Permits & Visas

information about Study Permits

International Students must have valid documents to be able to stay and study in Canada. Visitors, workers and students can apply online for faster processing.

Whenever possible, students are encouraged to apply online to extend their study permit, TRV, and/or apply or renew their work permits. If you have already submitted a paper application, please do not submit an electronic application as this will not speed up processing.

Below please find information on study and work permits, important reminder and temporary resident visas (TRV) and electronic travel authorization (eTA).

 
 
 
 
 

Study Permit

If you already have a study permit and are looking to submit it, please click the button below:

Upload Study Permit

Important Reminders:

  • Submit a copy of your Study Permit to the International Centre upon arrival
  • Check your passport’s expiry date and renew it before you apply for any Canadian immigration documents
  • Apply online for Study Permit extension or Post-Graduation Work Permit or Co-op/Field Placement/Work Permit
  • Check the expiry date of your Study Permit and submit a renewal application online at least 90 days before the expiry
  • You may be required to have a Temporary Resident Visa if you leave Canada and have plans to return
  • A Co-op Work Permit is required before you can start co-op, externship, work or practicum placements. Depending on your program, you may need to submit proof of a medical exam by a CIC Panel Physician
  • Remember that graduating students have limited time to apply for a Post-Graduation Work Permit from their last day of classes. Depending on your field of work, you may need to submit proof of a medical exam by an IRCC Panel Physician

Study Permits

If you are applying for a study permit for the first time please refer to information on the Canadian government website. Please be sure to read all the instructions carefully.

Study Permit Requirements

International Students must have valid documents to be able to stay and study in Canada. If you are from China, India, Vietnam, or the Philippines, we can help! Check out the link below.

Need a Guaranteed Investment Certificate?

How to extend your Study Permit

Study Permits can be extended from within Canada only and we recommend students to submit applications electronically online to IRCC or by mailing an application with supporting documents to CPC Edmonton, Alberta (please see below for more information about applying by mail).

Sending an electronic/online application for Study Permit extension

Visit the Government of Canada website for information on how to apply for your Study Permit extension online.

Learn more about the extension process

Please Note: If your address changes at any time make sure that you visit the Citizenship & Immigration Canada (IRRC) website and inform them of a change of address.

Sending an application for Study Permit extension by mail

Applicants can only apply for study permit extension by mail if they can’t apply online due to disability or problems with their online application. Applicants should visit the Extend your Study Permit page of the Canadian government website for more information.

Work Permits

Apply Online!

International Students must have valid documents to be able to stay and study in Canada.

Visitors, workers and students can apply online here for faster processing.

Whenever possible, students are encouraged to apply online to extend their study permit, TRV, and/or apply or renew their work permits. If you have already submitted a paper application, please do not submit an electronic application as this will not speed up processing.

Working on campus

If you are a registered, full-time student with a Study Permit, you are able to work at any job on campus without having a work permit. To see if you qualify check Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada’s guidelines for work permits for students.

You can work as an international student in Canada if your study permit lists a condition that says you’re allowed to work on- or off-campus

To work on campus, you must:

  • be registered as a full-time post-secondary student at a:
    • public post-secondary school, such as a college or university, or CEGEP in Quebec
    • private college-level school in Quebec that operates under the same rules as public schools, and is at least 50% funded by government grants, or
    • Canadian private school that can legally award degrees under provincial law
  • have a valid study permit, and have a Social Insurance Number (SIN)
Working off campus

International students may qualify to work off campus without a work permit. If you qualify, your study permit will allow you to work up to 20 hours per week.

You can work as an international student in Canada if your study permit lists a condition that says you’re allowed to work on- or off campus

To qualify to work off-campus, you must:

  • have a valid study permit,
  • be a full-time student,
  • be enrolled at at a designated learning institution (such as George Brown College) at the post-secondary level or,
  • be studying in an academic, vocational or professional training program that leads to a degree, diploma or certificate that is at least six months in duration.

You must stop working on the day you no longer meet the above eligibility requirements (e.g., if you are no longer a full-time student during an academic session.)

Use the self-assessment tool to see if you are eligible to work off campus without a work permit. Please note you need a Social Insurance Number (SIN) from Service Canada to work in Canada or to receive benefits and services from government programs.

Co-op/Intern Work Permit

International students who are undertaking any kind of field education (co-op, externship, practicum, clinical, etc.), regardless of length, must have a valid co-op/intern work permit. You can submit this application at the same time as your study permit application. If you did not apply for your co-op/intern work permit along with your study permit or did not receive one with your study permit, you will have to submit a separate application through CIC while in Canada well in advance of the start date of your placement.

The work permit is a document required by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) before international students can start their field placement, work placement, externship, practicum, even if these placements are unpaid. Students in programs that require placements involving hospital settings and/or interaction with families and children in Canada are required by the IRCC to undergo a medical exam by a Panel Physician.

See the Canadian government webpage on medical exams. Medical exams performed by a Panel Physician are valid for up to 12 months. If you completed a medical exam for your visa application and it is still valid, you may be able to submit proof of this medical with your application for a co-op work permit. The IRCC medical exam is in addition to completing the mandatory program-specific pre-placement health forms which may be mandated by your academic department (see georgebrown.ca/preplacement for details).

Features

  • No application fee required for co-op work permit processing
  • Employer indicated on the work permit is George Brown College
  • Apply early, as processing times vary and you must have your co-op work permit in order to begin your placement
  • Cannot be used in place of an off-campus work permit and must only be used for your field education purposes

Requirements

The International Centre will prepare the Co-Op Certification Letters based on a list of students provided by the Academic Department.

