Immigration Information

Students can learn more about the application process and what documents they will need to include.  This information is appropriate for both inside and outside Canada applications.

You should apply as soon as you receive your letter of acceptance. The time needed to process an application to study in Canada may vary at different visa offices and may take several weeks. Current processing times can be found on the IRCC website.  

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 noq. 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.

Undergraduate Students: As of January 22, 2024, a provincial attestation letter is a required document to apply for a new study permit application. The province of Ontario is expected to establish a process of issuing the attestation letter by March 31, 2024. In the meantime, we encourage students to gather all the documents in preparation for the study permit application while we wait for the province to establish a process of issuing the attestation letter. And continue to monitor the IRCC Study Permit website for update. 

Please speak with your department and professors to get a better understanding of when is the latest you can join in-person courses:

• Undergrad Students connect with your Program Counselors in addition to their professors
• Graduate Students connect with your Program Coordinators and Advisors

Please ask if online options are available that would allow you to complete the necessary work while waiting for your permit. 

If online options ARE available, please keep in mind that the time spent studying while waiting for your study permit, will NOT count towards your PGWP and you must still be enrolled as a full-time student (not part-time).  For students in a 1-year program, starting online may not be the best option (please review your deferral options)

If online options are NOT an option OR your program is 1-year in length, speak with your department about the deferral process and when is the next available start date:

• • Undergrad students connect with International Admissions to determine this process
  • Graduate Students connect with your department

It will be important to note the last day to withdraw for a full refund. If you withdraw after this date, you could be subject to a smaller refund. In the event your permit is rejected, you would be eligible for a full tuition refund (for more information on this, please contact Financial Services: accquest@uoguelph.ca)

If your study permit application is denied, students will not be able to travel to Canada to take part in in-person classes. Reach out to the appropriate advisor mentioned at the top of this webpage for further guidance.

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 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.

The eTA is automatically provided once an initial study permit is approved.  Details on where to send your passport will be provided once this happens.  Some students may only need an eTA and not this visa.  To determine if you nee a visa or eTA, see eligibility for visa/eTAs  

If a foreign national meets the requirements of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (IRPA) and is admissible, an immigration officer may issue a TRV, per subsection A11(1), in the form of an official counterfoil document placed in the individual’s passport. The expiry date of a TRV is the date by which the visa must be used to arrive at the port of entry (POE) and seek admission to Canada. The expiry date is not the suggested duration of the visit. A TRV does not guarantee entry to Canada, nor does it grant temporary resident status in Canada.

Upon arrival at a Canadian POE, the foreign national is required to report to the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA). Per paragraph A20(1)(b), to become a temporary resident, every foreign national who seeks to enter Canada must establish that they hold the visa required by the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations (IRPR) and will leave Canada by the end of the period authorized for their stay. The foreign national must satisfy a border services officer of the CBSA that they have the ability and willingness to leave Canada at the end of their authorized stay.

Temporary residents may apply to change or extend their status in Canada, under certain conditions. For more information, see eligibility for extending temporary resident status.

When you arrive in Canada, you’ll meet a border services officer who will make sure you meet some basic requirements. To enter Canada, you must

• have a valid travel document, such as a passport
• have the port of entry letter of introduction the visa office sent you when they approved your study permit
  • This letter has your permit reference number, which we use to issue your study permit.
• have a copy of a valid letter of acceptance from your school
• have letters of reference or any other documents the visa office told you to bring
• have a valid electronic travel authorization (eTA), a valid visitor visa (temporary resident visa), a valid green card (or equivalent official proof of U.S. status) or another valid travel document
  • If you have a valid eTA, it’ll be linked to the passport you used to apply for your study permit.
• have enough money for your stay (the amount you will need can vary—it depends on things such as how long you will stay, and whether you will stay in a hotel, or with friends or relatives)
• be in good health
• have no criminal or immigration-related convictions
• convince an immigration officer that
  • you have ties—such as a job, home, financial assets or family—that will take you back to your home country
  • you will leave Canada at the end of your visit
• have valid immigration medical exam results (if you needed one)
  • Your exam is valid for 12 months from the day you get it.
  • It must be valid the day you enter Canada.
  • If your exam will expire before you enter Canada, you need to get another medical exam.
  • This applies even if your letter of introduction is still valid.
• prove that you’ll leave Canada at the end of your stay

The following time cannot be counted towards the length of a PGWP:

• Time spent studying outside of Canada after August 31, 2022
• Time spent studying before you applied for a study permit