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International Education

Part-time and short-term studies

Part-Time and Short-Term General Interest Studies at VCC

Vancouver Community Colleges (VCC) offers some part-time or short-term general interest studies to temporary residents in Canada. Temporary Residents include international students, work permit holders, and visitors to Canada. The application and registration process varies depending on the course or program.

  • Short-Term General Interest Courses
  • Part-Time Continuing Studies Courses
  • Distance learning (fully online) Courses and Programs

 

Important Considerations for Temporary Residents

Before registering, please review the following information to confirm your eligibility.

By proceeding with registration, you acknowledge that you have read and understood the requirements as outlined below

  1. Study permit exemption for short courses: Temporary residents may register in a course or short-term program that is six months or less without a study permit, as per IRPR R188(1)(c). The course or program must be completed within the period for their stay authorized upon entry into Canada. For more details, visit IRCC’s webpage “Study permits: Who needs a study permit”.
  2. You are responsible for confirming your immigration eligibility: Applicants must ensure they meet IRCC requirements for part-time or short-term studies based on their current immigration status. Should you have questions about your immigration status, you may contact IRCC by phone at 1-888-242-2100 or through the IRCC Web Form.
  3. VCC does not issue immigration support letters for part-time or short-term general interest studies, or fully online distance learning. This includes Letters of Acceptance (LOA), Provincial Attestation Letters (PAL) and Study Permit Extension Letters (SPEL). Your current immigration status must cover the entire duration of the studies you wish to register in.
  4. Online courses can be taken inside or outside Canada: Distance learning (fully online) courses that do not require in-person attendance may be taken from outside Canada or while in Canada with valid immigration status.
  5. Work eligibility: Part-time, short-term general interest studies and fully online distance learning courses/program do not make you eligible for on-campus work or off-campus work authorization or for the Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP). Temporary residents with a valid work permit may work only according to the conditions of their work permit.
  6. Immigration compliance responsibility: Vancouver Community College will not be held responsible should you not be compliant with your immigration status in Canada.

 

Short-Term General Interest Courses

VCC offers the following short-term general interest that may be taken individually by temporary residents in Canada.

To inquire about availability, international fees, and registration, please contact the relevant academic department directly.

Email: directedstudies@vcc.ca

Email: radmodule@vcc.ca 

 

Part-Time Continuing Studies

Browse VCC's Continuing Studies website for a complete list of courses.

Exceptions

While individual courses in the following programs may be available for registration with the VCC academic departmental approval, the following program credentials (certificates and diplomas) are not available to temporary residents, as they have a work or practicum component. Contact the Continuing Studies office to verify if you can register for individual courses. 

    • Paralegal Certificate
    • Paralegal Diploma
    • Counselling Skills Foundations: Mental Health @ Addictions Certificate

The following programs and the individual courses within the programs are not available for temporary residents.

    • Building Service Worker Course
    • Fashion Design & Production Certificate
    • Medical Device Reprocessing Technician Certificate 
    • Renal Dialysis Certificate

 

Distance Learning (fully online) Courses and Programs

Fully online courses or programs are considered distance learning, and do not require in-person attendance, therefore they do not require an immigration status in Canada. You may take distance learning courses or a program from outside of Canada, or while having a valid temporary resident status in Canada. VCC does not issue immigration support letters for online studies. Online programs are not PGWP-eligible.

VCC offers the following fully online distance learning studies.

To inquire about availability, international fees, and registration, please contact the relevant academic department directly. Email: sie@vcc.ca for more details on international tuition and applications.

 

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Interested in Full-Time Studies?

Browse our complete list of full-time programs or check the PGWP-eligible program list.

 

This webpage has been reviewed by our Regulated International Student Immigration Advisor (RISIA) at Vancouver Community College. It is important to acknowledge that Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) and other government departments regularly revise their policies. It is the responsibility of the applicant to review updates from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) on their website.