International Students in Canada COVID-19
Many international students planned to study abroad in Canada for the Fall 2020 semester. However, with COVID-19, Immigration Canada has extended travel restrictions, preventing students whose study permits were approved after March 18th, 2020 from entering the country.
Today, Jade outlines what international students can expect for studying abroad at a Canadian institution in 2020.
Can international students come to Canada for the fall 2020 school year?
If you hold a study permit or received a letter of introduction from IRCC dated on or before March 18, 2020, you are exempt from travel restrictions. If you don’t have symptoms of COVID-19 and adhere to the travel requirements in place at the time you wish to enter Canada, you will be allowed in.
If you do not have a study permit, you will not be able to study in Canada this fall (unless you meet other travel exemption requirements). Many Canadian institutions are allowing students to begin their studies online. So, you can start studying remotely at a Canadian institution.
Applying for a study permit during COVID-19
IRCC has a new temporary policy that allows you to apply for a study permit and be approved in principle. If you meet all of the requirements to study in Canada (i.e. you were accepted at an eligible institution in Canada), you can submit your application without all of the required documentation, such as police clearance, biometrics, and medical exam. These documents are difficult to obtain during COVID.
You can then be approved-in-principle and begin studying remotely. Once you are able to provide all of the missing documentation, your application can be completed. When travel restrictions are lifted and international students are permitted back in the country, you will be able to continue your studies in Canada as per normal circumstances.
How much of my program can I complete remotely?
If you’re outside Canada and you have a study permit, or you’ve been approved or applied for a study permit for a program starting in the spring, summer or fall, but you can’t travel to Canada at this time due to travel restrictions, you may begin your classes while outside Canada.
Students may now study online from abroad until April 30, 2021, with no time deducted from the length of a future post-graduation work permit, provided 50% of their program of study is eventually completed in Canada.
Students who have enrolled in a program that is between 8 and 12 months in length, with a start date from May to September 2020, will be able to complete their entire program online from abroad and still be eligible for a post-graduation work permit.
Students who have enrolled in a program with a start date from May to September 2020 and study online up to April 30, 2021, and who graduate from more than one eligible program of study, may be able to combine the length of their programs of study when they apply for a post-graduation work permit in the future, as long as 50% of their total studies are completed in Canada.
Our Services
Calver and Associates is a leading provider of Canadian Immigration services in Durham Region. We serve clients in Oshawa, Whitby, Ajax, and beyond. Our Registered Canadian Immigration Consultant has over 10 years of experience in Canadian Immigration law and over four years of experience serving those in the Oshawa area.
We can provide assistance with applications for both temporary and permanent residency in Canada. We handle applications for study permits, permanent residency, family class sponsorship, visitor visas, work permits, and Canadian citizenship. We also handle criminal inadmissibility cases by developing remedies for refusal.
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