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International programs & student supports

Maintaining your documentation

It is important to maintain your immigration status while studying at UVic.

Have a study permit?

Please note: As of November 8, 2024, you must hold a study permit that is associated with UVic in order to study here.

If you already have a valid study permit for another institution in Canada, you must obtain a new study permit by applying for an extension before starting your studies at UVic.

You will also require a provincial attestation letter (PAL) as part of your study permit extension application if you are changing institutions or levels of study (for example, moving from a graduate degree program to an undergraduate program).

If you meet certain criteria established by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), you may be eligible to start your studies at UVic while you await processing of your extension application.

If you have questions about your study permit, or about your eligibility to start or continue your studies at UVic, contact an ICS immigration practitioner.

Extend your study permit

We recommend that you apply to extend your study permit at least 4-6 months before it expires.

To begin the application process, log in to your IRCC secure account using GCKey or Sign-In Partner. If you do not already have an IRCC secure account, you will need to first create a new account.

Once you have logged in, scroll down to "Start an application" and select "Apply to come to Canada". Every application begins this way, even if you are already inside Canada.

Letter of Acceptance or Letter of Enrollment/Registration for your study permit extension application

IRCC requires students to submit a "Letter of Acceptance or Letter of Enrollment/Registration" as a supporting document for their study permit extension application. If you are a current UVic student and your letter of acceptance has expired, you should request a study permit information letter through Online Tools > Online Request Forms.

  • please do not use a UVic Verification of Enrolment (VoE) for your study permit extension application, as the VoE does not include all the details required by IRCC
  • if you notice any errors in your study permit information letter, please contact one of the following offices to request a corrected letter to include with your study permit extension application:

Undergraduate students
Student Support Services
250-721-8121
studentsupport@uvic.ca

Graduate students
Graduate Admissions and Records
250-472-4657
garo@uvic.ca

Please note

After you submit your study permit application, IRCC will send your study permit information letter to UVic for verification. Please do not alter the information in your UVic documents in any way, as UVic will not be able to verify their authenticity if the information does not match our records.

Provincial Attestation Letter (PAL)/Proof of Provincial Attestation Letter Exception

Depending on your situation, you may require a provincial attestation letter (PAL) with your study permit extension application.

Please note: As of January 1, 2026, students applying for a study permit for a degree-granting graduate program at the master's or doctoral level at a public designated learning institution do not require a PAL.

If you are not pursuing a degree-granting master's or doctoral program at UVic, situations where you will require a PAL include:

  • your current study permit is associated with a different institution, and you are now extending it to attend UVic
  • you are extending your study permit for a different level of study than your current study permit, even if you have not changed schools (for example, your study permit was issued for a UVic graduate degree program but you have moved to a graduate certificate, graduate diploma, or undergraduate program at UVic)
  • your study permit has expired and you are applying to restore your status in Canada

If you are extending your study pemit for the same institution and level of study as your current study permit, a PAL is not required. You can find a full list of PAL exceptions on the IRCC website

If your document checklist includes a space for "Proof of Provincial or Territorial Attestation Letter (PAL or TAL) Exception", you will need to explain the exception you meet and provide proof of how you meet it.

PAL exception letter of explanation

Refer to our PAL exception letter template when writing your explanation.

PAL exception supporting documents

If possible, you should also enclose one or more documents as evidence of how you meet the PAL exception you've identified in your letter. Merge your supporting document(s) with your letter of explanation and upload them together as one file.

Documents you may provide to show you meet an exception:

If you meet this exemption... Provide the following document(s)*
You applied for your current study permit from outside Canada using your UVic Letter of Acceptance (LOA) The original LOA from UVic that you used for your initial study permit application, showing you haven't changed DLI or level of study
You applied for your current study permit extension using a UVic study permit information letter  The study permit information letter you used for your most recent extension
You completed the DLI transfer process prior to November 8, 2024 to notify IRCC you were transferring to UVic A screenshot of the confirmation message from your IRCC account, showing that you successfully completed the online DLI transfer process
You are an exchange student at UVic Your study permit information letter confirming you are an exchange student – we recommend highlighting the space where this is indicated
You are in a degree-granting graduate program at the master's or doctoral level at UVic

Your current UVic letter of acceptance or study permit information letter confirming you are a graduate student in a degree-granting master's or doctoral program

* If you no longer have access to these items, connect with an ICS immigration practitioner for advice on what to include.

