If you're an international student, find out more about the impact of COVID-19 on immigration, health insurance, and more.
Apply as soon as you get accepted to UBC and have your Letter of Acceptance.
You must apply for your initial study permit from outside of Canada and it must be approved before you come to Canada.
If you are a U.S. citizen or permanent resident, or a resident of Greenland or St. Pierre and Miquelon, you have the option to apply upon entry into Canada.
Before preparing your application, review the study permit page to learn about what a study permit is, who needs one, and other important details.
The application fee is $150.
Biometrics
Submit your biometrics (fingerprints and photo) in-person at the nearest biometrics collection point. A fee of $85 will be required at the time of application.
Some students may need to travel within their home country or in some cases, apply for a visa to travel to another country to submit biometrics.
U.S. citizens and those who have provided biometrics in the past 10 years are exempt.
Medical Exams
You may be required to complete a medical exam. In general, submitting an upfront medical exam, or e-medical, reduces delays in application processing (see the ‘documents you might need’ section on the “Gather your required documents” page for further information). Costs of medical exams vary from country to country.
If your study permit application is approved, you will be issued a Letter of Introduction.
You will need to present this letter to the Canada Border Services Officer when you arrive in Canada to have your study permit issued on the spot.
After your study permit has been approved, you will automatically be issued one of these documents to travel to Canada:
If you are from a TRV-required country, you will need to submit your passport to have your TRV (also known as a ‘visa’) inserted.
U.S. citizens are exempt from requiring a TRV or an eTA.
After entering Canada, there are a few steps to complete, such as applying for your BC Medical Services Plan, maintaining your student status, applying for a Social Insurance Number (SIN) and more. Section 7 of this tutorial provides detailed information, so read further.
The immigration information in this tutorial has been reviewed and endorsed by Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultants (RCICs) or Regulated International Student Immigration Advisors (RISIAs) in compliance with the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act and Regulations. However, this is not a legal document and information may change without notice. Always refer to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) for the most up-to-date information.
