International student admissions information
Study Permits
A Study Permit is a Canadian Immigration document that is issued to allow you to study in Canada for a specified amount of time. Once you have received written notice that your study permit application has been approved by a Canada Immigration office, you may proceed to Canada. Your study permit will be issued and attached to your passport at the first port of entry to Canada. All international students are required by Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) to have a valid study permit while attending Kwantlen. It is the student’s responsibility to maintain their study permit during the course of their program and ensure it remains valid.
Once you have received your acceptance letter and immigration package from Kwantlen, you will need to apply for your study permit right away. Study permit processing times and requirements vary from country to country. It is the student's responsibility to ensure they apply in sufficient time to receive a study permit. Please refer to the Citizenship and Immigration Canada website for approximate times. To ensure you have all of the required documents to apply for your study permit, please refer to the CIC website at www.cic.gc.ca/study
International students are required by Citizenship and Immigration Canada to have a valid study permit while completing post-secondary studies longer than six months in Canada. Kwantlen Polytechnic University requires all newly admitted international students to provide a copy of a valid study permit to Student Enrolment Services within the first three weeks of classes starting. Copies may be emailed, faxed or brought in person. International students who do not submit a valid study permit prior to the Last Day to Withdraw will have a study permit hold put on their account for the following term preventing further registration activities. A copy of the study permit will kept on the student's file.
For more information about study permits, please refer to the international advising website or the CIC website.
High school students studying in Canada
International students currently attending a Canadian high school are required to apply to change the conditions of their stay on their study permit that allows for post-secondary education studies. For information about changing the conditions of your stay, please refer to the CIC website at
www.cic.gc.ca/english/information/applications/extend-student.asp
Extending your study permit
Your initial study permit is normally valid for the length of your program, or number of years required to complete the program. If you need to renew your study permit, you must apply for an extension at least 30 days prior to the expiry date. If you apply to Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) for a renewal of your study permit, and the permit expires before you receive an answer, you can continue to study in Canada under the same conditions until you receive a decision. For more information about extending your stay, refer to the CIC website at www.cic.gc.ca/english/study/study-extend.asp.
Kwantlen’s International Educational Advisors are also available to provide support to our international learners. More information about support services for international students can be found at www.kwantlen.ca/advising/international.html.
For additional information about Study permits, work permits, etc. please refer to Citizenship and Immigration Canada website at www.cic.gc.ca.
New Student Orientation
Kwantlen offers all new students an orientation session to become familiar with the campus, success tips to help with your studies, information about services and resources available and more! For information about orientation, or to sign up, go to www.kwantlen.ca/sld/student_orientation.html. **Registration is required**
Additional Information
International students can also refer to Kwantlen’s international advising webpage for additional information at www.kwantlen.ca/advising/international.html.
