Immigration

It depends. Students in Canada with a valid study permit who need to extend it to study at the same designated learning institution (DLI ) and level of study as under their current study permit don’t need a PAL at this time. Students changing DLIs or progressing from one level of study to another need a PAL. See the full list of PAL exemptions.

Your study permit should have a mention indicating your eligibility to work on or off campus if you meet the eligibility criteria indicated on the On Campus and Off Campus work authorization IRCC webpages. If there is no mention about work on your study permit and you think you should be eligible, it may be possible to request an amendment of your study permit. If the following remark is printed on your study permit: This permit does not permit the holder to engage in off campus employment in Canada, and you have become eligible to work on or off campus without a work permit (e.g. you have transferred to an eligible program of study), you must apply to change the conditions of your study permit and pay the applicable fee ($150).

Certain jobs that bring you into close contact with people require a medical exam to be authorized to work in them. To have this condition removed, you must undergo a medical exam and apply to change the conditions of your study permit and pay the applicable fee ($150). We recommend that you complete an “upfront” medical exam and answer “yes” to the question “Have you had a medical exam performed by an IRCC authorized panel physician (doctor) within the last 12 months?” in the eligibility questionnaire so that the medical exam requirement is added to your document checklist. Learn when and where to get your medical exam.

Please note that the Canadian government does not restrict travellers leaving Canada.

Make sure to check the entry/exit requirements put in place by the country or countries where you plan to travel before your trip. You should also make sure to meet the latest travel requirements to travel to Canada if planning to return. The institution is not able to act and override any measures or restrictions imposed by the Government of Canada.

Please also note that students travelling outside of Canada for University business, e.g. exchange, study, research, work, etc. must register their trips with the University and follow the steps outlined on the travel safety website.

If you are physically inside Canada, a valid study permit is generally required for any studies that are longer than six months in duration. There is an exception for distance learning if the program has no in-Canada in-class course components (i.e. the program is 100% online). 

IRCC has confirmed that the effects of COVID-19 will be taken under consideration when assessing PGWP program eligibility (if applicable).  

You must complete at least 50% of your program (or programs) of study in class in Canada (exceptions apply if you started your program before September 1, 2024). Any time spent studying online outside of Canada will be deducted from the length of the post-graduation work permit (PGWP). We encourage you to consult the IRCC website for more information on how online studies can impact your PGWP.

PGWP Eligibility: For information on PGWP eligibility, you can visit the PGWP Eligibility webpage.

Application Process: You can apply online using your IRCC secure account. It is possible to apply from inside Canada or from outside Canada (there is an instruction guide available for each option).

Information session: We held an online information session on how to apply for a PGWP (it is video #18 on the playlist). We recommend that you consult it as it explains all of the steps and documents required in great detail.

Academic documents needed to apply: In order to apply for your PGWP you will need:  

Before your degree is conferred:

• an official letter that confirms you’ve completed your study program (undergraduate students may obtain this letter from their Faculty. Graduate students and undergraduate students from the Faculty of Arts may obtain this letter from InfoService.); and
• an official transcript (requested from InfoService), or a copy of your unofficial transcript accessible through your uoZone account.

After your degree is conferred:

• an official enrolment verification letter (requested from InfoService) with the mention of “degree awarded” (When requesting the document, be sure to select “Include my Earned Degrees”.); and
• an official transcript (requested from InfoService), or a copy of your unofficial transcript accessible through your uoZone account (with mention of degree conferred).

If you did not study on a continuous, full-time basis throughout your program, additional supporting documents will be required to explain and justify any part-time terms or gaps in study. We encourage you to book an individual advising appointment with us if you are in this situation.

Other required documents: Since November 1, 2024, applicants must include proof of language ability when applying for the PGWP. As someone completing a university program, you must demonstrate a minimum (intermediate) level in all four language areas when applying for the PGWP, in either:

o English: Score of 7 on the Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB); or

o French : Score of 7 on the Niveaux de compétence linguistique canadiens (NCLC)

We encourage you to book your test well in advance because it may take time to receive your language test results.

