Status in Canada

Visitors to Canada generally are NOT authorized to study in any academic program in Canada over 6 months in length.  Exchange and Study Abroad students coming to BCIT for only 1 term may be able to enter Canada and complete your studies on a visitor status.

Although we would generally advise applying for a study permit before beginning your studies, you may be able to pursue short-term studies of less than 6 months or distance learning (fully online) courses without a study permit.

See IRCC – Study Permit: Who can apply for more details.

Maintained status (formerly called “implied status”) refers to a legal extension of an individual’s immigration status while waiting for IRCC to process an application for a new permit to remain in Canada. To have maintained status, you must submit your application to IRCC for a new permit before your current status expires.

For continuing students, this means that you may be able to continue to study (and work if eligible) beyond your study permit expiration date as long as you applied to extend your study permit before your previous permit expired.

Students wishing to complete fully-online distance learning courses may be able to do so from outside of Canada without needing any valid status in Canada. You should verify with the program contact for that course to ensure that it is possible to complete the course entirely online.

Follow the instructions for distance learning if you would like to pursue this option.

If your status document has expired or you are otherwise out of status in Canada, then you may be able to apply to restore your status.

According to IRCC, “Foreign nationals applying for restoration have lost their status and may not continue to work or attend school until their status has been restored and a new work or study permit has been issued.“

Refugee claimants are required to have a study permit in order to enrol in a program at BCIT and are considered to be international students. Note that refugee claimant is not a legal immigration status in Canada.

For more information, see IRCC – Study permits: Refugees and protected persons.

If you have received a positive Notice of Decision from the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, then you are considered to have Refugee status as a protected person in Canada. Note that BCIT still considers you to be an international student, though you may become eligible for domestic tuition fees. Please look carefully through all the information below if you plan to study at BCIT while you are a protected person.

How to update your status

To update your status, bring your positive Notice of Decision to In-Person Drop-in Service at the International Student Centre or email a copy from your myBCIT email address to statusdoc@bcit.ca. Please be sure to include your student ID number and note that it is unlawful to make a false declaration.

Study permit requirement

You may be exempt from BCIT’s standard study permit requirement if you qualify for IRCC’s temporary policy authorizing work permit holders to study without needing a study permit. You may need to provide BCIT with a copy of your work permit or letter from IRCC confirming your work eligibility in order to demonstrate that you qualify for the temporary policy.

If you do not qualify for the temporary measure, BCIT’s standard study permit requirement still applies since your status does not authorize study in Canada without a study permit. You are eligible for your study permit application to be processed inside of Canada. For more information, see IRCC – Study permits: Refugees and protected persons.

Although we would generally advise applying for a study permit before beginning your studies, you may be able to pursue short-term studies of less than 6 months or distance learning (fully online) courses without a study permit, even if you do not qualify for the temporary IRCC policy.

Domestic tuition fees & tuition-free language courses

You may be eligible for domestic tuition fees at BCIT. To be eligible for domestic fees for the current term you must show your positive Notice of Decision before the refund deadline for all of your courses for the term. Otherwise you will not be eligible for domestic fees until the next term.

You are also eligible for tuition-free Language classes funded by the Government of Canada, such as BCIT’s Professional English Language Development (PELD) courses. Also see Upgrading and ESL Funding: Adult Upgrading Grant (AUG).

Expanded selection of Flexible Learning programs

You may apply to any Flexible Learning program, including any that are otherwise only available to domestic students.

However, if you wish to apply to a full-time program, note that you are still limited to the full-time programs that accept international students.

If you have Diplomatic status, then IRCC does not require you to have a study permit in order to study in Canada and you may be eligible for domestic fees for the duration of your diplomatic status. To become eligible for domestic fees for the current term you must show your original diplomatic status documents before the refund deadline for all of your courses for the term. Otherwise you will not be eligible for domestic fees until the next term.

If you have PR status, then you must show your PR document before the refund deadline for all of your courses for the term. Otherwise you will not be eligible for domestic fees until the next term.

To update your status, bring your original signed confirmation of permanent residence (CoPR) or permanent resident card to In-Person Drop-in Service at the International Student Centre or email a copy from your myBCIT email address to statusdoc@bcit.ca. Please be sure to include your student ID number and note that it is unlawful to make a false declaration.

All programs at BCIT are available to students holding PR status.

Note that for the purpose of updating your student account, BCIT cannot accept any kind of documentation other than the options listed above. Other letters from IRCC cannot be accepted.

Canadian citizens are considered domestic students and are entitled to domestic fees. To be eligible for domestic fees for the current term you must show your citizenship document before the refund deadline for all of your courses for the term. Otherwise you will not be eligible for domestic fees until the next term.

To update your status, bring your original Certificate of Citizenship, Canadian passport, or Citizenship card to In-Person Drop-in Service at the International Student Centre or email a copy from your myBCIT email address to statusdoc@bcit.ca. Please be sure to include your student ID number and note that it is unlawful to make a false declaration.