How to Maintain a Valid Immigration Status in Canada
VCC Full-Time Academic Status for Immigration Purposes
VCC Part-Time Academic Status for Immigration Purposes
Working during Scheduled Breaks
Full-Time or Part-Time Course Load During a Regular Scheduled Break
Part-time Continuing Studies courses at VCC
International students must have a valid study permit to study in Canada for longer than 6 months unless exempt. Therefore, international students are responsible for maintaining valid immigration status and following Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) regulations while studying in Canada.
To remain in compliance with study permit conditions, international students must:
At VCC, international students are required to be enrolled in every term of their program, except during scheduled breaks. These breaks are determined in advance by the program department. In accordance with IRCC regulations, VCC is obligated to report the academic status of all international students to ensure compliance with study permit conditions.
A study permit is usually valid for the length of your program of studies, plus an additional 90 days.
A study permit becomes invalid if any of the following occurs:
It's crucial not to let your study permit expire while awaiting your final grades and graduation. To cover the period you're waiting for graduation, you must ensure that your study permit remains valid. IRCC typically issues study permits for the duration of the study program, plus an extra 90 days to accommodate this waiting period.
Students who do not apply to extend their study permit before it expires must stop studying and working immediately. International students are encouraged to contact an International Student Immigration Advisor at VCC for support.
As an international student, if you take an unscheduled break from your program or if you enrolled as a part-time student (except for the last academic term), that may impact your eligibility for the following:
Please visit Study Permit Conditions on the IRCC’s website to learn more.
Most VCC programs are designed to ensure that international students maintain full-time academic status throughout the duration of their studies. Many programs follow a cohort model, meaning students follow a pre-determined class schedule set by the College. Under this model, students are expected to follow a structured program progression plan aligned with the approved curriculum, allowing them to begin, progress through, and graduate with their assigned cohort according to a fixed schedule. Some programs may also include one or more scheduled break term(s).
If an international student needs to drop or withdraw from a course or courses due to extenuating circumstances, it is essential to first consult with both the program department and the International Education (IE) Office. Dropping, withdrawing from, or failing courses may affect a student’s ability to re-enroll in those courses and could result in a part-time term, an unscheduled break in studies, or a delay in program completion. These changes may also impact study permit conditions and validity, eligibility to work in Canada, and future eligibility for a Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP). Students are strongly encouraged to contact the IE Office to schedule an appointment with an International Student Immigration Advisor for guidance before making any changes to their enrollment.
International students enrolled in University Transfer programs must register in a minimum of nine (9) credits per term (Winter, Spring/Summer, and Fall) to maintain full-time academic status throughout their studies. University Transfer programs do not include a scheduled break term, and students are expected to remain continuously enrolled each semester.
VCC programs are not designed to accommodate part-time academic status for international students. However, certain circumstances, such as withdrawing from or failing courses, may result in a student being enrolled with part-time academic status for a specific term. Holding part-time academic status may affect a student’s eligibility to work on and off campus, as well as their PGWP eligibility in the future.
International students who find themselves in this situation are strongly encouraged to contact the International Education (IE) Office to schedule an advising appointment with an International Student Immigration Advisor at VCC for guidance.
VCC programs may include one or more regularly scheduled breaks within the duration of the program. The timing and length of these breaks vary by program and may also depend on the program start date. Scheduled breaks at VCC do not necessarily occur during the summer term. Students should contact their program department directly to confirm the timing of any scheduled breaks within their program.
In addition, a short scheduled break typically occurs between consecutive terms. This break begins the day after a student’s last official class or exam for the completed term and ends the day before the student’s first official class of the next term. For example, if final exams conclude on April 15 and the next term begins on May 2, the scheduled break period would be from April 16 to May 1.
Students are also encouraged to review the College closure dates, as additional institutional closure periods may apply.
International students may work full-time during a regularly scheduled break, provided they maintained full-time academic status both before and after the break period. If your program includes a scheduled break between terms, you may work full-time during this period as long as you meet all work off campus eligibility requirements.
If eligible, you may work full-time from the day after your last official class or exam of the completed term until the day before your first official class of the following term. It is important to maintain full-time student status both before and after the scheduled break to remain eligible to work full-time during this period.
For more information, please refer to the IRCC website regarding regularly scheduled breaks.
International students may choose to enroll in either a full-time or part-time course load during a regularly scheduled break while still remaining eligible to work full-time, provided all eligibility requirements are met. This option may be particularly beneficial for students who wish to retake courses that were not successfully completed in previous terms.
To be considered a regularly scheduled break, the period must be an official part of the program structure, and students must have maintained full-time enrollment in the academic terms immediately before and after the break.
Students who enroll in part-time studies during a regularly scheduled break are strongly encouraged to include a letter of explanation with their PGWP application. This is important because an IRCC officer reviewing the transcript may otherwise interpret the part-time enrollment as occurring during a regular academic term rather than during an official scheduled break.
VCC does NOT issue scheduled break confirmation letters unless a formal request is received from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC). These letters are not provided for employment purposes. Students may instead use the communication received at the start of their program confirming the regularly scheduled break period, or refer to their program webpage if this information is publicly available.
Temporary residents interested in enrolling in short-term general interest courses are encouraged to visit the Part-Time and Short-Term Studies page for detailed information.
The content on this page reflects the information available at the time of its publication. It is important to acknowledge that Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) and other government departments regularly revise their policies. For the latest information, please visit Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) website.
Latest Updated: May 25, 2026
