Important Note: COVID-19 Travel Restrictions
As of December 23, 2020, Regent has been added to the list of Designated Learning Institutions with an approved COVID-19 Readiness Plan. International students can now travel to Canada on a study permit.
Some restrictions may still apply to travel to Canada. You can check the latest information on travel restrictions on the Government of Canada's website here.
Who Needs A Study Permit?
International and American students who wish to study at Regent will need to apply for a study permit from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC). This process can take months for international students, so we recommend that you start early.
Regent College is a Designated Learning Institution (DLI) with the Canadian federal government (DLI: O19283912352).
Note: It is your responsibility to ensure that you have a valid study permit while studying at Regent College. You should also be aware that IRCC requires Regent College to report on your enrollment status (e.g., full-time, part-time, etc.) from time to time.
Note: Canada introduced some policy changes to its study permit application process in January 2024. Please see this page for details.
obtaining a study permit
Study Permits for American Students
If you are a citizen or permanent resident of the United States planning to study in Canada for six months or longer, you must apply to IRCC for a study permit.
Process
You can apply for your study permit at the port of entry (e.g., airport or border crossing) when you are moving to Canada. Please ensure that you have the required documents with you. The cost of a study permit is $150.
If you plan to work in Canada during your studies, make sure your border guard writes the following information on your study permit when you enter Canada:
- May work 20 hrs per week off-campus or full-time during regular breaks if meeting criteria outlined in section186(v) of IRPR OR
- May accept employment on or off campus if meeting eligibility criteria as per R186(f), (v) or (w). Must cease working if no longer meeting these criteria
Required documents
Official
Letter of Acceptance: the “To Whom It May Concern” letter included in your
acceptance package, signed by the Senior Admissions Officer.
Proof of Funds: you must demonstrate—with a bank statement, savings account passbook, bank draft, letters of support (with attached bank statements from the letter writers), loan documents, or other proof—that you have sufficient funds to cover the cost of one entire academic year in Canada (tuition and living expenses). The most recently published minimum amounts are: $18,000 for a single person or $22,000 for a couple (plus an additional $3,000 per child).
Valid
Passport: If your passport will expire during the
first year of your studies, renew your passport before beginning the application process for your study permit (birth certificates are no longer sufficient documentation when you cross the border).
Payment: $150 for a study permit.
Study Permits for International Students
The term “international” refers to students who come to study at Regent from outside of Canada and the United States. For more information about coming to Regent as an international student, see our International Students section.
If you are planning to study in Canada for six months or longer, you must apply to IRCC for a study permit from your home country. Citizens of certain countries will also require a Temporary Resident Visa (entry visa). Who needs to apply?
Process
You must apply for your study permit outside of Canada. You can apply online or at your local Canadian embassy or consulate. Check here for a complete list of Canadian visa offices abroad Canadian visa offices abroad.
Check if you also need to apply for a Temporary Resident Visa (entry visa). See the list of countries that require an entry visa into Canada. You can apply for this visa through your local Canadian embassy or consulate. We recommend that you apply for a multiple entry TRV.
The application process will vary depending on your country of citizenship and where you are currently living. Apply early, as this process can take several months!
Once your application is accepted, the Canadian Embassy, Consulate, or Immigration Office will provide you with a letter of introduction regarding their decision. You must present this letter to the Immigration Officer at the Canadian port of entry. If you also applied for a Temporary Resident Visa, this visa will be attached directly to your passport.
You must not leave for Canada until you have obtained your letter of introduction and your Temporary Resident Visa (if required) from a Canadian Embassy, Consulate, or Immigration Office.
If you plan to work in Canada during your studies, make sure your border guard writes the following information on your study permit when you enter Canada:
- May work 20 hrs per week off-campus or full-time during regular breaks if meeting criteria outlined in section186(v) of IRPR OR
- May accept employment on or off campus if meeting eligibility criteria as per R186(f), (v) or (w). Must cease working if no longer meeting these criteria
Required documents
Official Letter of Acceptance: the “To Whom It May Concern” letter included in your acceptance package, signed by the Senior Admissions Officer.
Proof of Funds: you must demonstrate—with a bank statement, savings account passbook, bank draft, letters of support (with attached bank statements from the letter writers), loan documents, or other proof—that you have sufficient funds to cover the cost of one entire academic year in Canada (tuition and living expenses). The most recent published minimum amounts are: $18,000 for an individual or $22,000 for a couple (plus an additional $3,000 per child). Individual Immigration Officers reviewing permit applications have the discretion to require evidence of whatever amount they believe is reasonable; in some countries, visa offices tend to have higher requirements.
