International Student Immigration FAQ

ⓘ Latest immigration updates: Read the most up-to-date immigration policy announcements from IRCC covering topics like study permits, work eligibility, and more.

The information on this page is based on information available at the time of publishing.

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) and other government departments are constantly revising their policies. Links for the most current information have been provided for each question; however updates may be published elsewhere

• See IRCC’s website for the most up to date information.
• You can also review program delivery instructions for officers.

Frequently asked questions

Study permits

• What if I can’t travel to Canada by the start of the term?
• I received a request from IRCC to provide another document for my application. What should I do?
• If I drop to part-time studies or take a break, how will this impact me?

Work Permits and working in Canada

• Can I work or be paid for a scholarship, award, teaching, or research assistantship, if I am outside of Canada?
• I was enrolled in my PGWP-eligible program in March 2020 or began my program between March 2020 and August 2022 and my courses moved online due to COVID-19. Will this affect my eligibility for a Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP)?
• I started my program between September 2022 and August 2024. Could I have started my program online from outside of Canada? Will I be eligible for the PGWP?
• Could I have worked more than 20 hours a week off-campus under the temporary policies?

Part-time studies and taking a break from classes

• If I had to drop to part-time studies or take a break due to COVID-19 in Winter Term 2 of 2019 (January – April 2020), how will this impact me?
• If I had to drop to part-time studies or take a break due to COVID-19 in the summer session of 2020 (May – August, 2020), how will this impact me?
• If I had to drop to part-time studies or take a break due to COVID-19 in Winter Session of 2020 (September 2020 – April 2021) or Summer Session of 2021 (May – August 2021), how will this impact me?

Answers to Frequently Asked Questions

Study Permits

What if I can’t travel to Canada by the start of the term?

You may be experiencing delays with your study permit or Temporary Resident Visa (TRV) application, or you may have other reasons why you are unable to travel to Canada at this time.

The processing times posted on the IRCC website are estimates where some applications may be processed faster, and others may take longer than the published processing time. They are updated weekly and are based on how long it took to process 80% of previously submitted applications in the past 8 or 16 weeks. They do not include the time it takes to complete your medical exam (if you did not include it with your application) or provide biometrics. They also do not include the time it takes to submit your passport to the visa office to get the Temporary Resident Visa inserted when your application is approved, if you need one. You can also check your application status.

Unfortunately, there is no option to get rushed processing, and International Student Advising is not able to influence processing times or contact IRCC on your behalf. If your application is past the published processing time, you can send a webform to request an update and request rushed processing to begin your program without delay. If you have not reviewed our initial study permit tutorial, please have a look to see if there is anything you might have missed and provide any missing documents at the same time.

You should not travel to Canada before you’ve received your Letter of Introduction (study permit approval letter), even if you have a valid Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) or Temporary Resident Visa (TRV) to travel as a visitor (unless your program is less than 6 months). You may experience difficulties travelling without a study permit or an approval letter, or may not be allowed to enter Canada.

Before making any non-refundable travel plans or arrangements, carefully review the Travelling to Canada Guide.

If you are inside Canada, you cannot begin studies until you have obtained a physical copy of your UBC study permit (an approval is not sufficient) and you cannot work in Canada until you meet all requirements. If you are transferring from a Canadian high school or post-secondary institution to UBC, check important considerations, as your situation may be different. You must also ensure that you always have valid status in Canada. Contact International Student Advising for support.

Registration

Contact an academic advisor or your graduate program staff to ask about your potential options, such as if it’s possible to arrive late, study online, start the following term, or defer. If you are an exchange student or a Visiting International Research Student (VIRS), contact Go Global.

Check the term start date and the add/drop deadline, which is the last day to withdraw from a course without a “withdrawal” standing on your transcript and to be eligible for a tuition refund. For most students starting in September 2026, the term starts on Sep 8, 2026, and the last day to add/drop Winter Session Term 1 (Sep to Dec 2026) courses is Sep 21, 2026. Confirm your program start date and last day to withdraw with your faculty or department.

