ISS will be closed Monday, May 20th for the long holiday weekend.
ISS is available virtually and in-person Mondays-Fridays during business hours.
ISS will be closed Monday, May 20th for the long holiday weekend.
ISS is available virtually and in-person Mondays-Fridays during business hours.
Immigration Essentials for International Students in Graduate Programs at McGill
It depends. Effective June 27, 2023, IRCC implemented a temporary public policy measure that allows eligible workers to study in Canada without a study permit. Immigration Quebec is also exempting these eligible workers from the requirement to hold a CAQ.
Who is eligible to benefit from this temporary public policy measure?
To be eligible to study at McGill without a CAQ or study permit under this temporary public policy, you must be authorized to work in Canada with either of the following:
Who is not eligible to benefit from this temporary public policy measure?
Anyone who applied for their work permit (initial or extension) after June 7, 2023, is not eligible to benefit from this temporary public policy measure.
THINGS TO CONSIDER:
NOTE: This public policy is in effect until June 27, 2026 and may be revoked at any time, without prior notice. For more details, please visit the Immigration Canada and Immigration Quebec websites.
You will need to apply for a CAQ and apply for a study permit if:
Full-time students* are authorized to work in Canada full-time on-campus and part-time off-campus (up to a maximum of 20hrs per week) during an academic term. Exceptionally, students who are part-time in their final term but have been full-time in every previous term are authorized to work full-time on-campus and part-time off-campus in their final academic term before graduating.
*For undergraduate and non-thesis graduate students, full-time means you are enrolled for a minimum of 12 credits per academic term. PhD and Masters thesis students are considered full-time in every semester of their program, including the Summer term, regardless of the number of credits they are taking.
NOTE: If you are outside of Canada, you are not restricted to the limits defined by Canadian immigration regulations regarding on-campus and off-campus work. You must, however, respect the allowable hours of work in the country where you are currently residing.
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Temporary Changes to Off-Campus Work Regulations
IRCC has temporarily removed the limit on off-campus work hours for certain eligible international students. Students who meet the requirements may work more than 20 hours a week off-campus during an academic term. For more information and to verify if you are eligible, please see Question #2.
IRCC has temporarily removed the limit on off-campus work hours for certain eligible international students. Students who meet the requirements may work more than 20 hours a week off-campus during an academic term.
The following students may work full-time off-campus from November 15th, 2022 to April 30th, 2024:
Students who currently hold a valid study permit and had applied for this study permit on or before October 7, 2022;
Students who applied to extend their study permit from within Canada on or before October 7th, 2022 and are currently on maintained status.
The following students may work full-time off-campus from January 1st, 2024 to April 30th, 2024:
Students who currently hold a valid study permit and had applied for this study permit between October 8, 2022 and December 7th, 2023 (inclusive);
Students who held a study permit which they had applied for on or after October 8, 2022 and who are currently on maintained status after having submitted a study permit extension application between October 8, 2022 and December 7th, 2023 (inclusive).
IMPORTANT: In order for students to benefit from these temporary measures, they must also meet all the requirements to work off-campus, including maintaining full-time student status. Students can be part-time in their final semester and work off-campus if they were full-time in every other regular academic term.
For more information on this policy, please refer to the IRCC Off-campus Work webpage.
No. If you were always enrolled full-time (except for your final term), you may work an unlimited amount of hours on-campus and/or a maximum of 20h/week off-campus until you receive proof of program completion (i.e., the proof of graduation letter available on Minerva after Senate meets to grant your degree OR the special letter of program completion from Service Point before Senate meets). Once you receive proof of program completion, you are no longer authorized to work on the basis of your study permit*.
*Students who meet all the PGWP eligibility requirements may be eligible to begin to work after submitting an application for the PGWP and for the entire time their PGWP application is pending.
It depends.
If you were enrolled full-time in every term except your last term, and have always respected the allowable hours of work during your studies, you can continue to work full-time on campus and/or part-time off-campus (maximum of 20 hours per week) after the end of your final semester until the first date you receive written confirmation from McGill that you have complete your program. Once you receive written proof of program completion, you must then stop all work activity – whether or not this work is paid or unpaid.
You can start working full-time on campus and/or off-campus:
Service Canada is now processing SINs online. Please visit the Service Canada website to apply online.