Valid Passport: If your passport will expire during the first year of your studies, renew your passport before beginning the application process for your study permit.
Medical Examination: Depending on your country of citizenship and where you are currently living, you may be required to undergo a medical exam. Check the IRCC website. It can take as long as three months for medical exam results to be processed.
Temporary Resident Visa: When a study permit or work permit is issued, the additional fee for the TRV is exempt. (Family members of the student are not fee-exempt.) Be sure to apply for a multiple-entry TRV rather than single-entry. If you are visiting or transiting through another country en route to Canada, check with a consular office of that country before you leave home to see what documents, visas, or immunizations you may require.
Payment: $150 for a study permit. The Temporary Resident Visa (TRV) is $100 for single entry and multiple entry.
Other documents may be required.
Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA)
You will also require a valid visa (TRV) or Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) to enter Canada, which will be automatically issued when your study permit is approved. However, please note that if you extended or renewed an existing study permit before May 1, 2017, you may need to apply separately for an eTA. The cost for an eTA is $7.
Do not wait until the last minute – apply now for an eTA.
Other Requirements
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) is reminding international students to prepare for their trip to study in Canada by reviewing Canada’s entry requirements and applying as soon as possible for their study permit. Starting July 31, 2018, you may need to give your fingerprints and photo (biometrics) when you apply for a study permit if you are from Europe, the Middle East or Africa. Find out if these changes may apply to you here.
Extending Your Study Permit
Your study permit can be extended. You need to start the process 3-4 months before your study permit expires. You are also advised to visit the IRCC website for current processing times.Before you apply to extend your study permit through IRCC, you will need to fill out the Request for Study Permit Renewal Letter from Regent College. Your renewal request letter will then be ready for pick-up at Reception one week after we receive your form.
Once you’ve picked up your Study Permit Renewal Letter, you must complete the Application to Change Conditions or Extend Your Stay in Canada found here.
Note: Your study permit renewal requires you to renew your BC Medical Services Plan (MSP) and Social Insurance Number (SIN). If you have further questions, please see the Assistant Dean of Students or e-mail: [email protected]
Extending MSP coverage
If you have BC MSP, your coverage expires at the same time as your study permit and must also be extended. After recieving your new study permit, you must inform MSP that you are continuing studies and need continued coverage. This may be done online here.
Renewing your SIN
Social Insurance Number expiry dates are linked to the expiry date of your study or work permit. You will need to take your new study or work permit to Service Canada in order to reactivate your SIN.
The nearest Service Canada Centre is: 1263 West Broadway, Vancouver (Monday-Friday, 8:30 am– 4:00 pm).
Following IRCC regulations at all times
IRCC requires post-secondary institutions like Regent College to periodically report on the enrollment status (e.g., full-time, part-time, completed, etc.) of students who have a study permit. This is one of the ways that IRCC monitors international students. From their perspective, they are concerned that people who come into Canada are in fact coming in for the purpose that they stated. From your perspective, the most important thing is to progress towards the completion of your program, and to abide by the conditions of your study permit.
Other considerations
Already in Canada on a study permit
If you are already in Canada on a study permit and studying at a school other than Regent, double check in the conditions section of your study permit, if it lists a specific school. If it does not, then your study permit will be sufficient at Regent as well. If there is a school listed, then you will need to apply for a new study permit.
Already in Canada with no study permit
If you have been visiting Canada or studying English in Canada without a study permit, you must apply for a study permit in order to attend Regent. You must apply for this at a Canadian Consulate, Embassy or Immigration Office outside of Canada. The closest consulate to Vancouver is located in Los Angeles, California, USA.
Coming to study for less than six months
If you study for less than six months and are not enrolled in a program, you do not need a study permit, but you may want to consider applying for one anyway. Then, if you decide to study longer than six months, you can simply extend your study permit and avoid a complicated application process.
Students from certain countries will need to apply for a Temporary Resident Visa (entry visa), even if they don't need a study permit. See the list of countries that require an entry visa into Canada. You can apply for this visa through your local Canadian embassy or consulate. We recommend that you apply for a multiple entry TRV (Temporary Resident Visa).
If you are not enrolled in a program and need to apply for a study permit or visitor's visa, you will need your Term Invoice. A copy of your Term Invoice may be obtained online through REGIS, our student account portal, once you have been issued a Regent Login. You may also request a letter officially verifying your registration, or email [email protected].
Entering the US as an international student
International students intending to visit the United States will require a US visitor’s visa. This requirement varies depending on your home country. Check with your nearest US consulate.