• Your program may require that you begin studies earlier than the add/drop deadline. Confirm the latest date you could arrive with an academic advisor or your graduate program staff and ask for guidance, such as if you should contact your professors.
• It would be risky to remain enrolled in courses beyond the add/drop deadline since there is no guarantee that your application will be approved or processed in time to start in your intended term.
• Temporary COVID-19 policies allowing flexibility with online studies outside Canada ended on August 31, 2024. Review the “distance learning” section under “special cases” on IRCC’s page.
• It is possible to study remotely from outside Canada without a study permit. However, from September 1, 2024, online studies from outside Canada do not count towards the length of a Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP) and could be deducted from the PGWP length. If you are in a short program, it could also impact your eligibility for a PGWP. You must complete at least 50 percent of your program in-class in Canada.
• Even if you will take online courses outside Canada, you must study full-time for immigration purposes to maintain eligibility for a PGWP.
• If your course has in-person requirements, it would be risky to remain enrolled beyond the add/drop deadline since there is no guarantee that your application will be approved or processed in time to start in your intended term.
• If your study permit has not been processed yet and you’ve changed your start date, you should inform IRCC. Check the information below for undergraduate, graduate, or current/returning students for details.
• If your application is processed and you got a Letter of Introduction based on your previous UBC Letter of Admission and start date, you can still use this Letter of Introduction to get your study permit as long as the letter is still valid when you travel to Canada.
• You might need to extend your study permit in the future, which you should apply for from inside Canada 5-6 months before your study permit expiry date.
• If you needed a medical exam for your study permit application, make sure your medical exam is valid when you plan to travel to Canada. If it will be more than a year since your medical exam or your situation has changed since you applied and you now need a medical exam, you’ll need to complete a new medical exam well in advance of travelling and submit your new eMedical to IRCC through webform.
• Your Provincial Attestation Letter (PAL) only needs to be valid at the time you submit your application. If you defer your start date, you do not need a new PAL. You would only need a new PAL if you cancelled your study permit application and will resubmit a study permit application after your PAL expires at the end of December 20265, or if your study permit application was refused.
• If you are in Canada, contact International Student Advising for support.

New undergraduate students

If you withdraw from your Winter Term 1 (Sep to Dec 2026) courses before the add/drop deadline, and remain registered in Winter Term 2 (Jan to Apr 2027):

• You should send IRCC a webform to inform them of your new start date and request that your study permit length is issued based on your new start date in January. You do not need to request a new Provincial Attestation Letter, and you do not need to get a new UBC Letter of Admission. You should get a Letter of Enrolment indicating you are not enrolled in Winter Term 1 and are enrolled in Winter Term 2, then upload this in your webform.
• You would be considered to have deferred enrolment for immigration purposes in Winter Term 1 and this would not impact your Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP). You do not need and would not be eligible for an authorized leave.
  • If you withdraw from all courses in your first term in your program after the add/drop deadline with a “W”, you might qualify for the Academic Leave Policy and be able to request an authorized leave. The leave would start on the day you withdraw.

If you withdraw from all courses in Winter Term 1 and 2 (Sep 2026 to Apr 2027) before the add/drop deadline and will defer your start date to May or September 2027:

• You should send IRCC a webform to inform them that you have deferred your start date and request that your study permit length is issued based on your new start date. You will not need a new Provincial Attestation Letter. You will need a new UBC Letter of Admission for your deferred start date, which may not be available until February 2027. You should request a letter from an academic advisor about your eligibility to defer your start date and include this in the webform. In the future, you should send another webform to provide your new Letter of Admission after you’ve received it.

So long as you withdraw from all courses before the add/drop deadline, this will not impact your eligibility for a PGWP. You will be considered to start your program on your new start date.

New graduate students

You should send IRCC a webform to inform them that you have deferred your start date and request that your study permit length is issued based on your new start date. You will not need a new Provincial Attestation Letter. You will need a new UBC Letter of Admission for your deferred start date and should provide this in your webform.

If you withdraw before the add/drop deadline and defer your start date, your program will be considered to start on your new deferred start date. You would be considered to have deferred enrolment for immigration purposes and this would not impact your Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP). You do not need to request a leave of absence.

Current or returning students

If you are not able to make it back in time for the term and withdraw from your courses, note that there could be an impact on your eligibility for the Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP) since you must have full-time, continuous enrolment to be eligible for the PGWP, even if you are outside Canada. Learn more about the immigration impacts of enrolment.

It is possible to study remotely from outside Canada without a study permit. However, from September 1, 2024, online studies from outside Canada do not count towards the length of a Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP) and could be deducted from the PGWP length. If you are in a short program, it could also impact your eligibility for a PGWP. You must complete at least 50 percent of your program in-class in Canada.

You might be eligible for an authorized leave/leave of absence. Learn about taking time away from studies and keep any relevant documents safe, such as your flight tickets leaving and returning to Canada, a doctor’s note, or documents about a family emergency.

Contact International Student Advising for support.

