How to Study, Work, and Immigrate to Canada

Canada offers high quality education at a relatively affordable cost in a safe, stable, and multicultural society. Canada enables you to work during your studies and obtain a work permit after your studies as long as you meet the Canadian government’s criteria. Gaining work experience in Canada after your studies provides you with more opportunities to settle in Canada as a permanent resident. Due to its attractiveness, Canada hosts international students from around 200 different countries.

There are over 800,000 international students in Canada. Due to its popularity as a great destination to study, work, and immigrate, Canada has seen its international student population triple over the past decade.

Starting in 2024, IRCC will implement a cap on study permit applications, limiting the allocation of total annual number of approved study permits to approximately 360,000. This allocation limit will be reassessed for 2025.

Canada welcomes international students from nearly 200 different countries each year.

Popular source countries of Canada’s international students include India, China, South Korea, France, Vietnam, the U.S., Iran, Brazil, Nigeria, and Mexico.

Many countries across Latin America and the Caribbean, Europe, Africa, and Asia also send large numbers of international students to Canada each year.

Step One: Choose an academic program. 

Step Two: Apply to a Canadian designated learning institution and obtain a letter of acceptance.

Step Three: Receive a provincial attestation letter from the province or territory where your chosen learning institution is located

Step Three: Apply for a study permit.

Yes. You may bring your spouse, common law partner, and dependent children.

The government of Canada, not to mention the university or college you are attending, want you to be happy while you are studying in Canada. Consequently, you are able to have your spouse/common-law partner join you in Canada, as well as any dependent children. Your spouse/partner can apply for an open work permit, allowing him or her to come to Canada and work for any employer, while your children may also join you.

Canadian cities tend to offer many of the same benefits including good quality of education, an openness to all types of different cultures, and safety and security.

Choosing a city to study in depends on your preferences. Factors for you to consider include:

• Which educational program you wish to pursue
• Job opportunities in your preferred career within the Canadian city
• Existing immigrant and international student communities within the Canadian city
• Whether you prefer to be in an English and/or French speaking environment in Canada
• Cultural activities
• Whether you prefer to be in a larger city or a smaller one
• Your budget

If you have completed your studies and wish to remain in Canada to work, you may be eligible to obtain a Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP). This temporary status will replace your study permit. There may be other temporary and permanent pathways you can also pursue to remain in Canada. For instance, after obtaining a PGWP and are interested in becoming a permanent resident, you may be eligible to submit an Express Entry profile and/or apply for other federal and provincial immigration programs.

Your options depend on your goals.

For instance, if you are interested in obtaining permanent residence within the province, you may be eligible to obtain a Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP).

Beyond that, you can apply for one of Quebec’s immigration programs such as the Quebec Experience Program (PEQ) or the Quebec Regular Skilled Worker Program (QSWP).

Yes. Tens of thousands of the over 400,000 people that become Canadian permanent residents each year are former international students.

There are several programs that can lead to permanent residence, including the three programs managed under Express Entry (Canadian Experience Class, the Federal Skilled Worker Program, and the Federal Skilled Trades Program). There are many other options available through the likes of the Provincial Nominee Program, Quebec, the Atlantic Immigration Program, and the Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot.

Some of these programs require qualifying Canadian work experience. If you want to work in Canada after you finish your studies, you can apply for a Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP).

Yes.

This is the ultimate goal of many, if not most, international students and graduates in Canada. Permanent resident status grants a number of rights, including the right to live and work anywhere in Canada without the need to first secure a work permit. It is also a step along the way to Canadian citizenship.

Canada is looking to its cohort of international students and graduates to become its leading newcomers. You have learned the language(s), got the experience and the education, and proven that you are worthy of joining the Canadian family.

The PGWP is an open work permit issued to foreign students who have graduated from a designated learning institution.

It allows you to gain work experience in Canada and can help you become eligible for a variety of federal and provincial immigration programs (which sometimes require that candidates have qualifying Canadian work experience to become eligible for a given program).

The PGWP is valid for a period equivalent to the program of study you completed in Canada. Its duration can range from a minimum of 8 months to a maximum of 3 years.

To be eligible for the PGWP you must have held full-time student status at an eligible designated learning institution in Canada and you must have met all the requirements of your program of study that was at least eight months in duration.

You may be able to work on campus or off campus, provided your study permit lists that condition. You can only begin working in Canada after you have begun your Canadian study program.

