Immigration Frequently Asked Questions
New Students
The deadline to upload your required immigration documents is the first day of classes, January 13, 2025.
Please note that for most international students, both a CAQ and a study permit are required. Please visit the ISO website for exceptions.
Once enrollment for the term has ended, the University will review immigration files, and those who have not uploaded their required immigration documents to their Concordia Student Centre will be de-registered.
To be authorized to study at Concordia University, the government of Quebec and the government of Canada require that you obtain specific immigration documents prior to beginning your studies. The university is required to maintain these documents for government reporting purposes. Without these documents, we cannot confirm that you are authorized to study, and we are prohibited from allowing your enrollment.
Please note that for most international students, both a CAQ and a study permit are required. Please visit the ISO website for exceptions.
Unfortunately, if you don’t have your required immigration documents by the beginning of the term, you will need to defer your studies. Without the required immigration documents, it is unlawful for you to remain enrolled.
Please contact the admissions officer or graduate program coordinator/admissions advisor listed in your letter of admission to request a deferral.
The Quebec government only allows you to use the same CAQ if you defer your studies by one semester even if your CAQ has not expired. If you defer your studies by one semester, such as from Winter 2025 to Summer 2025, you can use the same CAQ to begin your studies. However, if you defer your studies from Winter 2025 to Fall 2025, you must apply for a new CAQ with your new letter of admission.
To learn more about deferring your studies, please watch this video.
You can request a deferral of your studies by contacting the admissions officer or graduate program coordinator/admissions advisor listed in your letter of admission. This person will process your deferral and issue you a new letter of admission with your new start date.
If you defer your studies by one semester, such as from Winter 2025 to Summer 2025, you can use the same CAQ to begin your studies. However, if you defer your studies from Winter 2025 to Fall 2025, you must apply for a new CAQ with your new letter of admission. The Quebec government only allows you to use the same CAQ if you defer your studies by one semester even if your CAQ is still valid.
To learn more about deferring your studies, please watch this video.
Unfortunately, that is not possible. There is no mechanism to expedite applications. You can learn more about why your application cannot be expedited by watching this video.
Even if you are visa-exempt or already have a visa allowing you to enter Canada as a visitor, you should not travel to Canada as a visitor if your intention is to begin your studies and you do not yet have your required immigration documents authorizing you to study.
The purpose of your stay in Canada is to study and you must therefore enter as a student. You cannot enter as a visitor if you are coming to study.
To learn more about why you should not enter Canada as a visitor to begin your studies, please watch this video.
If you are starting your studies at Concordia in Winter 2025 and are transferring from a different Canadian institution, you can begin your studies as long as you meet the following conditions:
- You have a Winter 2025 admission to Concordia University
- You have a valid study permit that does not name a specific DLI (Designated Learning Institution), meaning that the name of any learning institution (for example: Hogwarts University) does not appear on your study permit,
- You meet all your existing study permit conditions, and
- You have applied for a new study permit and provide us proof of the pending study permit application
Under new government policies, you can only attend Concordia University while your new study permit is being processed.
As per new policies, all study permits for new students must state the DLI they are attending (in this case, it must state Concordia University). The only exception is if you meet the criteria above.
You can only work in Canada if your study permit has the following condition or statement on it:
Student may accept employment on or off-campus if meeting eligibility criteria as per R186 (f), (v) or (w).
When your study permit is issued to you at the airport/border, please read it and notify the immigration office if your study permit does not have this statement. If you were unable to change your Study Permit at the Port of Entry and your study permit does not have this statement, you cannot work and should contact your ISO Advisor about having your study permit amended.
If your study permit authorizes you to work, meaning that it has the statement above, you can only begin working as of the first day of classes of your first term and only if you are enrolled full-time.
Off-campus, you can only work 24 hours per week during required terms (Fall and Winter for course-based students, thesis students, please ask your ISO Advisor). There is no limit to the amount of hours that you can work on-campus. You can have both an on-campus job and an off-campus job at the same time, but you must not work more than 24 hours per week off-campus.
There are many ways to stay informed!
- Video tutorials on a variety of topics are available here.
- Follow us on Instagram for important updates.
- Always read the ISO Bulletin, which you will start receiving once you begin your studies.
- Check out our FAQs.
- Reach out to your ISO Advisor.
PASSPORT
- If your passport has been lost or stolen you must immediately contact the nearest police department (Station 20 is the closest to Concordia downtown campus Address: 1432 Saint-Catherine St W, Montreal, QC H3G 1R3 Phone: (514) 280-0120)
- Contact your country's consulate/embassy for instructions on how to obtain a new passport http://www.international.gc.ca/protocol-protocole/reps.aspx?lang=eng
- If your TRV was inside your lost or stolen passport, you can only apply for a new TRV once you receive your new passport.
STUDY PERMIT
If your study permit was lost or stolen, you can apply for a replacement for a fee (30$). Should you need a new study permit urgently because of travel plans or registration purposes, you can include 'proof of urgency' with your application. Make sure to include a letter of explanation as well as a copy of your police report with your application.
Application Instruction can be found here.