Work authorization: You are eligible to work full-time after you have submitted your application if you meet the conditions listed on IRCC’s website. This section of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations (R186w) confirms the authorization to work without a permit until a decision is made on your application. IRCC should send you a letter confirming your authorization to work while you wait for a decision if you meet the criteria.

Students have 180 days to apply for the Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP) after completing their studies. If you want to remain in Canada after the end of your studies, you should apply to extend your status as visitor, student or worker within 90 days of completing your program.

Your study permit becomes invalid 90 days after receiving a written confirmation that you have officially completed your program or on the expiry date of your study permit, whichever comes first. This written confirmation can be a Diploma, an Official Final Transcript or an Official Letter confirming Completion of Studies. Please consult Important Academic Dates and Deadlines to determine when your final grades and academic standing will be available.

To apply for a PGWP from inside Canada you must:

• Have a valid status in Canada (student or worker)
• Your study permit must be valid or must have expired in less than 180 days following completion of your program.

If you have lost your status you must apply for a restoration of status as a student in addition to the PGWP and pay additional fees.

If you graduate from outside Canada and wish to apply for a PGWP from there you:

• Must either have a valid study permit or have received a study permit approval, and you must apply within 180 days of receiving a written confirmation that you have officially completed your program. 

According to Immigration, Refugee and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), the validity period of the PGWP is determined based on the length of the program or programs of study. When assessing your application, the immigration officer will determine the length of the permit based on the completion letter provided by uOttawa and your final transcripts. The wording that will be used to describe the duration of your program of study in the letter of completion issued by the University will be the same wording that is used to describe your program in its official description. You may consult the official duration of your program by visiting university programs and courses and clicking on your program of study. The duration can then be found on either the “Overview” tab or the “Program Requirements” tab. You may read more about how the length of a permit is determined on the IRCC website.

There is no guarantee of how long the work permit will be as each immigration officer uses his or her discretion to assess the application. You can consult the IRCC website for more information on the validity you can expect to receive based on your program. Please note that a longer, 3-year post-graduation work permit is available to those who are graduating from a master’s degree program that is less than 2 years and who meet all other PGWP eligibility criteria.

Please note that the validity period of the PGWP may not go beyond the applicant’s passport validity date. PGWPs can be extended only when the length of the permit could not be provided at the time of the application, due to the expiry date of the applicant’s passport.

Here are the immigration impacts of studying part-time:

Actively pursuing studies: From an immigration standpoint, you may study part-time and still be considered to be actively pursuing your studies and therefore, meeting the conditions of your study permit.

Work during the academic term: You will no longer be authorized to work on or off campus as a part-time student. In order to be eligible to work on campus or off campus on a part-time basis during an academic term, you must be a full-time student. Please note that if you’re in the last semester of your study program and you don’t need a full course load to complete your program, and you were a full-time student in your program in Canada up until your last semester, you may continue to work and your eligibility for the Post-Graduation Work Permit will not be affected. 

Work during a scheduled break (reading week and spring-summer term): In order to be eligible to work full-time during a scheduled break, you must be enrolled full-time in the term preceding and the term immediately following the break. More information is available under the “Can I work full-time during the spring-summer term?” question of this FAQ.

Unauthorized Study/work: As stated on IRCC’s website: Non-compliance with study permit conditions or engaging in unauthorized work or study may also negatively affect future applications that are made under the IRPA and IRPR. For example, a subsequent study permit or work permit may not be issued until a period of 6 months has passed, since the cessation of the unauthorized work or study or failure to comply with a condition, per section R221 and subsection R200(3).

Working after your studies: One of the eligibility criteria for the Post Graduation Work Permit (PGWP) is to have continuously studied full-time during an entire program of study. In other words, any part-time term that is not your final academic term puts your eligibility for the PGWP in jeopardy. We recommend that you keep copies of all relevant documents if you plan to apply for this type of work permit in the future, in order to justify and explain your part-time studies.