Under the current conditions for CAQ holders, international students must make their studies their principal activity. This means that in order to respect your CAQ conditions, you must maintain full-time student status every term for the duration of your program, with the exception of your last term.
Under the current eligibility requirements to work on-campus and off-campus, international students must maintain full-time student status every term for the duration of their program, with the exception of their last term.
Under the current eligibility requirements for the post-graduation work permit (PGWP), international students must maintain full-time student status every term for the duration of their program, with the exception of their last term.
We, therefore, recommend that all international students maintain full-time student status for the duration of their program with the exception of their last term, so as not to compromise their ability to extend their CAQ, maintain authorization to work on and off-campus or their eligibility for the PGWP.
If you must be part-time due to extenuating circumstances such as health issues or a family emergency, please contact us so that we may best advise you. You may also wish to review our part-time studies information sheet.
It depends.
If the job you plan on doing brings you into close contact with vulnerable people, you will need to undergo a medical exam by a panel physician - even if you are not prompted to do so when submitting your study permit application. Examples of such jobs include:
If you already have a Study Permit it is important to verify the conditions of your permit. If it does NOT have the condition that states that you are restricted from working in the industry where you will or intend to be employed (e.g., healthcare, primary or secondary education, daycares, senior homes, etc.), then you may use it to work in Canada (if meeting all other requirements to do so). If it DOES state this condition, then you will need to undergo a medical exam by a panel physician and apply for a new Study Permit (and pay all applicable fees) so that the condition is removed in order to work in your intended job.
You can find a list of panel physicians in your area on the Immigration Canada website.
Starting on February 15, 2024, international students who are graduating from a master’s degree program that is less than 2 years in length may now be eligible for a 3-year post-graduation work permit (PGWP).
To be eligible for the PGWP, you must have completed a program that is at least 8 months in length and maintained continuous, full-time student status in every term except your final term, among other eligibility criteria.
For more information about the PGWP, visit our PGWP webpage and watch our recorded PGWP webinar. You can also visit IRCC’s PGWP webpage.
If you have maintained full-time status in every term of your program with the exception of your final term and you have always respected the limit of allowable work hours during your studies, you are authorized to continue to work until the first date that you receive official confirmation of program completion. You must then stop working.
You can resume working only once you have submitted an application for the Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP) from inside Canada while holding a valid study permit (and you meet all the eligibility requirements) OR once you have obtained your PGWP (if you do not meet all the eligibility requirements).
*Official confirmation of program completion can either be a Proof of Graduation Letter that you can generate yourself on Minerva the day after Senate meets on May 23, 2024 or a Post Graduate Work Permit Letter that you may be able to obtain from Service Point before Senate meets (if you meet certain conditions). Remember: It is the date one of the above letters is made available to you - NOT the date you print or download the letter - that is the day you must stop working.
Please see our WORK FAQs and Post-Graduation Work Permit Cheat Sheet for more information on the PGWP and for details on how many hours you can work on and off-campus while you wait to receive proof of program completion.
***IMPORTANT***
If you are full-time and authorized to work in the Winter 2024 term but you have not been full-time in every other term of your program, you must stop working once the Winter 2024 term officially ends on April 30, 2024.
The “Degree Granted” remark will appear on your transcript after the Senate Steering Committee has met to officially confer graduates with their degrees. Students who are approved for graduation can generate a Confirmation of Graduation letter in Minerva as proof of program completion the day after Senate has met to grant their degree.
IMPORTANT: The exact date in February, May and October that the Senate Steering Committee meets differs from one academic year to the next. Please visit the Convocation & Graduation FAQ page under the tab, Transcript & Diploma - "When will my transcript show degree granted?" for more specific information.
Official confirmation of program completion occurs on the business day following the day Senate Steering Committee meets to officially grant your degree OR the date you are issued a Post-Graduation Work Permit letter from Service Point - whichever comes first.
If you have requested a Post-Graduation Work Permit Letter from Service Point, it will be emailed directly to you.
You can leave Canada and return, as long as your visa or Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) is still valid. Your study permit is not a visa and doesn't allow you to travel back to Canada.
If your visa or eTA is expired, you have to get a new one before you return to Canada.
When you return to Canada:
If the officer believes there is reason to refuse your re-entry, you won’t be authorized to enter Canada.
No.