You may be allowed to work on your school’s campus if you:

are a full-time post-secondary student,

have a valid study permit, and

have a Social Insurance Number (SIN)

If you need to work for a co-op or as an intern, you must apply for a co-op or intern work permit. You may be eligible if:

work is required to complete your program,

you have a valid study permit,

you have a letter from your institution confirming that all students must work to get their degree,

your co-op or internship is 50% or less of your program.

If you are taking English or French as a second language, general interest courses or courses to prepare for another program, you may not be eligible for a co-op work permit.

If you want to work off-campus, your study permit must say that you can work off campus. You must also:

be a full-time student,

be enrolled in a post-secondary program,

be enrolled in a study program that is at least 6 months long, and leads to a degree, diploma or certificate,

have started studying,

have a Social Insurance Number (SIN)

If you are a part-time student, you may only work off campus:

if you have met all the criteria listed above, and,

you’re only study part-time because:

you’re in your last semester and you don’t need to study full-time to complete your program

you were a full-time student in Canada up until your last semester

Assuming your study permit states you can work in Canada, you are allowed to work off campus for 20 hours per week during the school year. You can also work full-time during scheduled breaks.

There are no restrictions to the number of hours you can work on campus.

Yes. You may apply for a merit-based scholarship, bursary or grant through your institution or through third-parties.

Tuition fees in Canada are considered affordable compared to other popular destinations such as the U.S., the U.K., Australia, and European Union countries.

Many Canadian academic institutions offer programs with tuition fees that are under $15,000 CAD per year.

In addition to your tuition fees, you must be able to demonstrate your ability to financially support yourself and any family members.

Tuition and living expenses vary by each province and territory. Generally speaking, studying in a larger city in Canada costs more than smaller cities.

Once you have been approved for a study permit, you must fulfil the following conditions established by the Canadian government:

• Remain enrolled at your designated learning institution;
• Work towards completing your program;
• Fulfil all conditions listed on your study permit;
• Stop studying if you no longer meet your study permit requirements; and
• Leave Canada when your study permit expires (unless you have obtained another temporary permit or permanent residence).
• Your study permit will become automatically invalid if you violate any of the conditions listed on your study permit.

Universities offer undergraduate, professional, and postgraduate degrees, as well as certificates and diplomas.

Community Colleges provide certificates, diplomas, associate degrees, undergraduate degrees, and postgraduate diplomas.

Career and Technical Colleges specialize in certificates and diplomas for technical training, helping adults advance in their careers.

Credentials and Their Details #

Certificates and Diplomas #

• Length: 1-2 years
• Overview: Career-oriented programs designed to help adults gain employment related to their credentials.

Associate Degrees

• Length: 2 years
• Overview: Equivalent to the first two years of a 4-year Bachelor’s degree.

Bachelor’s Degrees

• Length: 3-4 years
• Overview: Typically 4 years in length, though they can be as short as 3 years in provinces like Quebec. Offered at universities and are generally more theoretical than college programs.

Postgraduate Diplomas

• Length: 1-2 years
• Overview: Specialized qualifications obtained after completing a Bachelor’s degree.

Master’s Degrees

• Length: 1-2 years
• Overview: These programs can include a research thesis or may not require a thesis submission.

PhDs

• Length: 4-8 years
• Overview: Involves coursework at the beginning, followed by the completion and defense of a dissertation before an academic panel.

Post-Doctoral Programs

• Length: No time limit
• Overview: Specialized research programs undertaken after completing a PhD.

Launched as a pilot in 2020 by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, the Nigeria Student Express aims to reduce the study permit processing times for eligible Nigerian students.

To be eligible for faster processing through the NSE, you must:

Be a Nigerian citizen or legally reside in Nigeria;

Have an acceptance letter from a post-secondary designated learning institution in Canada for a Bachelor’s, Master’s or PhD degree program or a post-graduate diploma course;

Live outside of Canada when you apply;

Have a MyBank certificate showing sufficient funds for your studies (equivalent of CAD $30,000) for at least six months PLUS 12 months of banking history;

Get a medical exam before you apply;

Have a language test result that shows:

a score of 6.0 or higher in each skill (reading, writing, speaking, and listening) on the IELTS; or

a Test d’évaluation de français (TEF) score that is equal to a Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) score of at least 7 in each skill (reading, writing, speaking, and listening); and

Only if you’re applying to study in Quebec, have a certificat d’acceptation du Québec (CAQ) from the Quebec government.