Study Permit

Foreign nationals are required to obtain a study permit for engaging in academic, professional, vocational or other education or training that is more than 6 months in duration at a designated learning institution (DLI) in Canada. TWU is a designated learning institution (DLI) in Canada.

The following activities are not considered studies for the purposes of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act and do not require a study permit:

• pre-school (pre-kindergarten)
• courses of general interest or self-improvement
• distance learning
• audited courses (typically by sitting in on an academic course, but without obtaining credit for it, or having the ability to obtain credit for it retroactively)
• settlement and integration courses offered by a provincial or territorial government through settlement and integration providers (including francization courses offered by the Government of Quebec, as they are considered settlement and integration courses and not language courses by IRCC)

With a Canadian study permit, international students can change their school or program at any time without needing to apply for a new study permit. Once you are accepted into the institution you want to transfer into, you just need to notify IRCC. 

For example, if you have a valid study permit and have been transferred from your previous school to TWU, ensure to update this change with IRCC. Visit the IRCC official website HERE and follow the instructions under "Post-secondary students changing schools."

If your study permit is still valid, you do not need to change or apply for a new permit if you’re moving between school levels. This could be:

• primary to high school
• high school to post-secondary
• post-secondary to high school or
• any other move between school levels

If your study permit will expire, you need to apply to extend it.

If your permit has already expired, you must restore your status as a student at the same time as you apply to extend your study permit. You must apply to restore your status within 90 days of losing it. You can’t continue or restart your studies until you have status as a student again and we’ve extended your study permit.

If your study permit was refused for valid reasons, for example, if the applicant failed to include any of the required documents, then the best option is to submit a new application after ensuring that the errors are addressed.

If you find yourself in a complex situation, it is advisable to select an immigration representative to submit your IRCC application. Click HERE to see how to choose an immigration representative.

Please note that TWU RCICs or RISIAs can only advise international students, their spouses, common-law partners, and children. We do not submit IRCC applications on behalf of international students.

Yes. You can stay in Canada as a temporary resident until IRCC makes a decision on your new permit application. Make sure you have applied for a new permit before your original permit has expired.

If you applied to extend your study permit, you can stay in Canada and continue studying under the conditions of your original study permit if you

• applied to extend your study permit before your original permit expired
• are waiting for a decision on your study permit application

If you applied for a work permit, such as a post-graduation work permit (PGWP), you can stay in Canada and continue to work full-time if you

• were already able to work off campus during your studies
• applied for a work permit before your study permit expired
• are waiting for a decision on your work permit application

If you’re not eligible to extend your study permit, you

• can apply to stay in Canada as a visitor
• must stop studying when your study permit expires

Most people must apply online to extend their study permit from within Canada. You should submit an application to extend your study permit before your current permit expires.

If your study permit has already expired You need to restore your status as a student, as well as extend your study permit. You must apply to restore your status within 90 days of losing it. If you don’t, you must leave Canada. You can’t continue your studies until we restore your status as a student in Canada and extend your study permit.

During regular school terms/semesters, you can work up to 20 hours per week. You can work more than 1 job to make up these hours as long as you continue to meet the conditions of your study permit.

There is no set number of hours per week that counts as ‘full-time’ work. However, your employer(s) must follow all provincial laws on overtime pay and time between shifts.

If your TWU program doesn’t have scheduled breaks, you can work up to 20 hours per week.

Working more than 20 hours per week is a violation of your study permit conditions. You can lose your student status for doing this, and may not be approved for a study or work permit in the future. You may also have to leave the country.

From November 15, 2022, until December 31, 2023, you can work more than 20 hours per week off campus while class is in session if you meet certain requirements:

If you applied for a study permit (or extension) on or before October 7, 2022

You can work more than 20 hours per week off campus if you’re in any of the following situations:

• You’re a study permit holder.

• Your study permit has expired, but you have maintained your status and are studying at a DLI full-time (or part-time if it’s your final academic semester).

• You’re approved for a study permit but haven’t arrived in Canada yet.

In addition, you must meet all of these requirements to be eligible:

• You are in Canada or have re-entered Canada by December 31, 2023.

• You must have one of the following conditions printed on your study permit:

  • May work 20 hours per week off campus or full-time during regular breaks if meeting criteria outlined in paragraph 186(v) of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations.

  • May accept employment on or off campus if meeting eligibility criteria, per paragraph R186(f), (v) or (w) and must cease working if no longer meeting these criteria.

If you applied for a study permit extension after October 7, 2022

If your original study permit, which you’re applying to extend, expires between November 15, 2022, and December 31, 2023, you can work more than 20 hours per week off campus. You must stop working more than 20 hours per week on the day your original study permit expires.

You must also meet all of these requirements to be eligible:

• We received the application for your original study permit (which you’re applying to extend) on or before October 7, 2022.
• You’re a study permit holder who is studying at a DLI full-time (or part-time if it’s your final academic semester).
• You are in Canada or have re-entered Canada by December 31, 2023.
• You must have one of the following conditions printed on your study permit:
  • May work 20 hours per week off campus or full-time during regular breaks if meeting criteria outlined in paragraph 186(v) of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations.
  • May accept employment on or off campus if meeting eligibility criteria, but per paragraph R186(f), (v) or (w) and must cease working if no longer meeting these criteria.

If you need to change the conditions of your study permit, you need to complete Applying to Change Conditions or Extend Your Stay in Canada with IRCC. 

As an international student, you must remain enrolled at TWU and make reasonable and timely progress towards completing your program. Failing to do so may lead to your removal from Canada. For post-secondary study permit holders, TWU will report your continued academic enrolment and status to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC).

IRCC officers may also impose, vary or cancel conditions on a study permit. These may include one or more of the following:

• the type of studies or course you may take;
• the educational institution you may attend;
• the location of your studies;
• the time and period of your studies;
• the times and place at which you shall report for medical examination or observation;
• the times and place at which you shall report for the presentation of evidence of compliance with applicable conditions;
• the work conditions attached to your study permit;
• the prohibition of engaging in employment; or
• the duration of your stay in Canada.

You must fill out an application and pay a fee to replace the permit with IRCC.

Your study permit will become invalid 90 days after you complete your studies (even before your study permit expiry date) or on the expiry date of your study permit. If you plan to stay in Canada after your studies, be sure to maintain valid status in Canada.