Health Insurance

If you are a new international student and withdraw before the add/drop deadline, your iMED fees will be automatically removed from your UBC tuition account and your iMED coverage will be cancelled. If you re-enroll in the future, your iMED fees will be added again and your coverage dates will be adjusted to your new start date.

If you are a new undergraduate student and withdraw from Winter Term 1 courses, but remain enrolled in Winter Term 2, your iMED fees will be automatically adjusted to January and coverage will be provided from December 1 to the last day of February.

If you are a current/returning student, confirm your Medical Services Plan (MSP) eligibility. If you do not have MSP, you’ll need to purchase temporary health insurance for your first three months in BC, such as the Global Campus Health Plan, then apply online for MSP as soon as you arrive in British Columbia.

Housing

Arrange for housing wherever you will live during your study gap and change any housing arrangements you made for your UBC studies.

If you have on-campus housing, contact UBC Housing to ask about your options.

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I received a request from IRCC to provide another document for my application. What should I do?

If you receive a request from IRCC to provide additional documents after you have submitted your application, it is very important to upload the document by the deadline as well as make sure to follow the steps to successfully submit them to IRCC.

Proof of Tuition Payment

If you have registered and paid for tuition, get proof of payment from Workday. Learn how to access your financial account activity.

If you are unable to register yet, please contact International Student Advising for support.

Updated Letter of Acceptance

If you receive a request for an updated letter of acceptance, contact International Student Advising and send a copy of the request you’ve received.

If you are enrolled in classes, download a current Letter of Enrolment. Then, combine your updated Letter of Admission and Letter of Enrolment into one PDF and upload them together.

Contact International Student Advising if you receive a different type of request or have any questions.

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Work permits and working in Canada

Can I work or be paid for a scholarship, award, teaching, or research assistantship, if I am outside of Canada?

Canadian immigration laws only apply to those inside of Canada. However, there may be obstacles to employing or paying you outside of Canada, such as WorkSafe BC requirements, taxation, needing a valid Social Insurance Number, or other complexities.

Please contact your supervisor or employer to learn about potential impacts.

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I was enrolled in my PGWP-eligible program in March 2020 or began my program between March 2020 and August 2022. my courses moved online due to COVID-19.

Will this affect my eligibility for a post-graduation work permit (PGWP)?

Under normal circumstances, to be eligible for the PGWP, students must complete at least 50% of the program in-class in Canada. Online courses completed outside Canada do not count towards the length of the PGWP.

Due to the pandemic, IRCC created temporary policies allowing students to complete up to 100% of the program online outside Canada between March 2020 and August 31, 2022.

If your courses were delivered online and you were not able to travel to Canada due to COVID-19, studies from March 2020 to August 31, 2022 could count towards the length of your Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP) if you were enrolled in a program which is eligible for the PGWP that was in progress in March 2020 or started a PGWP-eligible program between March 2020 and August 2022 and:

• You study in Canada and you hold a valid study permit, or
• You study in Canada and you held a study permit, applied to extend it, and are under maintained status, or
• You study outside of Canada and you hold a valid study permit, or
• You study outside of Canada and submit a study permit application prior to beginning your program and it is eventually approved.

You must continue to meet the other PGWP requirements, such as maintaining full-time enrolment, even while outside of Canada.

Online courses completed outside Canada after August 31, 2024, will be deducted from the length of your Post-Graduation Work Permit.

If you are inside Canada

If your classes were moved online due to COVID-19, as a temporary measure, your courses can count towards the length of your PGWP until August 31, 2024. IRCC highly recommended that you took in-person courses when they were available.

If you are outside of Canada

You can study online outside of Canada, even if your study permit has expired or your application for a new study permit inside or outside Canada has not yet been approved, since immigration regulations requiring a valid study permit are only for studies undertaken within Canada. As such you are not required to have a valid study permit for the purposes of studying online outside Canada.

However, if you intend to apply for a PGWP, you must fall into one of the above bulleted categories in order for those online courses completed outside Canada to count towards the PGWP.

If you began online studies before IRCC received your study permit application, your studies would have only counted towards the length of your PGWP after your application was received.

If you applied for a study permit before your program started but it was refused, your studies would have counted towards the PGWP starting from your first study permit application if you reapplied for a study permit and IRCC received your application before your program ended and it was later approved.

If your study permit will expire while you are outside of Canada, consider applying for a new study permit.

See IRCC’s PGWP page and the PGWP page for officers for more details.

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I started my program between September 2022 and August 2024 online from outside of Canada. Could I have started my program online from outside Canada? Will I be eligible for the PGWP?

