Study in Canada

Imagine studying marine biology on Canada’s West Coast, learning French-Canadian history in Quebec, or attending culinary school in Halifax! Match your interests with schools and programs in Canada that deliver exciting multicultural experiences taught by some of the world’s leading instructors.

In Canada, each province and territory is in charge of their own education system.

Get more information about schools and the education system when you study in Canada:

• EduCanada – information for international students about education in Canada, with study program search, costs, and more
• Ministries and departments responsible for education – information about the education system in each province and territory

To study in Canada, you may need a study permit and/or a visitor visa.

Prepare to study.

Find out what you need before you apply for a study permit in Canada.

Determine your eligibility.

Apply for a study permit.

People who travel, regardless of citizenship, need to follow testing and quarantine requirements to keep Canadians safe, particularly given the COVID-19 variants in Canada and around the world.

The COVID-19 pandemic restricts travel to Canada and within Canada. It is essential to understand and comply with the requirements. Foreign nationals (including U.S. citizens) coming to Canada for non-essential reasons will be turned away at the border.

You should apply to extend your study permit at least 30 days before your current permit expires.

It is possible to work in Canada, while you are here as a student, under any Citizenship and Immigration Canada’s (CIC’s) work programs for students. In most cases, you will need to apply for a student work permit.

You may work on campus at the institution where you study without a work permit if you are a full-time student at a public post-secondary institution, such as a college or university, or a collège d’enseignement général et professionnel (CEGEP) in Quebec a private post-secondary institution that operates under the same rules and regulations as a public institution, and receives at least 50 percent of its financing for its overall operations from government grants (currently only private college-level educational institutions in Quebec qualify) or a Canadian private institution authorized by provincial statute to confer degrees and you have a valid study permit.

Work while you study, help your spouse or common-law partner get a work permit while you study, work temporarily or stay permanently in Canada after you graduate as an international student.

You can stay in Canada as a permanent resident or find work after you graduate from school. To work in Canada after you graduate, you must apply for a work permit under the Post-Graduation Work Permit Program (PGWPP). If you want to stay in Canada as a permanent resident after you graduate, there are a number of programs available, each with its own requirements.

We have options for you to become a permanent resident!

The Come to Canada tool can help you explore your options. You can also use the cheat sheet below to compare programs. Visit the program’s eligibility page to get all the details.

Before you compare programs, here are two key terms you need to know:

Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB)

The Canadian standard used to describe, measure and recognize English language ability of adult immigrants and prospective immigrants who plan to live and work in Canada, or apply for citizenship. The Niveaux de compétence linguistique canadiens (NCLC) is used to assess abilities in the French language.

National Occupation Code (NOC)

The National Occupation Classification (NOC) is a list of all the occupations in the Canadian labor market. It describes each job according to skill type and skill level. For immigration purposes, these are the main job groups:

• Skill Type 0 (zero): management jobs
• Skill Level A: professional jobs that usually call for a degree from a university
• Skill Level B: technical jobs and skilled trades that usually call for a college diploma or training as an apprentice
• Skill Level C: intermediate jobs that usually call for high school and/or job-specific training
• Skill Level D: labour jobs that usually give on-the-job training

Contact us for more information.