GETTING A PERMIT TO STUDY IN CANADA
International and U.S applicants will need to apply for a study permit from Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC). This process can take months for international students, so we recommend applicants start early.
PLBC is a Designated Learning Institution (DLI) with the Canadian federal government (DLI: O19394451600).
Note: CIC requires post-secondary institutions like PLBC to regularly report on the enrollment status of students with study permits. This is one of the ways that CIC monitors international students. From their perspective, they are concerned that people who come into Canada are in fact coming for the purpose that they stated.
AMERICAN APPLICANTS
can apply for a study permit at an airport or border crossing.
INTERNATIONAL APPLICANTS
refers to students who come to study at PLBC from outside of Canada and the United States.
If you are planning to study in Canada for six months or longer, you must apply to Citizenship and Immigration Canada for a study permit from your home country. Citizens of certain countries will also require a Temporary Resident Visa (entry visa). See http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/visit/visas.asp to see to which countries this applies.
You must apply for your study permit outside of Canada. You can apply online or at your local Canadian embassy or consulate. You should check if you also need to apply for a Temporary Resident Visa (entry visa). You can apply for this visa through your local Canadian embassy or consulate. We recommend that you apply for a multiple entry TRV.
You should apply for your study visa as early as possible because the process can sometimes last several months.
Once your application is accepted, the Canadian Embassy, Consulate, or Immigration Office will provide you with a letter of introduction regarding their decision. You must present this letter to the Immigration Officer at the Canadian port of entry. If you also applied for a Temporary Resident Visa, this visa will be attached directly to your passport.
You must not leave for Canada until you have obtained your letter of introduction and your Temporary Resident Visa (if required) from a Canadian Embassy, Consulate, or Immigration Office.
Essential Documents
American and international applicants need to have the following documents with them when they reach a port of entry into Canada.
Valid Passport
If your passport will expire during the first year of your studies, you need to renew your passport before beginning the application process for your study permit.
Official Letter of Acceptance
This letter will be sent to you by PLBC upon completion of the application process.
Proof of Funds
You must demonstrate that you have sufficient funds to cover the cost of one entire academic year in Canada (see the Tuition and Fees section of this catalogue for a one-year estimate). Acceptable forms of proof can include a bank statement, savings account passbook, bank draft.
Additional Documents
For International Students
Medical Examination
International students from some countries may be required to undergo a medical exam. You should check the Citizen and Immigration Canada website
Check the Citizenship and Immigration Canada Website
(https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/application/medical-police/medical-exams.html) to see which countries are on the list. Note that it can take as long as three months for medical exam results to be processed.
Temporary Resident Visa
When a study permit or work permit is issued, the additional fee for the TRV is exempt. (Family members of the student are not fee-exempt.) Be sure to apply for a multiple- entry TRV rather than single-entry. If you are visiting or transiting through another country en route to Canada, check with a consular office of that country before you leave home to see what documents, visas, or immunizations you may require.
OTHER ISSUES RELATED TO STUDY PERMITS
If you are already in Canada on a study permit and studying at a school other than PLBC, double check in the conditions section of your study permit, if it lists a specific school. If it does not, then your study permit will be sufficient at PLBC as well. If there is a school listed, then you will need to apply for a new study permit.
If you are already in Canada and don’t have a study permit you must apply for a study permit in order to attend PLBC. You must apply for this at a Canadian Consulate, Embassy or Immigration Office outside of Canada. The closest consulate to Vancouver is located in Los Angeles, California, USA.
If you plan to study for less than six months and are not enrolled in a specific program, you do not need a study permit, but you may want to consider applying for one anyway. Then, if you decide to study longer than six months, you can simply extend your study permit and avoid a complicated application process.
Working on a Student Visa Whether you are an American or international student, as a full-time PLBC student (taking a minimum of 18 credit hours per academic or calendar year) with a valid study permit, you are permitted to work either on or off campus. More information is available here: https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/study-canada/work/work-off-campus.html
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