Work Permit Holders Can Study Without A Study Permit In Canada
IRCC states that work permit holders can study without a study permit in Canada.
On December 6, IRCC updated their operational instructions and guidelines to clarify that work permit holders who applied for their work permit before June 7, 2023 might continue to pursue their studies without requiring to apply for a work permit.
This is a continuation of the temporary policy instituted in 2023, which is set to last until June 27, 2026.
Am I Eligible To Study Without A Study Permit?
IRCC states that work permit holders can study without a study permit in Canada. In order to be eligible for a study permit exemption as a work permit holder under this policy, you should:
- Have a valid work permit, which you applied for on or before June 7, 2023
- Have submitted an application to renew your work permit on or before June 7, 2023, and received work authorization from IRCC while the extension is being processed
Newcomers who applied for their work permits after June 7, 2023, are not eligible under this policy.
Note that work authorizations are letters that are given to some newcomers by IRCC while their application is in process. These letters allow newcomers to work in Canada while the immigration department makes a decision on their application.
Individuals might continue to work if they applied for an extension before the expiry of their previous work permit under-maintained status.
Moreover, if you hold both a valid study permit and a valid co-op work permit that meets the conditions above, you might be eligible to enroll in additional study programs under this policy if:
- You follow the conditions of your current study permit
- You continue your studies in your main study program
- The additional study program you enroll in does not exceed the length of your present co-op work permit
How Long Can Work Permit Holders Study Without A Study Permit?
If you are eligible for the study permit exemption under this temporary public policy, you can study in Canada without a study permit until:
- Your current work permit expires
- Your work permit renewal application expires or is refused
- The expiry of this temporary policy (June 27, 2026)
How Can I Show My School That I Am Study Permit-Exempt When Applying?
IRCC states that work permit holders can study without a study permit in Canada. Well, as a work permit holder or work permit extension applicant, you can show one of the following documents to your Designated Learning Institution (DLI) of choice to prove that you have a study permit exemption:
- Your present, valid work permit
- The Acknowledgment of Receipt you obtain after applying for your work permit extension application
- The work authorization letter which was sent to you after applying for a work permit exemption
- An email from IRCC stating that you qualify under the public policy allowing some work permit holders to study permit-exempt
The Benefits Of Continuing Education In Canada
Continuing your education in Canada as a newcomer can yield multiple economic and immigration benefits.
Research from Statistics Canada supports this idea. A study titled ‘International Students as a Source of Labor Supply’ suggests that newcomers with ‘pre-landing Canadian study experience’ tend to perform much better in Canada’s labor market than newcomers without this study permit.
In the initial one to two years after obtaining permanent residence, newcomers who were graduates of Canadian education institutions earned 27% more than their counterparts who studied abroad.
These advantages carry over in the long term. According to the study, 10 to 11 years after landing, newcomers with at least one year of pre-landing work experience still earned between 9-12% more than those without such experience, even when accounting for pre-landing work experience.
Continuing your education in Canada can also be an effective way to increase your eligibility for PR.
Express Entry-related immigration programs use the Comprehensive Ranking System to score applicants based on their human capital factors. As individuals achieve higher levels of education, they get more points and subsequently have a higher likelihood of obtaining PR.
You can earn a maximum of 150 CRS points if you do not have a spouse accompanying you to Canada and a maximum of 140 points with a spouse or partner.
| Level Of Education | Points awarded with a spouse or common-law partner(Maximum 140 points) | Points awarded without a spouse or common-law partner(Maximum 150 points) |
| Less than secondary school (high school) | 0 | 0 |
| Secondary diploma (high school graduation) | 28 | 30 |
| One-year degree, diploma or certificate from a university, college, trade or technical school, or other institute | 84 | 90 |
| Two-year program at a university, college, trade or technical school, or other institute | 91 | 98 |
| Bachelor’s degree OR a three or more year program at a university, college, trade or technical school, or other institute | 112 | 120 |
| Two or more certificates, diplomas, or degrees. One must be for a program of three or more years | 119 | 128 |
| Master’s degree, OR professional degree needed to practice in a licensed profession (For “professional degree,” the degree program must have been in: medicine, veterinary medicine, dentistry, optometry, law, chiropractic medicine, or pharmacy.) | 126 | 135 |
| Doctoral level university degree (Ph.D.) | 140 | 150 |
In addition, the CRS also awards:
- Up to 50 additional points for those with Canadian work experience and a post-secondary degree
- Up to 50 additional points for those with strong proficiency in Canada’s official languages and a post-secondary degree
- Up to 30 additional points for completing your post-secondary education in Canada:
- 15 points for a Canadian post-secondary credential between one to two years in length
- 30 points for a Canadian post-secondary education credential of three years or longer.
Further to increasing your CRS score, continuing your studies in Canada can also make you eligible for provincial immigration pathways.
Many of these pathways also reward work experience and arranged employment in the province.
Some examples of these programs include:
| Provincial Pathway | Province |
| Employer Job Offer: International Student Stream | Ontario |
| Master’s Graduate Stream | Ontario |
| PhD Graduate Stream | Ontario |
| International Graduate Stream | British Columbia |
| International Post-Graduate Stream | British Columbia |
| Graduate Entrepreneur Stream | Alberta |
| International Education Stream | Manitoba |
| International Graduate Entrepreneur Stream | Nova Scotia |
| International Graduates In Demand Stream | Nova Scotia |
| New Brunswick Student Connection | New Brunswick |
If you seek information on how to begin your Canada immigration application process, you can talk to our NavaImmigration experts at 1800-918-8490. You can also drop us an email at [email protected].
