There are a wide range of educational institutions in Canada that offer great opportunities for international students looking to study in Canada. 

If you are an international student looking to study in Canada, on either a part-time or full-time basis, you must apply for and obtain a study permit.  A study permit is an official document issued by Citizenship and Immigration Canada to foreign students giving them permission to study in Canada. 

To obtain a study permit, you must have an acceptance letter from an educational institution, demonstrate that you have enough money to pay for tuition fees, living expenses and transportation costs to and from Canada, for yourself and accompanying family members. You will also need to satisfy the Canadian authorities that you intend to return home at the end of your studies. 

Study permits are usually valid for the duration of the program you have been admitted to. If you want to extend your studies in Canada, you can file an application at a Canadian immigration office in Canada. You should note that you do not need to obtain a study permit if the program you wish to enrol in has a duration of six months or less.

Can I work while on a study permit? 

You may work on campus while on a valid study permit, so long as you are enrolled in full-time post-secondary studies. You may also work off-campus pursuant to the Off-Campus Work Permit Program (OCWPP) if you meet the necessary requirements. The OCWPP permits foreign students to apply for a work permit to work off-campus without a labour-market opinion from Service Canada.

Can I get a work permit once I complete my studies in Canada?

If you are an international student who has graduated from a participating Canadian post secondary institution and completed and passed an academic program of at least 8 months, you may be eligible to apply for and obtain an open work permit under the Post-Graduate Work Permit Program. This open work permit will allow you to accept a job offer and begin employment without the need to obtain Labour Market Opinion, and can be issued for a maximum of three years depending on the length of your program of study. This program was designed to allow international students the opportunity to gain Canadian work experience.