WHAT IS STUDY PERMIT?
WHAT IS STUDY PERMIT?
Study Permit is a visa that is issued by government of Canada that allows a foreigner to legally study in Canada. Interested individuals can apply for study permit based on their eligibility and need. It is highly recommended to consult with a reliable 3rd party representative such as Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultant (RCIC) or Immigration Lawyer before proceeding.
International students can legally work in Canada while they are studying full-time in a designated learning institution. They are allowed to work on or off campus on a part-time basis (a maximum 20 hours/week) depending on the type of study permit they acquire while studying full-time. Moreover, the students are allowed to work full-time during scheduled post-secondary school breaks such as a reading break. Please refer to “Working While Studying” chapter of this book for more information.
Upon graduation, they are eligible to apply for a Post Graduate Work Permit, which may give them 1 to 3 years of open work permits to work in Canada. If they graduate from a 1-year certificate program, then they’re entitled to apply for a 1-year open work permit. If they complete a 2-year diploma or 4-year bachelor program, then they are eligible for a 3-year open work permit.
The applicant should apply for a study permit if the program they are pursuing is longer than 6 months, or if the program requires a mandatory internship or co-op working experience. Any dependent (minor) children who is accompanying their parents who are in visitor status must apply for a study permit to study in Canada.
The study permit is valid for 1 year for primary school students (grades 1 to 9) with an option to extend the visa. For secondary school (grades 10 to 12) and college/university students, they can get a study permit for the years of program they are studying. The maximum duration in this case is 4 years with an additional 90 calendar days as an expiry date. The students can apply for a study permit extension before the study permit expires if they need more time to finish their program, or any other visas they are looking for (especially Post Graduate Work Permit).
Some foreign nationals are allowed to apply for a study permit at the Port of Entry (POE). These people include a citizen or a permanent resident of United States of America, Greenland, or St. Pierre and Miquelon.