International Students

The information below is a brief overview of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC)’s policy announcements since Jan 22, 2024, and is current at the time of publication.

Review the Jan 21, 2024 backgrounder, Jan 22, 2024 news release, Feb 5, 2024 notice, and January 14, 2025 news release for more details.

• As of Jan 22, 2024, study permit applications from outside Canada require a Provincial Attestation Letter (PAL). Some students are exempt from the PAL. Find out how to get a PAL, if you need one.
• If you are a current student, plan ahead if your documents expire soon and you have travel plans. You would need to get a PAL if you apply for a study permit from outside Canada.
• As of Feb 15, 2024, graduates of master’s degree programs which are 8 months or longer can apply for a 3-year PGWP if eligible for the PGWP. Graduate certificates and diplomas are not master’s degrees and thus do not qualify.
• As of March 19, 2024, only spouses of students in master’s degree, doctoral degree or professional degree programs are eligible for a spousal open work permit while pursuing studies.
• From May 1, 2024, the usual off-campus work policies resumed, allowing eligible students to work up to 20 hours a week off-campus. Off-campus work hours may increase from 20 to 24 hours a week in the fall of 2024, but this has not been finalized by IRCC. Do not work more than 20 hours a week off-campus unless policy changes are officially confirmed. Check the April 29, 2024 notice for more information.
• As of June 21, 2024, PGWP applicants can no longer apply at the Canada-US border through “flagpoling”. Learn about applying for the PGWP online.
• On September 18, 2024, IRCC announced several changes for temporary residents, including a further reduction in study permit applications in 2025, language proficiency requirements for the PGWP as of November 1, 2024, and requiring PALs for graduate students in 2025. See the Sep 18, 2024 backgrounder and Sep 18, 2024 news release for more information. More details on the new PGWP eligibility requirements were published on Oct 4, 2024. 
• As of Nov 8, 2024, off-campus work hours have been increased from 20 to 24 hours a week during academic sessions. As well, students must apply and be approved for a new study permit before changing educational institutions (DLIs). If you are coming to UBC from another institution, you will need to apply for a new study permit. You do not need to update your study permit if you change programs within UBC. Review the Nov 15, 2024 news release.
• As of January 21, 2025, eligibility for a Family Open Work Permit (OWP) will be limited to spouses of students enrolled in graduate degree programs of 16 months or longer in duration (as well as select professional programs), and spouses of foreign workers who are employed in TEER 0 or 1 occupations (executive, managerial, and professional), or select TEER 2/3 occupations with labour shortages or that are linked to government priorities. See the January 14th announcement for more details.

Last updated January 16, 2025 at 12:00 PM PT