If you are from one of the visa waiver countries, you will need to apply for a Travel Authorization before you travel.
Working as an international student
As of June 1, 2014, you may qualify to work off campus without a work permit.
If you qualify, your study permit will allow you to:
- work up to 20 hours per week during regular academic sessions and
- work full-time during scheduled breaks, such as the winter and summer holidays or spring break.
To qualify, you must:
- have a valid study permit,
- be a full-time student (see below)
- be enrolled at a designated learning institution (Regent's DLI number is O19283912352)
- be studying in a program that leads to a degree, diploma, or certificate that is at least six months in duration.
You must stop working on the day you no longer meet the above eligibility requirements (e.g., if you are no longer a full-time student during an academic session.)
If you plan to work in Canada, you will need a Social Insurance Number (SIN). See below.
You can also work long distance either by phone or internet. Your employer must be located outside of Canada and you must be remunerated from outside Canada as well. An example would be editing or translating text.
For more information on working in Canada, visit the IRCC website.
For work opportunities at Regent College, check our Student Employment page.
Defining "Full-Time Study" for Working under a Study Permit
For the purpose of working in Canada with a study permit, you will be considered full-time if one of the following is true:
GDipCS, MACS, MATS, and MDiv Students
- You are registered in 9 credit hours in a Fall or Winter term (or 7.5 credits in each term if you are taking Supervised Ministry or Marketplace Field Work)
- You will be registered in 18 credit hours over the academic year (September to August), with at least 3 credits in both Fall and Winter terms (or 12 credits if registered for a thesis or IPIAT over Fall and Winter)
- You will be registered in 12 credit hours from January to August, provided you begin your on-campus studies in that January
- You are registered for credit hours in a thesis, integrative project, or IPIAT in a Fall or Winter term
- You are registered in at least 6 credit hours in the last two terms (Fall and Winter) prior to the completion of your program, with at least 1 credit hour in each term, provided you were full-time since you began on-campus study in your current program.
- You are actively enrolled in the MALTS program. However, as a low-residency program, international student should not normally reside in Canada for the duration of the MALTS program.
- You are registered for 6 credit hours in a Fall or Winter term, or 12 credit hours over the academic year (September to August), with at least 3 credit hours in both Fall and Winter terms.
- You are registered for thesis credit hours.
Getting a Social Insurance Number (SIN)
You need a Social Insurance Number (SIN) from Service Canada to work in Canada or to receive benefits and services from government programs.
You must have one of the following conditions or remarks printed on your study permit in order to apply for a SIN for off-campus work (when you first enter Canada, please ask the border guard to write the statement that applies to you on your study permit):
- May work 20 hrs per week off-campus or full-time during regular breaks if meeting criteria outlined in section186(v) of IRPR
- May accept employment on or off campus if meeting eligibility criteria as per R186(f), (v) or (w). Must cease working if no longer meeting these criteria
If your study permit does not have one of the above conditions or remarks, you must submit a request for an amendment to your study permit before you can apply for a SIN. There is no fee for this request.
If your study permit has: This permit does not permit the holder to engage in off campus employment in Canada, printed on it and you have changed your program of study, you must apply to change the conditions of your study permit and pay the applicable fee.
Co-op work permit
All international students who will be paid for their placement for completion of either APPL 693 Supervised Ministry or APPL 691 Field Education need to apply for a Co-op Work Permit. More information can be found on the IRCC website.
This work permit is free of charge, as your placement is considered an essential part of your program of study. You can apply online through CIC and we recommend that you do this as soon as possible.
In order to apply, you will need a letter from Regent College to include with your application. You can request a letter by emailing [email protected] and we will provide this for you.
Post-graduate employment
Regent College graduates are not eligible to apply for a post-graduate work permit. This is a change from previous practice: the Ministry of Advanced Education has recently informed the College that graduates from a variety of private colleges are now no longer eligible for post-graduate work permits.
Document checklist
Before you leave home, make sure all your documents are in order. Make photocopies of important original documents and keep the photocopies in a safe place at home, or with a friend for safekeeping.
- Valid passport and/or official government-issued identification
- Letter of Introduction from Canadian Embassy, Consulate or Immigration Office (except US citizens)
- Temporary Resident Visa (if required for your country) or eTA
- Proof of funds available
- Identification document with photo
- Driver’s License or International Driver’s License, driving insurance records (plus vehicle registration and insurance papers if you are bringing your car)
- Medical records, immunization records
- Medical insurance documents (if you are going to rely on medical insurance from your home country)
- Credit card(s)
- Marriage certificate (if applicable)
- Two years of official school records for school-age children
