International Education Centre

Apply online for a number of applications including Study Permit Extension, Co-op/Internship Work Permit, Temporary Resident Visa and Post-Graduate Work Permit.

1. Begin by creating your account or sign-in to your My IRCC Secure Account  
2. Once you are signed in to your IRCC secure account, you can choose to apply to study, visit or work.  Click on this link to begin a questionnaire, which will help determine what you are applying for.
3. Once you have completed the questions in the questionnaire, you will find the application form you are required to complete (click on the link to open the application form), along with documents required. 

When you begin to answer questions on the application form, click validate which will identify the fields you must complete.  Once all the required fields of the application form are completed, validate the document again and then save it before you upload the document to your My IRCC Secure Account

Application and document processing times can vary throughout the year. It is important to keep informed and submit applications in a timely manner to ensure you receive them in time.

Contact Information and Helpful Links for IRCC

Toll Free: 1-888-242-2100 (Monday to Friday)

IRCC Website 

IRCC now offers many of the in-Canada applications, online.  

It is important to know about your study permit conditions, including authorized leave (unscheduled break approved by the College).

Amend your Valid Study Permit or other Temporary Resident Document

If you discover an error after you enter Canada and it is too late to return to the Officer who issued the study permit to you, you may be able to amend your study permit.  This can only be processed if a mistake was made on your current study permit.

If you are currently an international student in Canada with a valid study permit and want to extend your stay in Canada to study, we recommend that you apply to extend your study permit at least two months (60 Days) before your current study permit expires.  

You might be required to change the conditions on your current study permit.  If so, follow the same application process as study permit extension.

If you are currently studying in a program at Algonquin College, you will require a Proof of Enrolment Letter to support your study permit extension.  Request Proof of Enrolment Letter on your ACSIS account. 

If you are not currently studying in a program but will begin a new program in the near future, a letter of acceptance from the admission portal can be used to support your study permit extension. 

You may apply to restore your status as a student within 90 days of losing it. You may only apply if you have continued to meet the requirements under which you were allowed to enter and stay in Canada and you have met all the conditions imposed on your permit.  After you apply to restore your status, you may stay in Canada until a decision is made on your application but you are not allowed to study until your status has been restored. There is no guarantee that your application to restore your status will be accepted. On your application, you must provide full details of all the facts and circumstances that caused you to lose your status. In addition to a fee for renewing your study permit, there is also a fee for restoring your status. 

Implied status

If a visitor, student or foreign worker applies to extend their status, before that status expires, they can legally remain in Canada until a decision is made on the application. In this situation, the person has implied status.

Follow these steps if you lost your study permit and need to apply for a replacement.

Please be aware of the conditions of your study permit. According to IRCC, you may not be eligible to work if you take a break that is not scheduled.  If you decide to take a break that is not scheduled but you have approval form your academic department, is considered authorized leave.  An unauthorized leave means you have no approval.

Leave from studies should not exceed 150 days of the duration of your studies.  If you plan to stay in Canada beyond 150 days and you do not plan to study, IRCC indicates that you should apply for visitor status, or leave Canada.  Find out more about taking a leave from your studies. 

If you change your DLI, you must inform IRCC of the change as it is required. Your former school will be reporting your status to IRCC in the compliance report that you are not attending school.   

A Temporary Resident Visa (TRV) is an official document, issued by a Canadian Visa Office, that is placed in your passport to show that you have met the requirements for admission to Canada as a temporary resident (either as a visitor, a student, or a worker).

Usually, your initial TRV is issued with the same expiry date as your initial study permit and/or work permit if you applied before coming to Canada.  If you are in the process of extending your study permit, you should wait until you receive the new study permit before applying for a new TRV as the applications are not processed at the same time or at the same location. The TRV can expire while you are in Canada. The TRV does not represent your status in Canada – your study permit, work permit or visitor permit does.  Be sure to keep your study permit, work permit or visitor permit up to date.  The TRV is required when you enter Canada.  

An unofficial transcript from your ACSIS account will support the TRV application.  Once logged into your ACSIS account, click on view grades and then right click on the grades page and save the document as a PDF.  You can then upload the transcript to the online TRV application.