For the impact on your differential tuition fee exemption scholarship eligibility, please contact Financial Aid and Awards at [email protected].

For the impact on your University Health Insurance Plan (UHIP) coverage eligibility, please contact the UHIP team at [email protected].

Your study permit is supposed to be valid for your entire program of study, plus an additional 90 days or 3 months after your expected completion date. This is to ensure that you have valid student status while you wait for your final grades and completion documents. You also need a valid study permit to be able to start working right after applying for your PGWP.

If your study permit does not have enough validity, you should apply to extend your study permit. In your extension application, you should include a letter of explanation where you explain your timeline for completing your program and receiving your official documents. You can include a screen shot of the uOttawa Important Dates and Deadlines website that confirms when your academic standing will be considered official (it is usually around 3 weeks after the end of the term). Please consult the other questions in this FAQ about applying for a study permit extension (Question #15) and/or a PGWP (Question #7) for more information.

Your study permit authorizes you to work up to 24 hours a week off campus and also work on campus during an academic term when you are studying full-time. IRCC does not indicate a maximum number of hours for on campus work. There is also no rule that restricts you to combine on and off campus work experiences. Having said that, we would like to remind you that your studies should remain the focus of your experience in Canada. It is very important to work with time management to ensure you continue to make reasonable progress towards the successful completion of your academic program.

Please consult your faculty or academic unit about their leave of absence and leave from studies policies. Here are the immigration impacts of a leave from studies:

Leave from studies and study permit: According to the guidelines from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) on study permits, you have no action to take regarding your immigration status if your leave from studies is less than 150 days or if you leave Canada. Your study permit remains valid until the expiry date indicated on the permit. If your leave from studies will be more than 150 days and you wish to remain in Canada, you must apply to change your status to visitor or worker (if eligible).

Work during your leave: You will no longer be authorized to work on or off campus during a leave from studies or during a scheduled break following a leave from studies (for example, the spring-summer term or holiday break). You must be enrolled as a full-time student in order to be authorized to work using your study permit. You can learn more about on campus and off campus work on IRCC’s website.

Unauthorized Study/work: As stated on IRCCs website: Non-compliance with study permit conditions or engaging in unauthorized work or study may also negatively affect future applications that are made under the IRPA and IRPR. For example, a subsequent study permit or work permit may not be issued until a period of 6 months has passed, since the cessation of the unauthorized work or study or failure to comply with a condition, per section R221 and subsection R200(3).

Post-graduation work permit: One of the eligibility criteria for the Post-Graduation Work Permit is to have continuously studied full-time during an entire program of study. For this reason, we recommend that you keep copies of all relevant documents if you plan to apply for this type of work permit in the future in order to justify and explain your leave from studies in a future application. You can learn more about the eligibility requirements for this type of permit on the IRCC website. 

IRCC Compliance Reporting: If you take a leave from studies, the University may report your academic status as "no longer enrolled" or "authorized leave" in the next compliance reporting period with IRCC. You may receive an email from IRCC at a future date asking for clarification on your leave from the University. We encourage you to keep copies of all supporting documents to this end.

For the impact on your differential tuition fee exemption scholarship eligibility, please contact Financial Aid and Awards at [email protected].

For the impact on your University Health Insurance Plan (UHIP) coverage eligibility, please contact the UHIP team at [email protected].

Depending on the time of year that you receive the notice of withdrawal and on your CGPA, it may be possible to make changes to your undergraduate program before your program withdrawal takes effect. We would recommend speaking to your faculty about this possibility.

It is possible for international students to become non-degree students while on a study permit. Please note that the impacts differ depending on the action taken after being withdrawn. We recommend communicating with an immigration adviser to obtain advice specific to your situation.

