Comprehensive reference for international students at UBC.
Extending study & work permits
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Study permits, work permits, and visitor records must all be extended if you plan to stay in Canada past their expiry dates. You must have a valid permit for every day that you will be in Canada.
If your program is taking longer than expected, obtain a letter from the academic advising office or co-op office or, if you are a graduate student, your graduate secretary, advisor, or supervisor. CIC will only extend your permit for the length of time indicated on your official letter of enrolment.
- You can apply online or by mail to extend your permits. Processing times can vary from 20 days to over 100 days.
- Check out our tips for online applications before accessing the CIC online application site to be sure you get your application right.
If you require a Temporary Resident Visa (TRV), to travel outside Canada and re-enter, you can apply for apply for a new TRV after arriving in Canada, if your current TRV has expired or is about to expire.
Applying for permit extensions or changes of condition
- Make your application in Canada. You may not be able to access the CIC website from outside Canada. Applications must be mailed from and permits must be returned to a Canadian address. If you are outside of Canada, you will use a different application process
- Keep a photocopy of the application form and all documents. If your application is lost, it is easier to send a copy than to reassemble the package.
- If applying by mail, send documents by registered mail and keep the receipt showing they were delivered to CIC – Should anything go wrong, you'll be able to prove they went out and arrived safely.
- Double check your application form thoroughly.Your application may be rejected if it is incomplete.
- Submit one application form online or on paper that includes all members of the same family. Although only one form is needed, you will have to pay a processing fee for each family member.
Questions or concerns?
- Talk to an International Student Advisor
- Call the CIC Call Centre to request information about your case. If the Call Centre staff refers your question to Vegreville, you should get a reply within a few business days.
Extending study permits in Canada
TIP
You may download the I. House tutorials for general instructions (96.0 KB PDF), or step-by-step instructions on completing an Online MyCIC Application (2.72 MB PDF) or a Paper Application (2.25 MB PDF) for a study permit extension.
Instructions
*Please note that if you created a MyCIC account in the past, you probably used the old service (e-pass). As soon as you login to your MyCIC account you will be prompted to update to the new Access Key sign-in service.
2. Prepare and submit documents. You can submit the documents to CIC either by scanning and uploading them as PDF documents or by sending them by mail. Uploading the documents is recommended, as it is faster. You need the following in PDF format:
- A scan of your passport (information page with your picture as well as all stamps made by Canadian authorities)
- A scan of your proof of finances (scanning services are available at Copy Right in the Student Union Building or at Staples in the Village)
- A letter of enrolment at UBC. Undergraduate students can download this letter from the SSC. Diploma and Graduate students are advised to request a letter from your department stating that you are a full time student, and your expected date of program completion.
3. Pay the fee: A study permit extension costs $125. You can either pay online with a credit card or at a local bank with a receipt form available at I. House. If you pay at a local bank, you can scan and upload the receipt as a PDF. The maximum file size for your PDF is 2MB.
Helpful hints for extending your study permit online
- Have your passport and study permit with you when you apply online.
- Plan to spend an hour to complete the application.
- If possible, use high-speed Internet when you fill out the application.
- If you are unsure of your answers, complete the application and save it. You can print the summary page and go over your answers with an International Student Advisor at I. House.
- You must complete your application for a study permit extension within 60 days of beginning the online application.
- When the application asks how long you want to extend your stay in Canada, give a date that is your completion of studies date plus an additional three months. You are allowed to stay in Canada for three months beyond the completion of your studies to look for work. You must have a valid study permit during the three months.
- When the application asks about funds available for your stay in Canada, you should be prepared to give proof of Canadian funds of the following amounts: $10,000 for a student, $4,000 for a spouse/partner or $3,000 for a child.
- If you are applying to extend your study permit and to extend your co-op work permit, apply online for your study permit first, which takes about two to three weeks. After you have received your new study permit, apply for your co-op work permit extension using the paper application form available online
Processing Time and Fee
Current processing times for the off-campus work permit can be found on the CIC website. A study permit extension costs $125. You can either pay online with a credit card or at a local bank with a receipt form available at I. House. If you pay at a local bank, you can scan and upload the receipt as a PDF. The maximum file size for your PDF is 2MB.
Applying for a study permit outside of Canada
Please check out our pre-arrival information if you are a new-to-UBC student applying for a study permit.
If your study permit will expires while you are outside of Canada, you will need to apply for a new study permit through the consulate of Canada in the country where you are staying. This process will require different application forms and supporting documents, so check your consular website before you apply.
Please note that processing times outside of Canada for study permits can be two months or longer, so be sure your documents are valid for re-entry to Canada, or you will be stuck waiting for your new study permit to be processed and may miss the start of classes.
Expired study permits: implied status
If your permit expires while you are waiting for CIC to process your application for renewal, you have implied status in Canada until you receive a response. It is important that you remain in Canada while you have implied status. You may be unable to re-enter Canada without a valid permit.
With implied status, you may continue to study and to work on campus, if authorized.
Expired study permits: restoration of status
If your permit expires before you submit your application for renewal, you will be considered out of status. In this case, your immigration status must be restored. You'll have to pay a restoration fee of $200 on top of the standard $125 renewal fee. You have 90 days from the day you went out of status to apply for restoration.
You can apply for restoration online or by using a paper application. An International Student Advisor can review your application before you submit it.
- You are not authorized to attend classes or work while you are out of status.
- You may attend class and continue on-campus employment, if authorized, only after you have received your new study permit.
If your permit expired more than 90 days ago and you have not yet applied to renew it, you will be unable to renew your existing permit. You'll have to apply for a new permit (outside of Canada), and you might be barred from applying for up to six months. Speak to an International Student Advisor if you are in this situation.
Transferring from another institution
If you already have a valid permit for post-secondary study in Canada, you may use it at UBC (unless otherwise noted on the study permit). As a post-secondary student, you can transfer between programs of study and institutions without applying to change the conditions of your study permit. You can also transfer between public and private institutions.
Does not authorize re-entry
All study permits include the phrase "does not authorize re-entry." This means that if you require a TRV, your study permit alone will not be sufficient to re-enter Canada unless you are returning from the United States.
A CIC officer can prevent you from re-entering Canada if they determine that you are not following immigration regulations (e.g., you have been working off campus without a work permit or you have stopped attending classes). To be safe, carry all documents that show you are a current UBC student (e.g., UBC identification, a letter from Brock Hall) with you.
