Coronavirus disease (COVID-19): International students

Apply for a study permit

Apply online

If you’re applying for a study permit, you should apply online, whether you’re outside of Canada or already in Canada.

When you apply, you should submit

• the letter of acceptance issued to you by the designated learning institution (DLI) you’ll be attending
• as many of the documents needed for a complete application as possible
• a letter of explanation for any documents that are missing due to COVID-19

If you can’t apply online because of a disability or because there’s a problem with the online application, you can apply on paper.

If you plan to study in Quebec, you must provide a valid Quebec Acceptance Certificate or proof that you applied for one.

Applying at the port of entry

In general, you should not apply for a study permit at a Canadian port of entry. You should apply online for a study permit before you travel to Canada.

Only certain people can apply at the port of entry at this time. You may be able to apply at the port of entry if you’re a

• U.S. citizen
• lawful permanent resident of the U.S.
• resident of Greenland
• resident of Saint-Pierre and Miquelon

If you meet one of these requirements, you must have all the documents required to apply for a study permit with you when you arrive at the border. The border services officer who greets you will determine if you’re eligible to enter Canada as a student.

Complying with your study permit conditions

If your in-class courses are temporarily moved to an online-only format or suspended completely because of COVID-19, you’re still complying with your study permit conditions if you

• stay enrolled in your DLI, and
• participate in your studies online, if your DLI offers them

If you want to stay in Canada longer

You must apply online to extend your stay in Canada.

If your study permit is going to expire soon

If you’re a student, you have 3 options:

1. You may be able to extend your study permit, if you want to continue studying.
2. You may be eligible to apply for a post-graduation work permit (PGWP) or a work permit, if you completed your study program.
3. You can apply to change your status to visitor.

You must submit an application for 1 of these options before your study permit expires, or you may need to leave Canada.

If your study permit has expired

If your study permit expires before you apply to extend it, you’ve lost your status as a student in Canada. You may be able to restore your status.

If you’re a visitor who needs a study permit

You can apply online for a study permit if you’re already in Canada as a visitor.

When you apply, you must follow the instructions for applying from outside of Canada. We’ll process your application in the same amount of time as though you’d applied from your home country, outside of Canada.

You can’t start studying until you receive your study permit.

Studying in Quebec

If you want to study in Quebec for longer than 6 months, you must apply for a Quebec Acceptance Certificate (CAQ).

When you apply for a study permit to study in Quebec, you’ll need to show us that you’ve applied for a CAQ. To do this, you can submit either

• your official CAQ document (preferred)
• proof that you applied for a new CAQ if you don’t have the approved CAQ when you submit your study permit application
  • If you get your official CAQ after you submit your study permit application, you can submit your CAQ by using your online account or our web form.

Working as a student

As of September 1, 2020, to work in Canada as a student, you must

• be a full-time student
• be enrolled at a DLI
• meet all on-campus and off-campus work eligibility requirements

Co-op work permits

During the COVID-19 outbreak, many international students are studying online from abroad. If your school and employer agree, you can either

• accept a Canadian work placement and begin working remotely from your home country
• work for a company in your home country

If you’re working outside Canada, you can work while we process your study permit and co-op work permit applications.

How to apply for a co-op work permit

How your post-graduation work permit (PGWP) eligibility is affected

If you’re inside Canada

You’re still eligible for the PGWP if

• your in-person classes in Canada have been moved to an online-only format and you are taking your classes online because of COVID-19, or
• you had to put your studies on hold, or study part-time, during the winter, spring or summer 2020 semesters because of COVID-19

As of the fall 2020 semester, you must be studying full-time to be eligible.

If you’re outside of Canada

If you can’t travel to Canada at this time and you’re taking your classes online, you’re still eligible for a PGWP.

To be eligible, you must

• meet all the other PGWP requirements

and

• have been enrolled in a program that was in progress in March 2020, or
• have started or will start a program between spring 2020 and fall 2021, and
  • you have a study permit, or
  • you’ve been approved for a study permit, or
  • you applied for a study permit before starting your study program
    • your study permit must eventually be approved

How much of your studies count toward a PGWP

You can complete 100% of your studies online from outside Canada.

All your time studying online outside Canada between spring 2020 and December 31, 2021, counts toward the length of a PGWP. This applies even if you’re completing 2 study programs.

If you’re completing 2 study programs, you can finish 100% of your studies online if the programs were ongoing or started between March 2020 and fall 2021, and

• both study programs are from an eligible DLI and are completed within 2 years
• each program meets all PGWP eligibility requirements and is at least 8 months long

The following time won’t count toward the length of a PGWP:

• time spent studying outside Canada after December 31, 2021
• time spent studying before you applied for a study permit

Apply for a PGWP

To apply for a PGWP, you need to submit

• a letter of completion and
• your final transcript

You can start working right away, until we make a decision on your application, if

• you submitted your PGWP application before your study permit expired, and
• you meet the other requirements

If your PGWP has expired or will expire soon

Starting January 27, 2021, you may be eligible for an open work permit of up to 18 months under a new public policy. Find out if you meet the requirements for this open work permit.

You can submit applications for this open work permit until July 27, 2021.