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You are studying or going to study at a private college in Canada as an international student. In our experience, there are mainly 4 reasons why students end up choosing a private institution:
We will review your options today if you are about to or are already studying at a private post-secondary college in Canada as an international student.
If you're looking for options to stay and eventually become a PR in Canada? You're at the right place. At INGWE we have licensed immigration consultants that are willing to help. Get a FREE assessment with us, click here.
99% of all private colleges are not eligible for a Post-Graduate Work Permit. PGWPs are mandated by the Canadian Federal government, and NOT the provincial level. As well, keep in mind that your partner/spouse would not be allowed to apply for an open work permit while you study at a private college, IF your program is not a degree (typically 3 years). So, if you are studying for a diploma, certificate, or anything else that is not considered a ‘degree’ by the province, your spouse/partner cannot apply for an open work permit during your studies at a private college in Canada.
For students who have not yet received a study permit or received but not started yet, IRCC has given the updated policy to ALLOW you to change your Designated Learning Institution (i.e., the Canadian school where you received your admission) before a decision is made on your study permit, after – before you arrive, or even after you start studying. The key point to consider here is that you may lose your tuition deposit at the private college if you were approved for a study permit or already started studying.
For students who are already studying at private colleges and planning to graduate or already have here are the only choices you have:
This will allow you to apply for a closed work permit between 1-2 years to work after you graduate. This is possible even if you are a visitor or convert to a visitor status after you graduate before you apply for your LMIA work permit. Remember, the LMIA process must be initiated by the employer, not the worker. You need to make sure you navigate all your steps properly. The LMIA process can take up to 2 months, and the work permit approx. 4 months.
You can ask us anything about LMIAs since this is what our team does regularly every week for our Canadian employers. Get a FREE assessment with us! Click here.
Before you graduate or even while you wait for your graduation confirmation, you can receive an LOA (letter of acceptance) from a public school and renew your study permit inside Canada to continue there. Any full-time studies you complete at the public college would allow you to become eligible for a Post-Graduate Work Permit after you graduate, so you can stay inside Canada and gain valuable Canadian work experience for Express Entry or other immigration programs.
Please keep in mind that some private college credits can be transferred over to the public school if there is an agreement between the two institutions. It all depends on your private college vs the public college or school you are planning to transfer to. For example, CDI college has a pathway with the British Columbia Institute of Technology (BCIT) where you can transfer over specific credits from approved programs at CDI & BCIT. They don’t allow it for all credits or programs, but if you plan correctly in advance with a proper education advisor – you can gain access to this. Don’t forget we have a dedicated education team right here at INGWE which can help you find similar options. Get a FREE assessment with us, click here.
If you are cash-strapped, you can also continue studying another program at the private college until you have enough money saved to continue to transfer to a public institution. Remember to apply for admission to the public school in advance, don’t wait until the last minute. We help our clients pick a school anywhere in Canada and sometimes apply 10 months in advance to make sure they have access to the program of their choice.
Remember that the lowest cost public schools close their applications even 6 to 8 months before the actual starting date of the corresponding intake.
Here is another method many people used previously: if they are here together as a couple, one would graduate and the other would start studying in order to switch roles for the open work permit (if they were eligible) – however a new policy introduced by IRCC last year does not allow this anymore and you need to leave Canada and re-apply from outside in case you plan to use this method.
Yes, you can change your college according to IRCC. However, you must meet all the conditions always stated on your study permit.
Here are a few things that you need to consider before changing your college:
1) Change the (Designated Learning Institute) DLI number. It is important to notify the High Commission about any change you make through their web forms (this is for people who have not been approved yet for a study permit from outside Canada)
2) Unofficial breaks: As per IRCC, you should avoid long breaks between your enrollment as it can affect your international student status in Canada.
3) Inform the current college: You must withdraw your enrollment officially from the school you are currently studying. Having their approval is necessary. If you fail to do so, the old school might report you as an unregistered student. And according to IRCC if you are unregistered, you are breaking the conditions for a study permit.
If you’re thinking about immigrating to Canada through Studies, Work, Sponsorship, or Business, you’re at the right place! We are licensed in Canada, and we help applicants like yourself and your families.
We have 1-million-dollar liability insurance which protects you and us from mistakes or fraud as well as a dedicated client trust account with the Canadian banks. Our team speaks over +8 languages, and we help applicants from over 47 different countries during their Canadian immigration process. Get a FREE assessment, click here.