If you decide to enroll in courses and do academic upgrading, you will no longer be authorized to work off campus while you are a non-degree student. You must be enrolled in a program that leads to a degree, diploma, or certificate to be eligible to work off campus using your study permit. If you enroll as a non-degree student on a full-time basis, you will be eligible to work on campus. You can learn more about on campus and off campus work on IRCC’s website.

For the impact on your University Health Insurance Plan (UHIP) coverage eligibility, please contact the UHIP team at [email protected].

This depends on whether or not the spring-summer term is considered to be a regularly scheduled break based on your program of study. Please see the two options below. 

Undergraduate students: Your study permit authorizes you to work full-time during regularly scheduled breaks (i.e. reading week, etc.) if you are registered as a full-time student in the period preceding and following the break. In order to determine if the spring-summer term is a regularly scheduled break, you must consult the suggested course sequence for your program of study. If the sequence indicates that you are expected to take courses during the fall and winter terms only, the spring-summer term (from May 1 to August 31) is considered a regularly scheduled break. For more information on work authorizations and taking courses during a scheduled break, please visit IRCC’s website. Note that should you decide to take courses during a regularly scheduled break, it is still considered a break and the requirement to study full-time therefore does not apply, and you can still work full-time.

Graduate students: Your study permit authorizes you to work full-time during regularly scheduled breaks (i.e. reading week, etc.) if you are registered as a full-time student in the period preceding and following the break. As per the Academic Regulations C-3.1.3 on graduate enrolment and leaves of absence, graduate students must enrol in each term until they complete their program unless otherwise specified in the regulations for a specific program. For example, the Master of Engineering in Mechanical Engineering program specifies that “For immigration purposes, the summer term (May to August) for this program is considered a regularly scheduled break approved by the University. Students should resume full-time studies in September.” So, students in this program are not required to enrol in the spring-summer term. If your academic program does not have any scheduled breaks specified, you will only be eligible to work up to a maximum of 24 hours per week off campus when enrolled full-time. We encourage you to check directly with your Academic Unit to confirm the expectations for your program.

You need to make sure that your study permit stays valid for your entire program, even if some or all your classes are online. If your permit will expire before the end of your program, you need to apply to extend it. If you are outside Canada and need to extend your study permit, you will need to submit a new study permit application from outside Canada and include documentation that confirms you are a returning student. Please email us if you wish to book an advising appointment to discuss this in more detail.

Study Permit Extension: Information on the study permit extension process is available on Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada’s (IRCC) website. You must submit your application online. If you do not have an account, you may register for one. Get more information on how to create a GCKey (IRCC secure account) on the IRCC website. There is also a video available on our YouTube channel that goes through all of the steps (it is video #2 on the playlist). Do not use the IRCC portal to extend your study permit. The IRCC portal is for outside Canada applications only. Please note that your passport must be valid for at least 6 months when you apply. Therefore, it is always recommended that you renew your immigration documents in the following order: 1- passport, 2- study permit 3- visa. Due to the high processing times we are currently experiencing, we recommend you apply for an extension up to 6 months before the expiry date of your current permit. If your permit expires in less than 6 months, please apply as soon as possible.

Documents to apply: We recommend that international students include three academic documents in their application: an official enrollment verification letter, a transcript and the original Offer of Admission. You can request official academic documents from InfoService. The document you should request is called Official Enrollment Verification. You must ask them to add a remark that indicates where you are in your program of study (for example, that you are in your second year of a four-year program). You can also request a remark that confirms the date enrolment opens for the upcoming term if you are not enrolled in courses. If you wish to request a special comment, you must submit your document request by email or in person. Please see instructions below.

InfoService accepts document orders online through your uoZone account, as usual. You will have the option of choosing between paper or digital documents. Digital documents will be uploaded to your MyCreds account. Paper documents can be picked up or sent by mail.

For students who are not able to order their documents online or who wish to have a comment added, InfoService accepts document requests by email at [email protected]. If you decide to send your request by email, you will be asked to fill out the Request for Documents form and send in a scanned copy. On the request form or in the email you must explain the comment that you would like on the document.

