CANADA

More than 130,000 students go to study in Canada every year. In addition to this number, there are many more that go to Canada to learn English or French. Foreign students bring a rich culture to classrooms. Canada has over 90 universities and more than 150 colleges ranging from small liberal arts schools to major research institutions including undergraduate, graduate and professional degree programs. Canadian universities are degree granting institutions (BA- PhD) and offer the same training as 4 year American colleges. Canadian colleges offer diploma and certificate programs similar to an American junior college. Colleges also include technology institutes and art programs. A great way to enhance your degree is with a co operative work program or international exchange. Co operative programs are available at some Canadian schools and give the student the opportunity to work in a field related to their degree while earning credits. An international exchange is a great way for the student to experience a different culture while earning credits toward their degree. Most Canadian universities have partner schools around the world. To learn more about international exchange contact the international office at your school of choice. Going to school isn’t all about studying. Some of the most important lessons are learned outside the classroom. All Canadian schools offer extra curricular activities. Joining a club or a team is a great way to get involved and meet people. Many schools also have sports teams. Some sports teams may be at the competitive varsity level while some may be non competitive intramural teams. Whatever you decide just be sure to get involved. The education system in Canada encompasses both publicly-funded and private schools, including: community colleges/ technical institutes, career colleges, language schools, secondary schools, summer camps, universities and university colleges. Education is a provincial responsibility under the Canadian constitution, which means there are significant differences between the education systems of the different provinces. However, education is important to Canadians, and standards across the country are uniformly high. In general, Canadian children attend kindergarten for one or two years at the age of four or five on a voluntary basis. All children begin Grade One at about six years of age. The school year normally runs from September through the following June but in some instances, January intake dates are possible. Secondary schools go up to Grades 11 or 12, depending on the province. From there, students may attend university, college or Cégep studies. Cégep is a French acronym for College of General and Vocational Education, and is two years of general or three years of technical education between high school and university. The province of Québec has the Cégep system. Education institutions are not officially ranked in Canada, but you will find quality institutions across the country. When choosing your school in Canada, consider the type, size and location of the institution. If you are interested in a particular area of study, investigate which schools have more to offer in that discipline. (top)

You must go to Canada with enough money to live and pay your bills while you are studying, without needing to work. In certain situations, you may be able to work while you are studying. Working will help you earn extra money and gain Canadian work experience. You will need a Social Insurance Number to work in Canada. In Canada, you can work either on campus, off campus, under co-op and internship programs or under post-graduation work program. You may work on campus at the institution where you study without a work permit if, you are engaged in full-time studies at a public post-secondary institution, a private post-secondary institution that operates under the same rules and regulations as a public institution, 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. The Off-Campus Work Permit Program allows foreign students at publicly-funded post-secondary educational institutions to work off campus while completing their studies. The Publicly-funded post-secondary educational institutions are public post-secondary institutions that have signed an off-campus work agreement with their provincial or territorial government or private post-secondary institutions that operate under the same rules and regulations as public institutions, receive at least 50 percent of their financing for their overall operations from government grants, and have signed an off campus work agreement with their provincial or territorial government (currently, only private college-level educational institutions in Quebec qualify). Off-campus work is available for students studying at such institutions in provinces or territories that have signed agreements with CIC. Participating institutions are eligible institutions that have signed an agreement for the Off-Campus Work Permit Program with their provincial or territorial government. To work off-campus, you have to apply for a work permit. Do not begin to work off campus until you have received your work permit. The work permit authorizes you to work up to 20 hours per week during regular academic sessions, and full time during scheduled breaks (e.g., winter or summer holidays and spring break). To be eligible for an off-campus work permit, you will have to have a valid study permit,  studying at a participating institution, have been a full-time student for at least six of the twelve months preceding your application for a work permit, be in satisfactory academic standing, sign a form authorizing the institution, the province and CIC to share your personal information (in order to confirm that you are continuing to study full time and that you are in satisfactory academic standing), complete a work permit application and include with your work permit application an official receipt to show you have paid the application processing fee of $150. You are not eligible to apply for an off-campus work permit if you are participating in a Canadian Commonwealth Scholarship Program funded by the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade (DFAIT), participating in a Government of Canada Awards Program funded by the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade (DFAIT), receiving funding from the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) or attending a participating institution and registered in an English-as-a-second-language or French-as-a-second-language program. For some academic programs, work experience is part of the curriculum. Foreign students who wish to participate in a co-op or internship program must apply for a work permit and there is no fee for this application. To be eligible for a work permit, you must have a valid study permit (unless you are a minor high-school student who does not require a study permit), your intended employment must be an essential part of your program of study in Canada, your employment must be certified as part of the academic program by a responsible academic official of the institution and your co-op or internship employment cannot form more than 50 percent of the total program of study. The post-graduation work program is designed to provide graduating students with Canadian work experience in their field of study. Since May 16, 2005, this program has allowed certain students to work for up to two years after their graduation. Previously, students were only allowed to work for one year. The work permit cannot be valid longer than the length of time the student studied. For example, students graduating from a four-year degree program might be eligible for a one-year work permit or, if they meet the criteria, a two-year work permit. Students graduating from an eight-month certificate program would only be eligible for a work permit of eight months. To obtain a post-graduation work permit that is valid for one year or less, you must have graduated from a public post-secondary institution, a private post-secondary institution that operates under the same rules and regulations as a public institution, 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. However, Distance learning programs are not eligible to participate in the post-graduation work permit program In order to apply for a work permit of up to two years after your graduation, in addition to all of the requirements above, you must also have successfully completed a program of at least two years of full-time studies, received written confirmation (transcript, letter, etc.) from the educational institution indicating that you have met the requirements of completing the program of study, studied at and graduated from an institution located outside of the Communauté métropolitaine de Montréal (CMM), the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) or the Greater Vancouver Regional District (GVRD) and found employment outside of the CMM, GTA or GVRD. If you complete your studies at a campus located inside the CMM, the GTA or the GVRD, but at an institution whose headquarters for that campus are located outside those areas, you cannot obtain a two-year work permit under this program. If you graduate from an institution located inside one of those areas, you are not eligible for a second year of work, even if the employment is located outside of those areas. If you currently hold a one-year post-graduation work permit and you meet the eligibility requirements for a two-year permit, you can apply for a one-year extension of your work permit. You are not eligible for the post-graduation work permit program if you are participating in a Canadian Commonwealth Scholarship Program funded by the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade (DFAIT) participating in a Government of Canada Awards Program funded by the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade (DFAIT) or receiving funding from the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA). If you have a valid off-campus work permit (these are usually issued for the same period as your study permit: i.e., period of study plus 90 days), you will be able to start the job for which you have received an offer while awaiting the work permit you applied for under the Post-Graduation Employment Program. When you apply for a post-graduation work permit, you do not have to get a labour market opinion from Service Canada. If you want to extend your work permit beyond the one-or two-year limit, then you will have to obtain a Service Canada opinion. Students and graduates of private institutions may apply for a work permit to work in Canada and you must have a job offer that has been confirmed by Service Canada and you must have a valid study permit in order to apply for a work permit from within Canada. (Private institutions means that do not operate under the same regulations and evaluations as public institutions or that do not receive at least 50 percent of their financing for their overall operations from government grants, or that are not authorized to grant degrees). Your spouse or common-law partner may apply for a work permit if you are a full-time student at a public post-secondary institution, private post-secondary institution that operates under the same rules and regulations as a public institution, 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.

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