Canada Visas and Study Permits With more than 130,000 foreign students coming on student visas to Canada every year, Canada offers a diverse international student community. To study in Canada or any other foreign country is an adventure and a challenge, and you should give careful consideration to where you wish to study in Canada to ensure it is a positive experience. This is something you should do before you even start to apply for your student visa to Canada. Finding a school : Make sure you apply early for your course of study in Canada. Apply at least six months early to primary and secondary schools. University and college students should apply a year before they want to start their studies. Each post-secondary school has its own set of rules on how to apply, and decides what level of English or French you will need to be accepted. The school you select will be able to tell you about: how much it costs to apply; tuition fees to study in Canada at the school of your choice; health insurance; rent and how much it will cost to live in Canada; and what language tests are needed. Fill out the application form for the school or schools of your choice, and submit it according to the instructions provided. If the school admits you as a student, they will send you a letter of acceptance. You need a letter of acceptance in order to apply for a Study Permit (a student visa for Canada). Applying for a study permit Not everyone needs a study permit to study in Canada. If you plan to study for less than six months, you do not need the student visa. If you plan to study for a longer period of time, you will need to gather a number of documents for your application for a study visa, including: You must Proof of sufficient funds Proof of acceptance to a Canadian school If you are applying to study in Quebec, you will also need a Certificat d'acceptation du Québec (Quebec Certificate of Acceptance, or CAQ) Proof of your identity Results of a medical examination (certain countries only) Police records (you will only have to provide this if asked) Completed application for a study permit for Canada. Find out about working as a foreign student in Canada. Working as a student You may work on campus at the institution where you study without a work permit if: Working as a student you are engaged in full-time studies at a Canadian university, community college, CEGEP, a publicly funded trade or technical school or a private institution authorized by provincial statute to confer degrees; and you have a valid study permit. Working Off-Campus Off-campus work (meaning work not within the school or university) is only available to full-time students studying in the following provinces: Manitoba New Brunswick Quebec (The census metropolitan areas of Montréal and Québec are currently excluded.) Off-campus work (meaning work not within the school or university) is only available to full-time students studying in the following provinces: If you are in one of these provinces, you must apply for a work permit, and you may not work off-campus until you have received your work permit. The work permit allows you to work up to 20 hours a week during regular academic sessions (15 hours a week in Quebec), and up to 40 hours a week during regular breaks (e.g., winter or summer holidays and spring break). To be eligible for an off-campus work permit, you must: have a valid study permit; be studying in a province or territory that has an agreement with CIC; be a full-time student at a participating school that has an agreement with one of those provinces or territories; have been a full-time student for at least one year (two consecutive terms) at one of those institutions; be in good standing at your institution; sign a consent form that allows CIC, the institution and the province to share your personal information; complete a work permit application provided by your institution; and include with your work permit application an official receipt to show you have paid the application processing fee.