Do not leave Canada without knowing if you need a TRV or an eTA to re-enter Canada.  Find out what you need to re-enter Canada. Find out about the different scenarios of leaving and returning to Canada

More about leaving and returning to Canada. 

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) is expanding finger and photo requirements starting on July 31, 2018 for everyone who applies for a visitor visa, a work or study permit (excluding U.S. nationals), permanent residence, or refugee or asylum status. 

• Starting July 31, 2018 – applicants from Europe, Middle East and Africa
• Starting December 31, 2018 – applicants from Asia, Asia Pacific and the Americas

Find out more about biometrics, who is required to provide biometrics, how often you need to provide it, exemptions and costs.

Family or friends who want to visit you while you are in Canada, must apply to visit.  

It is recommended that you write a letter of invitation and send the letter to your family and/or friends to help support their application to visit Canada.  Find out more about the letter of invitation.  

If the purpose of the visit is to attend your convocation ceremony, include details about your convocation ceremony in your letter of invitation.  

You can also include a proof of enrollment letter or a letter that confirms you have completed your program on your ACSIS account.  See the print letter option in ACSIS to access the letter.  Send the letter to your family and/or friends to help support their application.

Applications are submitted online through our international application portal https://algonquincollege.my.site.com/myac360/s/
Applicants create a profile and upload all necessary documents directly on the portal. Step by step instructions are also available https://www.algonquincollege.com/international/admissions-apply/  

While there is no deadline date to apply, we recommend applying at least 6-8 months in advance as many of our programs close early. We accept students as long as there are seats available in the program but you should also take into account the study permit processing time as this can take longer depending on your country of residence. 

Please visit the following link for program and term availability for international students.  https://www.algonquincollege.com/international/admissions-apply/program-availability/

Application processing time is approximately 4 weeks after a complete application has been submitted but may vary depending on when your application is submitted. Your acceptance letter will be issued directly on the application portal once you have met all requirements successfully.

Find out if you can work on-campus, if you are eligible for a Social Insurance Number (SIN), where you can work and in what departments.   

You can only start working in Canada when you start your program. You can’t work before your studies begin.

You can work as an international student in Canada if your study permit lists a condition that says you’re allowed to work on- or off-campus.

You can work on your school campus, without a work permit, if you are a full-time postsecondary student 

• At a public postsecondary school, such as a college or university, or CEGEP in Quebec
• At a private college-level school in Quebec that operates under the same rules as public schools, and is at least 50% funded by government grants
• At a Canadian private school that can legally award degrees under provincial law
• Have a valid study permit, and
• Have a Social Insurance Number (SIN)

There are no restrictions on the number of hours students can work on campus  [as per R186(f)] in addition to working off campus, provided students continue to meet the applicable eligibility requirements.

Full-time postsecondary students may work without a work permit on the campus of the university or college at which they are a full-time student. [R186(f)] 

Find important information about off-campus work as it relates to eligibility requirements, definitions, ineligible programs of study, full-time status, conditions for work, regularly scheduled breaks and completion of a program of study. 

As indicated on the website link above, as of June 1, 2014, certain students can work off campus without a work permit [R186(v)]. They can work part time (up to 20 hours a week) during a regular academic session and full time during regularly scheduled breaks between academic sessions.

Co-op/internship work permit is required for mandatory work experience in programs of study. 

Important!  Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) refers to the work authorization for any work requirement that is part of a program of study as co-op/internship work.  See more about this work authorization on the IRCC website.  This does not mean that your work requirement is a co-op placement.  Algonquin College has many programs that include a work requirement. If your letter of acceptance indicates that your program has a work requirement, this means that you are required to complete work experiences as a part of your studies.

You may be eligible to apply for an open work permit under the Post-Graduation Work Permit Program (PGWPP). Eligibility includes successfully completing a certificate, diploma or degree program at a postsecondary institution that is a Designated Learning Institution (DLI) like Algonquin College. 

For the most current information, contact Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) at www.canada.ca or call 1-888-242-2100 (Monday to Friday).