Once you have submitted your final thesis and your department has approved you for graduation, you can request a Post-Graduation Work Permit Letter from Service Point before Senate meets to grant you your degree. You can then use that letter to apply for the PGWP.
If you have completed all your program requirements and your department has approved you for graduation, you can request a Post-Graduation Work Permit Letter from Service Point before Senate meets to grant your degree. You can then use this letter to apply for the PGWP before your study permit expires.
However, if you are uncertain as to if you’ll be able to obtain the Post-Graduation Work Permit Letter before your study permit expires, you may wish to proceed with one of the following options:
INSTRUCTIONS FOR OPTION 1:
Apply to extend your CAQ and apply to extend your study permit before it expires.
NOTE: If you apply to extend your study permit from inside Canada before it expires, you will be on maintained status once your study permit expires and can thus remain in Canada until a decision is made on your application.
INSTRUCTIONS FOR OPTION 2:
Apply to extend your stay as a visitor before your study permit expires
INSTRUCTIONS FOR OPTION 3:
Leave Canada before your study permit expires and apply for your PGWP from outside of Canada
YES. You can complete up to 100% of your studies online from outside Canada and remain eligible for the Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP).
Normally, time spent studying outside of Canada is deducted from the length of the PGWP and only online courses completed from within Canada (less than 50% of your program) can count towards the total length of the program when determining the length of the PGWP.
However, as a response to the COVID-19 pandemic and ensuing travel restrictions, IRCC announced a series of new facilitative measures that allow students who were forced to begin their program, continue their studies, or complete their program remotely from outside Canada to maintain their post-graduation work permit eligibility.
As per IRCC’s most recent update to their PGWP facilitative measures:
All of the time you spent studying online from outside Canada between spring 2020 and August 31, 2022, counts toward the length of a PGWP. This applies even if you’re completing 2 study programs.
If you’re completing 2 study programs, you can finish 100% of your studies online if the programs were ongoing or started between March 2020 and summer 2022, and
The following time won’t count toward the length of a PGWP:
NOTE: Only the time you spent studying outside of Canada after IRCC received your study permit application counts towards the length of your PGWP and your study permit application must be also be approved.
No. In order to work while your PGWP application is pending, you must meet certain conditions. If you do not meet all of these conditions, then you cannot work while your application is pending even if you receive the IRCC Acknowledgement of Receipt letter stating that you can work.
In order to work while your PGWP application is pending, you must meet certain conditions. If you meet all these conditions, you can work while your PGWP application is pending. Concerning the date included in the Acknowledgement of Receipt letter, IRCC has confirmed that:
Officers should understand that the validity date of the letter in no way overrides the authority of paragraph R186(w), which allows foreign nationals who meet the requirements to continue working until a final decision is made on their work permit application
In other words, if you meet all the PGWP eligibility requirements, you may continue to work for the entire time your PGWP application is pending, regardless of the date indicated on your Acknowledgement of Receipt letter. For more information, please see IRCC’s website.
Yes. Normally, if more than 50% of a student’s program of study’s total courses are completed by distance learning (online) from inside Canada, the program may be considered a distance-learning or online program, and the applicant would be ineligible for a post-graduation work permit.
However, as a response to the COVID-19 pandemic and ensuing public health restrictions, IRCC has announced a series of new facilitative measures that allow students who were forced to begin their program, continue their studies, or complete their program online from inside Canada to maintain their post-graduation work permit eligibility even if they complete more than 50% of their program online.
As stated on IRCC’s website, these facilitative measures for students studying online from Canada include the following:
You’re still eligible for the PGWP if either of the following situations apply to you:
NOTE: As of the Fall 2020 semester, you must be studying full-time to be eligible.
No. If you are currently on maintained status (i.e., you are awaiting a decision on your study permit extension application), and wish to apply for your PGWP before your new permit is issued, you can apply from inside Canada but cannot work while your application is pending.
This is because In order to work while your PGWP application is pending, you must meet certain conditions, including the requirement to hold a valid study permit at the time you submit your application. Because an applicant on maintained status no longer holds a valid study permit, applicants in this situation cannot work until they have obtained their PGWP.
Now that Service Point has resumed the issuance of official printed transcripts, you have two options when applying for your PGWP online.
You can either submit a scanned copy of your official printed transcripts (you can request your official printed transcripts via Service Point's dedicated webform) OR a copy of your official eTranscript (order an electronic official transcript).