Missing documents: If there are any documents that you are unable to include in your application (for example, a passport), you will need to instead upload a letter of explanation detailing why you are not able to obtain the document at this time (and attach proof of your inability to obtain the document) and informing them that you will provide the missing document using the IRCC Web form as soon as it is available. If an officer deems that your explanation is reasonable, you should receive a request for the missing document giving you a deadline to provide the missing document. Your application will remain pending until you are able to provide the missing document(s) and you will benefit from maintained status until a decision is made on your application. Maintained status will allow you to continue working and/or studying while you wait for your study permit. It is also possible that an IRCC officer deems your application incomplete and simply refuses it without giving you the opportunity to provide the missing document(s). There are unfortunately no guarantees. We strongly recommend submitting a complete application whenever possible.

Proof of financial support: There are several options you can use as proof of financial support. As a reminder, you must demonstrate that you have the minimum funds necessary to support yourself as a student.

Temporary Resident Visa (TRV) Application: You will not receive a new TRV automatically when extending a study permit. You need to submit a separate application. Information on applying for a new temporary resident visa (TRV) is available on Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada’s (IRCC) website. You may submit an application online, as soon as your study permit extension is approved. Please note that a TRV is solely a travel authorization. You are not required to have a valid TRV unless you have plans to travel outside of Canada and return.

Time of submission: Typically, you must wait until after your status extension has been approved before applying for a new TRV from inside Canada. However, if you need a TRV sooner, you can only apply for one at a visa office outside of Canada.

Information session: Please note that we held an information session on how to apply for a study permit extension where we go over all the steps. You may view the recording of the session our   YouTube channel (it is video #16 on the playlist).

If you applied before the expiry date of your current study permit and you have not left Canada since the expiration of your current permit, you benefit from maintained status until a decision is made on your application and have no additional action to take. As indicated on IRCC’s website: “If a temporary resident applies for renewal of their work or study permit before the expiry of their existing permit and their permit expires before a decision is made, paragraph R186(u) or section R189 of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations (IRPR) (authorizes them to work or study without a permit under the same conditions pending a determination of their application for renewal and only as long as the person remains in Canada.” In order to benefit from maintained status, you must apply to extend your status before midnight Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) on the expiry date indicated on the permit. If the application is submitted after midnight UTC on the date of expiry, you do not maintain your status under subsection R183(5).

If you leave Canada with maintained status, you may be allowed to re-enter if you meet one of the following:

• You have a valid Temporary Resident Visa (TRV)
• You are from a TRV-exempt country with a valid Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA)
• You are considered TRV-exempt: you’re from a TRV-required country, have maintained status and are seeking re-entry to Canada following a visit only to the United States or St. Pierre and Miquelon (TRV exemption under R190(3)(f))

After re-entering Canada, you cannot keep studying or working until you have received your new study permit. For this reason, travel when under maintained status is not recommended.

According to IRCC, temporary residents who are inside Canada and who were not able to extend their stay before the expiry date of their last permit may restore their status within 90 days from the expiry date of their legal status. Unlike maintained status, visitors, students, and workers applying for restoration have lost their status and may not continue to work or attend school until their status has been restored and a new work or study permit has been issued.

Visitors, workers, and students who are outside Canada and whose status has expired are ineligible for restoration and encouraged to apply for a new study or work permit from outside Canada.

If you have questions regarding your immigration status and the impacts, we encourage you to contact an immigration adviser at InfoService by e-mail at: [email protected] or attend a Virtual "SOS Immigration" Drop-in Session. You may also contact IRCC directly.

If you never received your permit in the mail, you should reach out to IRCC to confirm that the mailing address they have on file is correct and see whether they could re-send the permit. They may accept to do so free of charge if they determine it was a mistake on their side. If not, they will ask you to fill out an application and pay a fee ($30) to replace the permit.