Under normal circumstances, international students must complete at least 50% of your program in-class inside Canada. IRCC has created a transition period for online studies due to the pandemic for students who started a program between September 2022 and August 2024.

If online options were available in your program, you could have begun your program online from outside of Canada, even if your study permit application had not been processed yet, since you were not required to have a study permit for the purposes of studying online outside Canada.

However, if you intended to apply for the Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP) after you complete your studies, in order for your online courses completed outside of Canada to have counted towards the PGWP, you must have had one of the following before your courses started:

• You submitted your study permit application online before starting your program, and your study permit was approved before August 31st, 2024 in the future, or
• You received a Letter of Introduction (study permit approval), or
• You had a valid study permit

If you had one of the above, you were able to complete up to 50% of your program online from outside Canada between September 1, 2022, and August 31, 2024, without impacting your eligibility or the length of your PGWP. Online courses completed outside Canada after August 31, 2024, will be deducted from the length of your PGWP.

If you began online studies before IRCC received your study permit application, your studies would have only counted towards the length of your PGWP after your application was received.

If you applied for a study permit before your program started but it was refused, your studies would have counted towards the PGWP starting from your first study permit application if you reapplied for a study permit and IRCC received your application before your program ended and it was later approved.

You must continue to meet the other PGWP requirements, such as maintaining full-time enrolment, even while outside of Canada.

IF YOU ARE INSIDE CANADA

If your classes were moved online due to COVID-19, as a temporary measure, your courses could have counted towards the length of your PGWP until August 31, 2024. Make sure to keep a valid study permit at all times. IRCC highly recommends that you take in-class courses when they are available.

See IRCC’s PGWP page and the PGWP page for officers for more details.

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Was I allowed to work more than 20 hours a week off-campus under the temporary policies between Nov 15, 2022, and Apr 30, 2024?

The temporary policies allowing some international students to work more than 20 hours a week off-campus ended on April 30, 2024. From May 1, 2024, the usual off-campus work policies resumed where eligible students could work up to 20 hours a week off-campus.

As of Nov 8, 2024, off-campus work hours have been increased from 20 to 24 hours a week during academic sessions on an ongoing basis. Make sure you are eligible to work off-campus.

Under normal circumstances, at the time, international students could have worked off-campus up to 20 hours (24 hours after Nov 8, 2024) a week during academic terms, and full-time during scheduled breaks, if eligible. This applies to students in degree, diploma, certificate or exchange programs.

In recognition of international students’ contribution to the labour market, IRCC announced two temporary policies which allowed some international students who were eligible to work off-campus to work more than 20 hours a week.

As of Nov 8, 2024, off-campus work hours increased from 20 to 24 hours a week during academic sessions on an ongoing basis. Make sure you are eligible to work off-campus.

The first temporary policy started on November 15, 2022 and was initially going to end on December 31, 2023, but was extended to April 30, 2024. This applied to some students who applied for a study permit on or before October 7, 2022. Students who were eligible could have worked off-campus more than 20 hours a week from November 15, 2022, until whichever came first:

• The study permit you applied for on or before October 7, 2022 expired
• The study permit you held on October 7, 2022 expired (if you did not have a study permit application in progress on October 7, 2022)
• April 30, 2024
• You were no longer eligible to work, such as you were no longer enrolled full-time or you finished your studies and got your letter of completion

The second temporary policy started on January 1, 2024 and ended on April 30, 2024. This applied to some students who applied for a study permit between October 8, 2022, and December 7, 2023. Students who were eligible could have worked off-campus more than 20 hours a week from January 1, 2024, until whichever came first:

• The study permit you applied for between October 8, 2022, and December 7, 2023, expired
• April 30, 2024
• You were no longer eligible to work, such as you were no longer enrolled full-time or you finished your studies and got your letter of completion

Your eligibility for the temporary policies depended on when you applied for your study permit (initial or extension), and when your study permit expires—review the scenarios below for details.

If you were eligible for the temporary off-campus work policy above, you were also exempt from needing a co-op work permit for the co-op placements, practicums or internships taking place during this period—review the scenarios below for details.

You can check when IRCC received your study permit application by logging into your online IRCC account and checking the PDF confirmation IRCC automatically sent confirming the date they received your application. Note that application times are based on being received by Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) 11:59pm, not local time zones.

As is the case for all work in Canada, you must make sure you maintained eligibility requirements to work on and off campus. Learn how your enrolment impacts immigration, including work eligibility. You must stop working immediately if any of the following is true:

• You finish your studies and receive your letter of completion.
• You withdraw from courses and are no longer enrolled full-time.
• Your study permit expired and you did not apply to extend it.
• You work in a job that requires a medical exam but don’t have the right conditions.