Stay Up-To-Date:

For current IRCC information about the Post Graduate Work Permit Program, you should visit the Government of Canada PGWP information page. At this link you will find:

• Eligibility Criteria for applying both Inside Canada and Outside Canada
• What happens if your passport expires before your PGWP
• Guidance for Special Cases such as taking leave from studies, transferring between schools and more

Graduated Status:

You must have Graduated status for your program before you can apply for the PGWP. The Registrars’ Office follows a set process for moving students to Graduated Status. The process can take several weeks after you complete your final exam, and Graduated Status cannot be fast-tracked.  You can verify that your status has changed to graduated on your ACSIS account using the application status link.

The Transition Period and Working

• You can work up to 20 hours per week after your studies until you have graduated status. You do not need any special permit to do this.
• Once you have graduated status, you must stop working until you have applied for your PGWP.
• As soon as you have applied for your PGWP you can begin working full time while you await a decision on your application. You do not need to wait for your permit approval.

Apply for a PGWP inside Canada or Overseas

Before you can apply for a PGWP, some of the supporting documents that you will need include:

• A completion letter that you can download from ACSIS once you have graduated status
• A copy of your unofficial final transcript from your ACSIS account, again once you have graduated status

If you completed two programs:

• Prepare a letter of explanation indicating that you have completed two programs.  This letter of explanation along with your two letters of completion – which can be downloaded from ACSIS (choose the term(s) you have graduated) – can be used to support your PGWP application.  
• If you completed one program at another Designated Learning Institution (DLI), include the letter of completion and transcripts from the other DLI, the letter for the program(s) you completed at Algonquin College along with the letter of explanation in one PDF to support your PGWP application.

If you graduated from an Accelerated or Compressed Program:

• If you have completed a 2-year Algonquin College undergraduate diploma in 1 year, you can still download your completion letter on ACSIS but be sure to closely verify the wording. This type of program is currently eligible for a 3-year PGWP. Confirm that the letter states you have completed a 2-year Diploma program
• If does not, you need to contact iecsupport@algonquincollege.com to request a custom letter.

Be sure to check our International Student Events Calendar for upcoming PGWP info sessions and other immigration, budgeting and financial info sessions.

This is a general overview only, and be sure to always verify the most current information around PGWP applications on the Government of Canada PGWP information page.

International students who have a spouse or common-law partner, may want their spouse or partner to join them while they complete their studies.  A spouse or common-law partner (dependent of primary permit holder) of an international student (primary permit holder) who completes their studies in Canada, might be eligible to apply to work in Canada. 

International students who have children may want to bring their dependent children with them to Canada while they complete their studies.  Find helpful information about the different school boards  -public and private – in Ottawa for school age children. Research which school will be the best fit for you and your child/children before you decide on a school board or private school.  Find out more about the education system and more in Ontario.  

If an international student with school age children chooses to live in the province of Quebec while completing their studies at Algonquin College, they will need to find out about schools for their child/children in their local community in Quebec.  Note that Algonquin College staff will not assist in finding a school for dependent children.  This will be the responsibility of the parent(s) and/or guardian.

When the primary international study permit holder applies for the Post-Graduate Work Permit (PGWP) after completing studies and meeting eligibility for the PGWP, the dependent spouse with the open work permit will require the documents below in order to continue working with an open work permit.   

Spouses of Open Work Permit Holders

If the principal foreign worker is the holder of an open work permit (e.g., post-graduation work permit, working holiday work permit), Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) cannot assess the skill level based only on the open work permit, and the spouse or common-law partner applying for the C41 exemption will need to attach proof that the principal worker is employed in an occupation in skill level 0, A or B.

The spousal applicant should submit all the supporting documents, including

• a letter from the principal foreign worker’s current employer confirming employment or a copy of their employment offer or contract; and
• a copy of the principal foreign worker’s last 3 pay slips

If the documents listed above cannot be submitted at the time of the primary permit holder’ PGWP application, then it is recommended that the dependent spouse apply for visitor status until the required documents are available to support the open work permit of the dependent spouse.

If you are on implied status, you can continue to work under the same conditions of your initial work permit if your SIN is expired. If you applied to extend your work permit before your initial work permit expired, you can keep working, even if your SIN is expired.  Visit the Government of Canada’s webpage for additional information.

You can apply to renew your SIN as soon as you get a new permit.