You can contact IRCC via the IRCC Webform. Please note that they have a high volume of webforms that they are processing so there may be delays in obtaining a response.

Another way that you can contact them is via the IRCC Client Support Centre. You can call the IRCC Call Centre (1-888-242-2100), from within Canada only, Monday to Friday, 8am to 4pm local time, except for statutory holidays. Try to call the Support Centre first thing in the morning as by the afternoon, the call volume is usually too high to be connected to an agent.

If you lost your study or work permit, you should follow the steps below:

1. Contact the police service in the area where you are located to report that your permit has been lost or stolen. Keep any file numbers or documents they provide so that you can prove you contacted them and reported it.
2. Fill out the application form for the Verification of Status or Replacement of an Immigration Document (IMM 5009). Once you have filled out the form, you will need to print and sign it. There is an instruction guide available to help you fill out the form, and it also provides additional information about paying the processing fee and mailing the completed application to IRCC.

Once you receive your new permit, you can then apply for a new Temporary Resident Visa (TRV) if you need one.

You do not need to have a work permit or study permit for remote work done from outside of Canada. Note that each employer will have their own internal hiring processes and requirements; however, for immigration purposes, no work permit nor study permit is required if you are not physically in Canada.

Please submit your TRV application asap if you have not already done so. Please see the IRCC website for detailed information on supporting documents you should include in your TRV application based on your situation. You may also attempt to prioritize your visa application with IRCC by following the instructions outlined in our tutorial (it is video #6 in the playlist).

To travel to Canada as an international student, you should have the following documents:  

• A valid electronic travel authorization (eTA) or temporary resident visa (TRV) (visa stamp).
• A valid study permit or a port of entry letter of introduction that shows you were approved for a study permit.  
• A valid letter of admission and a confirmation of attendance (official enrollment verification letter) from uOttawa for a program that has not been suspended or cancelled.  
  • You can order an official enrollment verification letter from InfoService. If your travel is imminent, you should request an electronic copy of your document.
  • InfoService accepts document orders online through your uoZone account, as usual. You will have the option of choosing between paper or digital documents. Digital documents will be uploaded to your MyCreds account. Paper documents can be picked up or sent by mail.
• Proof that you have enough money to support yourself and any family members who come with you to Canada. You may use documents like those used in your study permit application, but up to date or recently issued (for example: proof that you have paid tuition, bank statements for the past four months, etc.).
• Proof of valid immigration medical examination results (e-medical sheet or IMM1017b form) that was issued within the past year, if you are coming from a designated country or territory (meaning a country or territory for which they are required) and you lived there for at least 6 months in a row within the last year, or if you are:
  • a medical student
  • a student in a health sciences field who will have placements in health-care or home-care settings 
  • an education student who will have placements in primary or secondary schools
  • teaching small children
• English or French language test results if they were required in your study permit application (note that these must have been valid at the time you submitted your application).

Travel for family members

If your family member wishes to travel to Canada with you or come to join you if you are already inside Canada, your family member needs to have a valid Temporary Resident Visa (TRV) or Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA).

Please note that travel restrictions (if applicable), exemptions, and immigration measures are subject to change and may be modified at any moment. We encourage you to consult the Government of Canada website for the most up-to-date information.

There is no set time frame for you to arrive in Canada before you begin your studies. You should just arrive to give yourself a reasonable amount of time to prepare before you start studying. Note that you are not allowed to work on or off campus until you begin your studies in Canada.

You should consider whether you have all of the recommended supporting documents mentioned above when deciding to travel to Canada.

We don’t recommend travelling to Canada until your study permit application has been approved and you have received your port of entry (POE) letter of introduction. It’s very complicated to try and get a study permit when you’re in Canada if you’ve applied for it from outside Canada. You should also keep in mind that to be authorized to study in Canada (online or in-person), you must have a valid study permit.

Final decisions for entry to Canada are always determined by the border officer at the port of entry.