Be sure to keep documentation about your off-campus work hours, such as saving your pay slips and work schedules, in case you are asked to provide proof in the future. In future immigration applications, if you worked more than 20 hours a week during this temporary policy period, include a section in your letter of explanation referring to the policy. Take advantage of the many resources offered by the Academic and Career Development team, such as guidance with resumes and interviews, workshops, and student job postings.

Part-time studies and taking a break from classes during COVID-19

If I had to drop to part-time studies or take a break due to COVID-19 in Winter Term 2 of 2019 (January – April, 2020), how will this impact me?

As an exception, if you were full-time for immigration purposes during winter term 2, and had to drop to part-time studies or take a break in studies due to COVID-19, you could have worked in Canada unlimited hours on campus and up to 20 hours per week off campus, if eligible. This applied regardless of whether you had a UBC-approved leave of absence.

You must still have held a valid study permit or have applied to extend it before the old study permit expired.

Normally, as an international student, you must maintain full-time status in each term to be eligible for a Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP).  However, if you were a current student at this time and could not meet this requirement due to COVID-19, IRCC will take this into consideration and this will not affect your PGWP eligibility. At the time you apply for PGWP, if your program was not available online during COVID-19, please contact an Academic Advisor or graduate program staff to request a letter, then contact Global Engagement Office for support with your application.

Graduate Students, Diploma in Accounting or Law Students

If you have a UBC-approved leave of absence, you can remain in Canada for 150 days after:

• The day your leave was approved, or
• The first day of classes of the term in which your leave started, whichever comes last.

Before the 150 day period is over, you will probably need to:

• Resume studies,
• Leave Canada, or
• Apply for visitor status

See the latest IRCC updates on international students’ eligibility to work on- and off-campus.

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If I had to drop to part-time studies or take a break due to COVID-19 in the summer session of 2020 (May – August, 2020), how will this impact me?

You could have remained in Canada so long as you held a valid study permit or applied to extend it before the old study permit expired.

Normally, as an international student, you must maintain full-time status in each term to be eligible for a Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP). However, if you were a current student and could not meet this requirement due to COVID-19, IRCC will take this into consideration and this will not affect your PGWP eligibility. At the time you apply for PGWP, if your program was not available online during COVID-19, please contact an Academic Advisor or graduate program staff to request a letter, then contact International Student Advising for support with your application

Undergraduate Students

You could have worked full-time during summer if:

• You studied full time for immigration purposes at the start of winter term 2, and
• You had to drop to part-time studies or take a break in studies in winter term 2 due to COVID-19, and
• You have returned to full-time studies in the following winter term 1.

Graduate Students, Diploma in Accounting, and Law Students

Summer session is not considered a scheduled break for you. As an exception, if you had to take a break in studies due to COVID-19 in the summer session, you could have worked the same amount as during a full time semester, which is unlimited hours on campus and up to 20 hours per week off campus. This applied regardless of whether or not your leave was formally authorized by UBC.

If you have a UBC-approved leave of absence, you could have remained in Canada for 150 days after:

• The day your leave was approved, or
• The first day of classes of the term in which your leave started, whichever came last.

Before the 150-day period is over, you will probably need to:

• Resume studies,
• Leave Canada, or
• Apply for visitor status

See the latest IRCC updates on the impact of COVID-19 for international students.

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If I had to drop to part-time studies or take a break due to COVID-19 in Winter Session of 2020 (September 2020– April 2021) or Summer Session of 2021 (May – August 2021), how will this impact me?

Dropping to part-time or taking a break from studies in Winter Session 2020 or Summer 2021 could affect:

• Your student status in Canada at the time
• Your eligibility to work on and off campus at the time
• Your future eligibility for the Post-Graduation Work Permit

This applies to you even if you were studying online, outside of Canada.

Learn about the immigration impacts of withdrawing from courses.

Undergraduate Students

If you were not enrolled in any courses, you probably needed to:

• Leave Canada, or
• Apply for visitor status

Graduate Students, Diploma in Accounting, and Law Students

If you had a UBC-approved leave of absence, you could have remained in Canada for 150 days after:

• The day your leave was approved, or
• The first day of classes of the term in which your leave started, whichever came last.

Before the 150-day period is over, you will probably need to:

• • Resume studies,
  • Leave Canada, or
  • Apply for visitor status

See the latest IRCC updates on the impact of COVID-19 for international students.

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