Documents all students need
All students applying for a TRV will need all of the following documents.
When possible, documents should be issued within 30 days of submitting your application to be considered recent. If you must provide several documents in a section, combine them into one file (such as a PDF) before uploading. The size limit is 4MB per file; you may need to reduce the file size.
Recent education transcript
- Order your transcript online.
- If you have just started your program and your transcript is not available, you may want to write an explanation of your current circumstances and upload it as a ‘Letter of Explanation’.
Canadian study permit or work permit
- If you are a study permit holder, you will need a scanned copy of your study permit.
- If you are a work permit holder, you will need a scanned copy of your work permit.
Letter of Enrolment (listed as ‘Letter of Acceptance’ on your MyCIC checklist)
This letter is necessary to explain details about your studies and help an officer determine the remaining time you need to complete your program.
Undergraduate Students
Download your Letter of Enrolment from your SSC under Grades & Records > Proof of Enrolment Letters.
Contact your academic advisor to get a Customized Enrolment Letter only if you:
- require additional time to complete your program, or
- are applying in the summer when not registered for courses.
Your Customized Enrolment Letter should include your program, your current status as a student, and your expected completion date.
Important: Submit both a Letter of Enrolment and Customized Enrolment Letter (if required).
Graduate Students
Download your Letter of Enrolment from your SSC under Grades & Records > Proof of Enrolment Letters.
Contact your graduate staff/advisor in your program to get a Customized Enrolment Letter only if:
- your letter of enrolment does not specify your estimated completion date, or
- you receive funding (i.e. teaching assistantship or research assistantship) as part of your program, (this letter could also be used as part of your means of financial proof), or
- you need additional time to complete your program.
Your Customized Enrolment Letter should include your program, your current status as a student, and your expected completion date.
Important: Submit both a Letter of Enrolment and Customized Enrolment Letter (if required).
Students Entering UBC from a Canadian School
If you are applying for your TRV based on your admission to UBC, and you haven’t registered for courses at UBC, you will need to show an official Letter of Acceptance (LOA) from UBC.
- Undergraduate students, log in to the Applicant Service Centre, click Admissions, and select Letter of Admission.
- Graduate students, your LOA will be the first page of your admission offer available electronically through e:Vision.
- Transfer students, submit your official transcript from your previous institution along with your LOA from UBC.
Proof of means of financial support
As part of your application you must prove that you can support yourself and any dependent family members with you in Canada for a year.
Increase to proof of funds requirement
As of January 1, 2024, the minimum cost-of-living financial requirement for one year has increased from $10,000 to $20,635 for 2024. The cost-of-living amount will be adjusted each year based on Statistics Canada’s low-income cut-off. The amount required for additional family members depends on how many dependents you have.
In your Temporary Resident Visa application, you should show proof of funds which would be sufficient to cover:
- One year of living expenses: The cost-of-living amount for 2024 is $20,635 for a single person. The cost-of-living amount will be adjusted each year based on Statistics Canada’s low-income cut-off. If you have dependents (spouse, common-law partner, and/or children), you’ll need to show additional proof of funds based on the number of family members. If you have less than a year remaining to finish your program, you can prorate this amount to $1719.59 a month.
- One year of tuition fees: You need to show proof of funds to cover one year of tuition fees. If you have less than a year remaining to finish your program, you could show proof of funds for the remaining tuition fees.
You may provide a combination of financial documents and sources, as long as the total exceeds the minimum cost-of-living financial requirement for yourself and any dependents plus one year of tuition fees, such as:
- An official bank statement issued within the past 30 days that has been stamped or signed by your Canadian bank account showing the balance.
- A letter from parent(s) stating their relationship to you and that they will financially support you along with their financial documents. The letter should be signed by your parent(s). You must also provide an official bank statement(s) of your parent(s) issued by their bank and that has been signed or stamped. It must also be in English or French (or accompanied by an official translation). To write a letter of financial support, they can download our template (docx).
- A letter from your sponsor (e.g. sponsorship organization, scholarships, loans) or employer (e.g., teaching assistantships, research assistantships) stating their relationship to you and the amount that they will provide you.
- If you have already paid tuition fees for a future term, get proof of payment from your Student Services Centre (SSC) by selecting "Tuition History" under Finances.
See IRCC’s proof of financial support page for further examples.
While you only need to show proof of funds for one year, the officer must be satisfied that the possibility of funding for additional years of studies exists, such as your parents are employed or that your scholarship is for more than 1 year.
If providing a combination of financial documents and sources, include a summary or an index page of all the documents you are submitting for this section. This will also allow you to clarify or explain the connection between documents, if applicable. You can download a template for the summary (docx).
If you are having challenges with providing proof of funds, contact International Student Advising for support.
Important: If the balances in any of the documentation above are in foreign currency, provide a screenshot of the currency converter result. (if your currency is not listed, use xe.com).
Passport
The scanned copy of your passport pages provides information about your travel history and the expiry date of your passport.
You must provide a copy of the bio-data page (the page with your name, date of birth, passport number, expiry date, etc.) AND a copy of every page in your passport that has stamps, visas, or markings from either Canada or other countries. Make sure you merge all the pages into one PDF document and upload it.
Important: Your TRV will not be issued past your study permit (or work permit) expiry date. If your passport will expire soon, extend it before you apply for your TRV.
Need help scanning your documents? Go to the Irving K. Barber Chapman Learning Commons or International Student Advising.
Digital photo
Make sure your photo meets the correct specifications.
Copiesmart in University Village will take Canadian immigration photos.
Documents you might need
Depending on your specific circumstances, you may need one or more of the following documents.
Letter of Explanation
A letter of explanation is a good way to describe additional factors or include additional documents. It could include:
- The purpose of your application
- Issues you would like to clarify or that the officer might find useful
- Supporting documents, screenshots or any other proof to support your explanation
- Additional employment history if you have run out of space in your application
Medical exam
If you have been studying in Canada for the past 12 months, you do not need proof of a medical exam unless:
- You have lived in a designated country or territory for more than 6 months in the past 12 months or,
- You would like to work in a job that will bring you into close contact with people including patients, children, the elderly, etc. This includes public health, health sciences or agriculture-related fields (e.g., health care workers, primary and secondary school teachers). See this page to find out if you need a medical exam.
If the above applies to you, you will need a medical exam conducted by an IRCC-approved Panel Physician. Your medical exam report (referred to as your ‘e-medical’) can be submitted with your TRV application. You cannot start the position until you have received a study or work permit with appropriate conditions.
Schedule 1: Application for Temporary Residence [IMM5257B]
Most students will not require this form.
This document is required only if you answer “Yes” to any of the following questions: 3, 4, 5 or 6 in the "Background Information" section of the "Application to change of conditions, extend my stay or remain in Canada as a student" [IMM5709] form.
Important: If you answered "Yes" to any question in the "Background information" section other than 2(c), please speak to International Student Advising.
Biometrics
If you have not previously provided biometrics (fingerprints and a photo), you must submit them in-person at a designated Service Canada location.
The processing time for your study permit extension does not include the time it takes to submit your biometrics. Your application will not be processed until biometrics are received. You only need to give biometrics once every 10 years.
U.S. citizens and people who have provided biometrics in the past 10 years and certain other individuals are exempt from providing biometrics.
- Pay the biometrics fee at the same time you submit your TRV application for faster processing.
- Receive your biometrics instruction letter. If you applied online you will receive an electronic biometrics instruction letter within 24 hours.
- Book an appointmentas soon as possible at a designated Service Canada location.
- Submit your biometrics within 30 days of receiving your biometrics instruction letter.
