
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- You must be in a genuine relationship with your spouse or common-law-partner.
- Your spouse or common-law-partner must have either an employer-specific or open work permit or be authorized to work in Canada without a work permit. Or, he or she must have a valid study permit and be enrolled as a full-time student at a Designated Learning Institute (DLI) in Canada.
- Your spouse or common-law-partner must have at least 6 months’ validity remaining on their work or study permit when your SOWP application is submitted.
- You are not criminally or medically inadmissible to Canada.
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Normally, your work permit is valid for the same amount of time that your spouse or common-law-partner’s work permit or study permit is valid. Your work permit will stay valid for that entire duration even if your spouse or common-law-partner loses his/her job or completes his/her studies early, or you divorce or separate with him/her.
You can apply for an open work permit for your spouse along with your study permit or work permit application. Your minor child/children may also study in Canada without a study permit at the preschool, primary, or secondary level.
Changes to Spouse Open Work Permit (SOWP) Eligibility from January 2023 to 2025 – A Temporary Two-Year Measure (arrive.com, Canada.ca)
As per this temporary measure, you may be eligible to apply for a SOWP effective January 30, 2023, if you are the spouse, common-law-partner or dependent child of a work permit holder who:
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- Is employed in any occupation classified under TEER category 0 to 5 (except a TEER 4 or 5 job under the low-wage stream of the Seasonal Agricultural Worker Program and the Agricultural Stream of the Temporary Foreign Worker Program, or
- Has a valid work permit (employer-specific or open under a non-family category), or
- Has applied for permanent residence under an economic class immigration program.
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We can help you apply for a study permit, apply for a study permit extension, switch schools if you are already studying in Canada, apply for a PGWP and apply for a SOWP.