Download the Co-op Letter request form
The list will include the following information:

  • Name of Student and Student ID Number
  • Program
  • Term of student (ex:first, second)
  • Placement Period (from when to when)
  • Total Number of Placement Hours and whether the placement is one-time only or for each term. If placement is done each term, total number of hours per term.

If a student has a HOLD on the student information system or is not currently registered, a Co-Op Certification Letter cannot be issued.

When the Certification Letters are ready, the International Centre will either:

a. Inform the academic department so student can pick up the letter from the International Centre; or

b. Send the letter to the department where it can be picked up by the student.

How to Apply for a Co-Op Work Permit

For details and information on how to apply for a co-op work permit please visit the Canadian government website here.

Post-Graduation Work Permit

International students are eligible to apply for a Post-Graduation Work Permit that is valid from 8 months to up to three (3) years, depending on the duration of the academic program successfully completed. Please check with the IRCC (formerly CIC) to confirm eligibility. For more information, please visit the Canadian government website.

Highlights of the Post-Graduation Work Permit

  1. The permit is valid from 8 months to up to a maximum of three (3) years
  2. The permit allows students to work anywhere within Canada
  3. Students are not required to find a job related to their field of study.
  4. If you complete any Community and Health Sciences programs, H402, R107 and T402 programs, and want to work in your field, a recent medical exam by a Panel Physician may be required by IRCC if you want to receive a Work Permit without any restrictions attached.
  5. Students do not need a job offer to apply for a post-graduation work permit.
  6. The work permit is an “open” permit and not employer specific (which means that students do not need to change their work permit every time they change jobs).
  7. Post-Graduation Work Permit application may be done online or by mail

Application Information

If you’re an international student who wishes to apply for the Post-Graduation Work Permit you must:

  • Possess a valid Study Permit
  • Have completed an academic, vocational or professional training program at an eligible institution in Canada that is at least 8 months in duration leading to a degree, diploma or certificate
  • Have maintained a full-time student status in Canada during each academic session of the program or programs of study that have completed and submitted as part of their post-graduation work permit application. Exceptions can be made only for the following:
  • Have received a transcript and an official letter from the eligible DLI (George Brown College) confirming that they have met the requirements to complete their program of study
  • Apply within 90 days (if within Canada) or 180 days (if outside Canada) of your last day of class in your final semester
  • Have not previously been issued a work permit for post-graduation employment following any other course of study

How to Apply

Applications for a Post-Graduation Work Permit can be submitted online or by mail.

Visit work in Canada after you graduate

Medical Exam

If the program you completed or the line of work you will be looking for involves working with Canadian families, the disabled, the elderly/seniors, or children or at any health care institutions and community services, and you want to work in this field, you may be required to get a recent (valid for 12 months) medical exam by a Panel Physician, to be issued a Work Permit without conditions. Please check the IRCC website or call the IRCC Call Centre at 1-888-242-2100 for details.

Social Insurance Number (SIN)

Getting your Social Insurance Number

You need a Social Insurance Number (SIN) from Service Canada to work in Canada or to receive benefits and services from government programs. For more information about a Social Insurance Number please visit the Social Insurance Number Overview page on the Canada government website.

 

Temporary Resident Visa (TRV)

International Students must have valid documents to be able to stay and study in Canada. For instance, a valid Study Permit allows students to study in Canada. Students from many countries may also be required to have a Temporary Resident Visa (TRV) or Visitor Visa to enter Canada in addition to the Study Permit requirement.

TRV/Visitor Visa Requirements

  • Students who come to study for a full-time program that is 6 months or less in duration will only need a Temporary Resident Visa (TRV) (Visitor Visa).
  • Students who study for more than 6 months, or who plan to study a Postsecondary program at George Brown College require a Study Permit, or depending on the student’s country of citizenship, may be required to have both a Study Permit and TRV.
  • The list of countries needing a TRV is available at the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship (IRCC) website.
  • TRVs are usually issued with the Study Permit when a student first applies from their home country and stamped directly in the passport.
  • A TRV must be valid to re-enter Canada.
  • TRVs may be issued within Canada for students already in Canada with valid study permits.
  • All TRVs issued are for multiple entry until the expiry date.

How to Apply for a TRV Within Canada

Students currently in Canada with a valid Study Permit must apply for the TRV to the Case Processing Pilot Office (CPP-O) in Ottawa. Please visit the Case Processing Centre webpage for detailed information.

 

Planning to travel outside Canada and return by air? Make sure you have an Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA), otherwise you may get stuck at the airport.

Canada has introduced a new entry requirement, known as an Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA), for visa-exempt foreign nationals travelling to or transiting through Canada by air. Exceptions include U.S. citizens and travellers with a valid visa.

This new requirement is now mandatory and travellers need an eTA before they can board their flight to Canada.

Inviting a Friend/Relative to Visit

A friend or family member may want to visit you during your stay in Canada. In most cases, the friend or relative will be required to apply for a Temporary Resident Visa (TRV) in order to enter Canada. Follow these steps when you want to invite someone to visit:

  • Write a Letter of Invitation: Citizenship and Immigration Canada has a guide for you to follow. This is only a guide – you must write the invitation yourself and your letter must be written in English. (In some cases the letter may need to be notarized).
  • Request a Proof of Enrolment Letter from George Brown International.
  • Send the letters to your invited person. They must include the letters with their Temporary Resident Visa application to their local visa office.

Please Note

This information has been reviewed by a Regulated International Student Immigration Advisor (RISIA). However, immigration policies can change without notice. Students are solely responsible for ensuring that they are in compliance with all Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) regulations at all times during their studies and while in Canada, including any medical or study and work permit-related requirements. For the most up to date information, please refer to the IRCC website directly at IRCC webpage or consult the IRCC Contact Centre at 1-888-242-2100 to confirm or clarify immigration-related information and requirement.