COVID-19 and study permits for Canada: What international students need to know

Last updated: May 15, 2021

International students in Canada and COVID-19

In a normal year, hundreds of thousands of international students come to Canada to pursue their studies. But, as you know, the 2020/2021 school year is not normal.

Here’s a comprehensive guide to everything international students need to know about study permits and studying in Canada during COVID-19. From travel restrictions, to study permit applications, to post-graduation work permit eligibility. We’ve got you covered. 

Moving2Canada is committed to providing up-to-date accurate information amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. Please refer to the end of this article for our list of sources.

Latest COVID-19 news for international students

Study permit applications submitted by May 15 will be processed by August 6: International students hoping to begin their study in Canada in the fall semester were encouraged to submit applications by May 15. IRCC has stated that all complete applications submitted by May 15 will receive a final decision by August 6 — early enough to begin studies in the fall semester. Applications submitted after this date will be processed as quickly as possible, but IRCC cannot guarantee when those applications will be processed.

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Jump ahead to find the answer to your question:

As of October 20, 2020, international students attending a Designated Learning Institution (DLI) that has been specifically approved by their provincial or territorial government as having a COVID-19 readiness plan will be able to enter Canada. You can search the list of approved DLIs here.

In order to enter, an international student must have a valid study permit or a letter of introduction that shows they were approved for a study permit (Source: IRCC). International students who meet this requirement will need the following in order to enter:

1. Entering by air — Pre-departure negative COVID-19 test: All travellers over five years of age arriving in Canada by air must show negative COVID-19 test results obtained no more than 72 hours prior to boarding their flight (or a positive COVID-19 test result from 14 to 90 days prior to boarding). Obtaining test results is the responsibility of the traveller. (Source: Government of Canada)
2. Entering by air — COVID-19 testing and mandatory hotel stay upon arrival: As of February 22, 2021, all air passengers arriving in Canada will be required to take a COVID-19 PCR test upon arrival. Then, while travellers wait for test results, they must quarantine in a government-mandated hotel for up to three days at their own expense. Travellers must reserve their hotel stay at a government-approved hotel prior to boarding their flight. This is expected to cost more than CAD$2,000 (Source: Government of Canada)
3. Entering by land at the U.S. border — COVID-19 testing requirements: As of Monday, February 15, Canada requires all non-essential travellers crossing the land border into Canada from the United States to present a negative COVID-19 PCR test taken in the United States within 72 hours of crossing the border (or a positive test taken 14 to 90 days prior to arrival). As of February 22, travellers entering Canada at the land border will be required to take a COVID-19 upon arrival, as well as an additional COVID-19 test near the end of their 14-day quarantine period. (Source: Government of Canada)
4. All travellers — mandatory 14-day quarantine: Anyone entering Canada will be forced to enter a mandatory 14-day quarantine. You must prepare an isolation plan in advance of arrival in Canada detailing where and how you will complete your quarantine. This quarantine is being enforced and those breaking quarantine may be subject to fines and jail time. Certain exemptions will be made for essential workers and in certain compassionate situations (Source: IRCC). Select locations in Canada are trialing a new format for mandatory quarantine with reduced mandatory isolation combined with testing.
5. All travellers — ArriveCAN app: All those travelling to Canada by air must use the ArriveCAN app to submit information regarding their travel/contact info, quarantine plan, and COVID-19 self-assessment. As of February 22, 2021, travellers entering via the land border with the U.S. will also be required to use the ArriveCAN app (Source: Government of Canada).

There are no special measures in place to exempt individuals who have been vaccinated against COVID-19 from any of the Canadian travel restrictions and requirements. Please be advised that only four airports in Canada are currently accepting international arrivals.

When international students enter Canada, border services officers may ask if the student has time to complete their quarantine period before attending classes in-person, or if they can attend classes online while in quarantine. Finally, if your study program has been suspended or cancelled you will not be able to enter Canada at this time.

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As of October 20, 2020, an international student’s travel to Canada will be considered essential (non-discretionary) if their DLI is on the approved list and if they have either a valid study permit or a letter of introduction demonstrating they’ve been approved for a study permit.

As a student, travel to Canada won’t be considered essential (non-discretionary) if:

• the student’s study program has been cancelled or suspended
• the student is entering Canada for any reason other than to study

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Yes. Canada is still processing study permit applications. However, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has indicated that many immigration applications are experiencing processing delays due to the impact of COVID-19 on the immigration department. 

Canada has adopted a new two-step process for study permit applicants which will enable some international students to begin their Canadian studies without a final approval on their study permit (refer below).

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Normally, an international student living outside Canada has to submit a complete study permit application and receive an approval letter before they can travel to Canada and begin their studies. After receiving their approval letter, the student may travel to Canada where they activate their study permit at the Canadian port of entry (POE). 

The new two-step process enables students to begin their studies remotely, via distance learning, while receiving a sort of halfway-approval on their study permit. This is because, as many of Canada’s immigration offices around the world are closed or offering reduced services, many study permit applicants are unable to obtain and submit some of the documents required for their study permit applications, including biometrics, medical examination results, and their original travel documents.

The new two-step process is as follows:

Step One: Approval-in-principle & distance learning

Study permit applicants must begin by submitting their application for a study permit, even if they are unable to obtain some of the normally-required documents.  Under the new two-step system, study permit applicants may submit their study permit applications without their:

• Biometrics,
• Medical exam, 
• Police certificates, and/or
• Original travel documents. 

However, study permit applicants will still need to submit:

• Letter of acceptance from a designated learning institution (DLI) in Canada,
• Proof of funds,
• Proof of eligibility for a study permit aside from documents unavailable due to COVID, and
• Only for Quebec schools: Quebec Acceptance Certificate (CAQ).