After you apply for a study permit extension

If your study permit expires while you have a study permit extension application in process, you can stay in Canada and continue studying (and working, if eligible) until IRCC makes a decision on your application. 

  • during this time, you will have maintained status as long as you remain in Canada

If your study permit expires before you apply to extend it

If you are in Canada and your study permit expires before you submit an extension application, you will no longer have valid student status in Canada and you must stop studying immediately.

Please note

When you extend your study permit from inside Canada, you will not automatically receive a new temporary resident visa (TRV). If you require a TRV to enter Canada, you will need to apply for a new TRV separately after your study permit extension is approved.

You will also need to renew your health insurance (BC MSP) and social insurance number after receiving your new study permit.

For more information, see Renew your other documents below.

Renew your other documents

After you have extended your study permit, you will also need to:

Update your study permit

You can request to fix errors on your study permit that were made by Canadian immigration officials when your personal information was recorded. You may also be able to request a name and/or gender change on your temporary resident documents.

  • if you need to fix incorrect information or request a name and/or gender change, you can submit an application to amend your study permit
    • in the case of a name and/or gender change for reasons other than an administrative error, a fee of $30 (CAD) will apply
  • this application can only be submitted by mail

If you need to change the conditions or update information on your study permit due to a change in your situation or your work eligibility, you will need to apply online.

Replace your study permit

To replace a lost, damaged or stolen temporary document that is still valid, you can submit a replacement application.

  • the application must be submitted by mail
  • there is a $30 (CAD) application fee, payable through IRCC's online payment tool
  • you must print a copy of the payment receipt to include in your application package

Study permit conditions

You need to meet a number of study permit conditions. If you don’t meet these conditions, you may lose your student status and study permit.

One of these conditions is demonstrating that you are actively pursing your studies. You can demonstrate this by enrolling full- or part-time during regular academic sessions. UVic's Academic calendar includes definitions of full-time studies for undergraduate students and graduate students.

Part-time vs. full-time studies

Although studying part time is not a violation of your study permit conditions, you must be enrolled full time to legally work on or off campus during your studies. Continuous full-time enrolment in all academic terms throughout your UVic program is also one of the eligibility requirements to apply for a post-graduation work permit after completing your studies.

For more information, see Working in Canada.

Authorized leave from studies

In some cases, you may be able to take a leave of up to 150 days from your program and still be considered to be actively pursuing your studies. Refer to the IRCC website to learn more about what counts as an authorized leave.

If your leave will be longer than 150 days and you would like to stay in Canada, you may need to apply for visitor status to cover the leave period unless you are exempt from certain conditions. A leave of more than 150 days can also negatively impact your eligibility for a post-graduation work permit.

While on an authorized leave, you will not be allowed to work using your study permit work authorization.

We recommend consulting with an ICS immigration practitioner before taking a leave from your studies, to ensure you understand the immigration implications and can make an informed decision.

Experiential learning and work

Study permit holders in Canada may work on or off campus provided they meet certain eligibility requirements. For paid or unpaid work that forms part of your UVic program (such as a co-op, practicum, or internship), you will require a valid work permit in addition to your study permit. Experiential learning opportunities at UVic (such as community-engaged learning, or practica/internships that are part of an academic course) may also require work authorization if the activity meets IRCC's definition of work.

For more information, see Working in Canada.

Summer sessions

For undergraduate students, summer sessions may be scheduled breaks depending on your program. You are not required to take courses or maintain full-time status during regularly scheduled breaks.

  • consult with your academic adviser if you have questions about your program’s scheduled breaks

For graduate students, you are required to have continuous registration. As a result, the summer session is not a scheduled break.

IRCC compliance reporting

As a designated learning institution (DLI), UVic is legally required to report international students' enrolment status to IRCC twice a year. IRCC uses the information collected through the compliance reporting process to assess whether study permit holders are meeting their study permit conditions.

Depending on your academic enrolment status at UVic, you will be reported as one of the following by UVic:

To ensure UVic is able to report on your enrolment status, your study permit must be associated with UVic.

Compliance reporting and privacy

UVic is subject to British Columbia's privacy legislation. UVic staff must follow UVic's privacy and access to information policies. We will not discuss your situation with unauthorized people or government officials, including IRCC. Regular reports on the academic enrolment status of international students at UVic are submitted by the Office of the Registrar through a formalized process and will not include personal information shared with UVic staff when accessing resources and supports.