If you will apply for your study permit from outside Canada, it is strongly recommended that you also submit your co-op work permit application if your program requires practicum experience, at the same time by using your VCC LOO (Letter of Offer) or LOA (Letter of Acceptance). If your program requires practicum work experience, your VCC letter will have all the necessary information about this practicum component.
Once you apply for a study permit and indicate that you would like to ‘study’ while indicating that you are currently outside Canada, the system will understand that you want to come to Canada as a student (study permit). The system will ask if ‘work is an essential component of your studies’. Please answer ‘yes’ only if your program requires practicum experience.
After answering all the questions from the online wizard, you will be provided with a personalized document checklist. The checklist will require you to upload your ‘Letter of Acceptance’ and ‘Evidence of Work Requirement in Study’. Please upload your VCC LOO (Letter of Offer) or LOA (Letter of Acceptance) on both sections.
Once your application is approved, your port of entry (POE) letter of introduction will contain the information about your study permit and co-op work permit (if applicable). Once you present the POE letter to the CBSA officer upon entry into Canada, they may issue your study permit and co-op work permit documents (if applicable) at the same time. Before leaving, carefully review the documents to verify if all information is correct.
Student Direct Stream
If you are a legal resident living in one of the following countries, you may be able to get your study permit faster through the Student Direct Stream (SDS): Antigua and Barbuda, Brazil, China, Colombia, Costa Rica, India, Morocco, Pakistan, Peru, Philippines, Senegal, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago, or Vietnam. International students applying through the Student Direct Stream (SDS) must submit an online application.
Please refer to the International Tuition Estimate & Deposit Amounts page for first-year estimated fees.