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International Education

Part-time and short-term studies

Temporary Residents include international students, work permit holders, and visitors to Canada. Temporary residents may register for part-time or short-term general interest studies. The application and registration processes vary depending on the types of courses and programs.

Important considerations for temporary residents

Before proceeding with your registration, you must review the following information to determine your eligibility to register.  By continuing your registration, you are confirming that you have read and acknowledged the information as outlined.

  1. Temporary residents can register in a short-term program or course that is 6 months or under without obtaining a valid study permit as per R188(1)(c).
  2. You are responsible for confirming your immigration eligibility to enroll in part-time and short-term studies according to your current immigration status. Should you have questions about your immigration status, you may contact IRCC by phone at 1-888-242-2100 or by using the online IRCC Web Form.
  3. VCC will not issue letters to support any immigration application for any part-time or short-term courses or programs. For example, we cannot issue a letter of acceptance (LOA), Provincial Attestation Letter (PAL), or a study permit extension letter for you to apply for or renew a study permit. Your current immigration status must cover the entire duration of the program/course you would like to register in.
  4. Short-term and part-time studies are not eligible for off-campus work unless you are already in possession of a valid work permit. They are also not eligible for the post-graduate work permit.
  5. Courses and programs that are delivered exclusively online and do not require in-person attendance can be taken outside of Canada and would not require a temporary resident document.
  6. Vancouver Community College will not be held responsible should you not be compliant with your immigration status.

Short-term studies for general interest

The following courses may be taken individually outside of VCC programs by international students. Admission and registration are with academic departmental approval. Contact the academic areas to inquire about availability, international fees, and the registration process.

Part-time Continuing Studies 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 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 these 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

Fully Online Programs and Courses

Fully online programs are not eligible for study permit support or PGWP (Post-Graduation Work Permit) either. Connect with the academic departmental area if you wish to register.

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. This information could change at any time based on updates to Immigration, Refugee, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) regulations. It is the responsibility of the applicant to review updates from IRCC on their website: www.cic.gc.ca.