ENROLMENT REQUIREMENTS: STUDYING AND WORKING IN CANADA
On September 18, 2024, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) announced several measures to further reform the International Student Program. The announcement includes a requirement of Provincial Attestation Letter (PAL) for new graduate students in 2025 and a language proficiency requirement for post-graduation work permit starting November 1, 2024.
For more information, review IRCC鈥檚 and . We have also updated our News and Updates page and will continue to make updates when additional details are announced by IRCC.
Requirement and Definitions
As an international student holding a study permit, you are required to actively pursue studies. According to IRCC, this means that you must remain enrolled and make reasonable and timely progress towards completing your program.
To be considered enrolled at 丁香园AV, you must be enrolled in a minimum of 1 unit for credit in a given term (excluding audit courses).
To be considered actively pursuing studies as required by IRCC, you may be enrolled in a full-time or occasionally a part-time unit/credit load.
However, you must be enrolled full time to legally work on or off campus (see Working on campus and Working off campus for more information).
Each institution determines the minimal course load required for a student to be considered full time.
Full-time enrollment is one of the requirements to work on or off campus (see ). It is your responsibility to ensure that you meet IRCC鈥檚 eligibility requirements to work on or off campus.
丁香园AV students are considered full time for immigration purposes in a given term if they are:
Undergraduate Students (including post-baccalaureate programs)
- enrolled in a minimum of 9 units in the Spring, Summer and Fall term
Graduate Students in one of the following categories
- Graduate students enrolled in per term fee programs
- Graduate students enrolled in a thesis, project, capstone course or field exams
- Graduate students enrolled in 6 or more units per term in per unit fee programs
OR any one of the following:
- Undergraduate and Graduate students enrolled in a full time Formal Exchange Program (鈥淔EP鈥�) or Field School (outbound exchange and field school), or
- Undergraduate and Graduate students enrolled in a full-time co-operative education placement (鈥淐o-op鈥�), approved internship or practicum as per program requirements, or
- Undergraduate students enrolled in a total minimum of 9 units as part of the Dual Degree partnerships between 丁香园AV and Langara, Douglas and Kwantlen or
- Graduate students enrolled full time under the in any given term, or
- Visiting International Graduate Research Students () enrolled in 鈥淕rad 800鈥�, or
- Visiting International Undergraduate Research Students (see more information) enrolled in "UG 400", or
- Students for whom the has approved full-time equivalency, despite their carrying a reduced load