If a study permit applicant submits an application that would be deemed eligible aside from missing any of the above-mentioned documents, immigration officers will issue the applicant an “approval-in-principle.” With the approval-in-principle, the study permit applicant is authorized to begin their Canadian studies from abroad. 

Notably, international students who begin their studies from abroad can count their time spent studying abroad towards their eligibility for a post-graduation work permit, as long as 50 percent of their studies are eventually completed inside Canada. However, an international student cannot begin their Canadian studies until they receive an approval-in-principle on their study permit application.

Step Two: Submit missing documentation & full approval

Once a student is able to obtain and submit the missing documents for their study permit application, they must do so. At this point, immigration officers will assess the final study permit application and decide whether to approve or refuse the application. Receiving an ‘approval-in-principle’ in Step One does not guarantee that a study permit will be issued. 

In normal circumstances, once a study permit applicant receives the approval letter for their study permit, they can travel to Canada and activate the permit at a port of entry. However, due to Canada’s COVID-19 travel restrictions, only study permit applicants who are studying at DLIs with approved COVID-19 readiness plans will be able to enter Canada. All other international students can monitor Canada’s travel restrictions for updates to see when they’ll be eligible for travel. 

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As described in the above question, study permit applicants may submit an incomplete application is they are unable to obtain or submit one of the following documents due to COVID-19:

• Biometrics,
• Medical exam, 
• Police certificates, and/or
• Original travel documents. 

No study permit application will be refused if those documents are missing as a result of COVID-19. Instead, study permit applicants may be able use the new two-step application process to begin their studies from abroad via distance learning until they can obtain the necessary documents and safely travel to Canada.

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As of October 20, 2020, international students attending a post-secondary institution in Canada with an approved COVID-19 readiness plan can enter Canada. A full list of approved DLIs is here. In order to enter, an international student must have a valid study permit or a letter of introduction that shows they were approved for a study permit. (Source: IRCC). 

If you are unable to enter Canada at this time, there are special measures in place to help you.

On February 12, 2021, Canada announced a further reduction of eligibility requirements for Post-Graduation Work Permits (PGWPs), as international students continue to be impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. The new rules allow “international students to complete their entire program online from abroad and still be eligible for a PGWP.” These loosened requirements apply to “all international students who are enrolled in a PGWP-eligible program, and meet all other PGWP criteria.”

Canada’s COVID-19 travel restrictions are constantly evolving. Follow our COVID-19 Newsfeed for the latest updates to travel restrictions for international students. 

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You can only submit an application through the Student Direct Stream (SDS) if your application is complete without any missing documents. While Canada is allowing regular study permit applicants to submit applications with documents missing due to COVID-19, the Student Direct Stream is not allowing incomplete applications at this time. 

If you are applying as a resident of an SDS-participating country but you cannot obtain all the required documents, you must apply through the regular study permit stream.

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On February 12, 2021, Canada announced a further reduction of eligibility requirements for Post-Graduation Work Permits (PGWPs), as international students continue to be impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. The new rules allow “international students to complete their entire program online from abroad and still be eligible for a PGWP.” These loosened requirements apply to “all international students who are enrolled in a PGWP-eligible program, and meet all other PGWP criteria.”

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Normally, a person cannot extend a Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP) and must instead apply for a new type of immigration status to remain in Canada. However, on January 27, 2021, Canada started accepting applications through a new temporary immigration program enabling certain recent international graduates to apply for an extra open work permit. This program will only accept applications until July 27, 2021. Read our full reporting on this update.

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If your school has cancelled your classes, your program, or closed down entirely, an immigration officer should issue a request for a new letter of acceptance, giving you an opportunity to apply for a study permit under a different program.

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A temporary measure was in place until August 31 enabling international students working in essential services or functions to work beyond the weekly limit of 20 hours per week as indicated on their study permits. This measure is no longer in place.

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Yes. International students who were forced to drop to part-time studies or pause their studies are still eligible to work on- or off-campus during their period of reduced study. However, students must still abide by the conditions of their study permits, including those regarding how many hours they can work per week. 

Students eligible for on-campus work may continue working for their on-campus employer remotely. The on-campus employer should provide a teleworking agreement as evidence of such an arrangement.

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Effective October 20, 2020, international students attending a Designated Learning Institution (DLI) that has been specifically approved by their provincial or territorial government as having a COVID-19 readiness plan will be able to enter Canada. Notably, all post-secondary institutions in Quebec are on the approved list. You can search the list of approved DLIs here.

International students studying at institutions in the province of Quebec are likely aware that Quebec’s process for study permit applicants is different from the rest of Canada. The province of Quebec has introduced its own set of special measures to assist international students during COVID-19. Please refer here for more information.

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New process for activating study permits inside Canada: This process was temporary and expired on March 31, 2021. For several months during the pandemic, individuals who were inside Canada but were approved for a study permit and had a valid Letter of Introduction (LOI) had a new process enabling them to activate their study permit from inside Canada. This process may be renewed, but at this time it is no longer in effect.

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Information for this article was obtained from the following pages of the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) website:

• Study permit: COVID-19 program delivery
• Coronavirus disease (COVID-19): Visitors, foreign workers and students
• Coronavirus disease (COVID-19): Apply for a visitor visa, eTA, or study or work permit from outside Canada
• Coronavirus disease (COVID-19): Who can travel to Canada – citizens, permanent residents, foreign nationals and refugees 
• Minister Mendicino announces changes to facilitate online learning for international students

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