If you choose to submit a copy of your official eTranscript instead of a scanned copy of your printed transcript, we recommend that you include cover letter explaining that you are providing a copy of the electronic version of the official transcript instead of a scanned copy of the printed official transcript.
NOTE: it is possible that the "COPY" watermark will appear on the eTranscript when you combine the eTranscript with other documents into one PDF, when you save the eTranscript to your computer, and/or when the immigration agent opens the file. You should mention this possibility in your cover letter and also ensure that you view/save your eTranscript according to the instructions provided by the National Student Clearinghouse when you order your eTranscript.
You should create one pdf document (that includes your Cover Letter and eTranscript) and upload the document in the “Transcript” section of your Document Checklist.
IMPORTANT: If you will be applying for your PGWP at a Port of Entry (i.e., land border, or airport for those applicants who are visa-exempt), and are able to obtain your official printed transcript from Service Point, you should bring your printed transcript (not your eTranscript) to present to the border agent. You can request your official printed transcript via Service Point's dedicated webform. If printed transcripts are not available, you can bring your eTranscript instead.
It depends.
If you were enrolled full-time in every term except your last term, and have always respected the allowable hours of work during your studies, you can continue to work full-time on campus and/or part-time off-campus (maximum of 20 hours per week) after the end of your final semester until the first date you receive written confirmation from McGill that you have complete your program (either the proof of program completion letter from Service Point or the proof of graduation letter after Senate meets). Once you receive written proof of program completion, you must then stop all work activity – whether or not this work is paid or unpaid.
You can start working full-time on campus and/or off-campus:
Under the current eligibility requirements for the post-graduation work permit (PGWP), international students must maintain full-time student status every term for the duration of their program, with the exception of their last term.
If you must be or were part-time due to extenuating circumstances such as health issues or a family emergency, please contact us so that we may best advise you on how to submit your application.
You may also wish to review our part-time studies information sheet.
Your TRV is valid until its expiry regardless of whether it was issued to you as a student or as a worker. You can leave and re-enter Canada with a TRV marked “S-1 Student” even if you have changed your status to a worker.
You can now work in a job at any skill level in order for your spouse to be eligible for an OWP.
As of January 30, 2023, IRCC has temporarily removed all restrictions on the level of job a foreign worker must have in order for their spouse to be eligible to apply for or extend their Open Work Permit.
For more information, see Changes to open work permit eligibility for family members of foreign workers.
It depends.
If the job you plan on doing brings you into close contact with vulnerable people, you will need to undergo a medical exam by a panel physician - even if you are not prompted to do so when submitting your PGWP application. Examples of such jobs include:
If you already have a Post-Graduation Work Permit it is important to verify the conditions of your permit. If it does NOT have the condition that states that you are restricted from working in the industry where you will or intend to be employed (e.g., healthcare, primary or secondary education, daycares, senior homes, etc.), then you may use it to work in Canada (if meeting all other requirements to do so). If it DOES state this condition, then you will need to undergo a medical exam by a panel physician and apply to change the conditions on your work permit (and pay all applicable fees) so that the condition is removed in order to work in your intended job.
You can find a list of panel physicians in your area on the Immigration Canada website.
If you will be completing a mandatory internship outside of Canada, you do not need a Coop Work Permit to do so. However, please check with your program coordinator prior to accepting any offers to ensure your internship is approved for credit.
It depends.
If the job or work placement you will be doing for your internship brings you into close contact with vulnerable people, you will need to undergo a medical exam by a panel physician when applying for your Co-op Work Permit - even if you are not prompted to do so when submitting your study permit and coop work permit application. Students with work placements or clinicals in the Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Education must undergo a medical exam. Other examples of such jobs include:
If you already have a Co-op Work Permit, it is important to verify the conditions of your permit. If it does NOT have the condition that states that you are restricted from working in the industry where you will be employed (e.g., healthcare, primary or secondary education, daycares, senior homes, etc.), then you may use it to complete your mandatory internship. If it DOES state this condition, then you will need to undergo a medical exam by a panel physician and apply for a new Coop Work Permit so that the condition is removed in order to be able to begin your mandatory internship. There is no fee to apply for a new Coop Work Permit.
You can find a list of panel physicians in your area on the Immigration Canada website.