International students intending to study in Canada for more than six months require a study permit. Study Permits are issued by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) and application forms are available online or by paper. Students are responsible to know and understand the International Student Immigration Regulations. For more information, visit the IRCC website.
VCC’s Designated Learning Institution (DLI) number is O19279717512 (the first character is the letter ‘O’). VCC’s DLI number is on all letters issued by VCC International Education. Students transferring to VCC from another educational institution in Canada must notify IRCC when changing institutions in their MyCIC account.
At a minimum, these documents are needed to apply for a study permit:
For more information about study permit applications, visit the IRCC website.
It is very important that you know the expiry date of your passport. If you need to renew your passport during your stay in Canada, contact your country’s embassy or consulate in Canada at least six months before it expires.
A list of foreign representatives in Canada can be found at the Diplomatic Gateway to Canada website.
The expiry of your Study Permit and TRV cannot exceed the expiry of your passport. It is important to plan ahead so there is sufficient time to extend all three documents individually – first passport, then Study Permit, then Temporary Resident Visa (if required).
Depending on the citizenship, students may need a Temporary Resident Visa (TRV) or an Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) to enter Canada. Visit the Immigration, Refugees & Citizenship Canada (IRCC) website for more information.
For students who already have a TRV and plan to travel outside of Canada, a valid visitor visa to re-enter is required. If students need to renew their TRV while studying in Canada, they can apply from within Canada.
It is important to allow sufficient time for application processing as processing times may be lengthy at peak holiday times.
The passport needs to be submitted to be issued a TRV, so students should not plan to travel during that process. It is also important to scan or photocopy the passport before sending it off.
The TRV application form and instruction guide can be found on the IRCC website.
Students will need a Confirmation of Enrolment and an official transcript. Request forms for both of these documents are available online. Note that VCC International staff are not authorized to give immigration advice and cannot complete forms on students' behalf.
The online IRCC Help Centre has a number of questions and answers regarding TRVs. Contact Immigration, Refugees & Citizenship Canada directly by phone at 1-888-242-2100.