NOTE: You may continue studying and working as a student while your study permit is being replaced. You should NOT leave Canada until you receive your replacement study permit.
CAQ
If you have lost your CAQ, remember you have a copy of your CAQ approval letter sent by email. Nonetheless, contact Ministère Immigration Diversité et Inclusion Québec (MIDI) at (514) 864-9191 if you are in the Montreal area or 1-877-864-9191 if you are elsewhere in Quebec
Current students
For the latest travelto Canada updates, please visit https://www.canada.ca/en/services/immigration-citizenship.html.
As per IRCC rules, students can work full-time during a scheduled break between academic sessions. This means that you can work full-time once the final examination period is completed and the day prior to the next term start of classes. Even if you have completed your exams before the last date of the term, you must follow the dates specified above.
We have a handout titled “How many hours can I Work” that can be used to determine your eligibility to work full-time or part-time. It is also important to note that the total full-time work in a calendar year should not exceed 180 days (see details here)
The regulations relating to Off-Campus work can be verified from the IRCC website https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/corporate/publications-manuals/operational-bulletins-manuals/temporary-residents/study-permits/campus-work.html
We have a step-by-step guide on how to renew or extend your immigration documents available at https://www.concordia.ca/students/international/immigration/renewing-your-immigration-documents.html.
Telephone:
1.888.242.2100
Call early in the morning (before 9am) and be prepared to wait some time. It is important to take note of the time, date and name of agent you speak to.
IRCC Web form: http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/contacts/web-form.asp or https://www.cic.gc.ca/english/contacts/web-form.asp?v2
Use the web from ONLY if your application has exceeded normal processing times: http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/information/times/
First, check if your family member needs an eTA or a TRV. You can find out here. If your family member needs an eTA, they can apply online.
If the family member requires a TRV, you can assist them with their TRV application by providing them with the following documents. They can then upload the documents to their application:
- Your letter of invitation: see https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/visit-canada/letter-invitation.html
- Copy of your study permit
- Copy of your passport
- Full-Time Attestation letter
- A letter of invitation issued by Concordia University available at LB-185
Although an immigration specialist (lawyer, consultant) can advise, represent and act on your behalf if you authorize them to, you are under no obligation to do so in order to submit a temporary or permanent residency application. It really is a personal choice. Should you decide to be represented, note that not all representatives are knowledgeable about student-specific issues. Consequently, before authorizing someone to represent you make sure to inquire on the following factors:
- Licence to represent immigrants
- Experience
- Knowledge
- Training
- References
- Testimonials
See IRCC`s tips on how to choose an immigration representative: https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/immigration-citizenship-representative/choose.html
NOTE: Authorized representatives do not have special access to immigration-related programs and services, and no one can guarantee your application will be approved.
NOTE: a maintained status only applies to a study permit.
If a temporary resident applies to extend their period of authorized stay before it ends, their period of authorized stay as a temporary resident is extended by law until a decision is reached [R183(5)]. Such a person is considered to have a maintained (formely implied) status as a temporary resident during that period. https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/corporate/publications-manuals/operational-bulletins-manuals/temporary-residents/visitors/implied-status-extending-stay.html
In other words, if you extend your study permit before it expires, you can continue to study and work as a student while you wait for IRCC`s decision.
NOTE: You lose your maintained (formely implied) status if you leave Canada; therefore, unless absolutely necessary, it is generally advisable to avoid travelling outside of Canada while under implied status.
You need proper documents to re-enter Canada if you leave, so be sure to check your document expiration dates and renew them if necessary before you travel. If your study permit will expire while you are outside Canada, you should speak with an international student advisor before travelling. It is possible to apply for a new initial study permit (not a study permit extension) while outside of Canada, but it may take longer depending on your location.
It is best not to leave Canada while an immigration document extension is being processed, especially if your current document will expire while you are abroad. Please see an international student advisor for details.
A social insurance number is a nine-digit number issued by Service Canada. Your SIN allows you to work and access government programs. Note that your SIN is highly confidential information and should be kept in a safe place: If it falls into the wrong hands, your personal information and identity will most likely be used for fraudulent purposes.
Only the following persons can ask you for your SIN:
- Your employer
- Your accountant
- Financial institutions
- Federal and provincial governments
To find out how to apply for your SIN, please visit https://www.canada.ca/en/employment-social-development/services/sin/apply.html.
Although applying at the border is an option for most students, ISO does not recommend students going to the border as it is a riskier method of filing an application. Also current Canadian/US immigration issues have given rise to reduced hours of service at the border, excessive wait times and supplemental documents requests (such as biometrics being for work permit applications). Speak with an ISO advisor for additional information on the matter.
PASSPORT
- If your passport has been lost or stolen you must immediately contact the nearest police department (Station 20 is the closest to Concordia downtown campus Address: 1432 Saint-Catherine St W, Montreal, QC H3G 1R3 Phone: (514) 280-0120)
- Contact your country's consulate/embassy for instructions on how to obtain a new passport http://www.international.gc.ca/protocol-protocole/reps.aspx?lang=eng
- If your TRV was inside your lost or stolen passport, you can only apply for a new TRV once you receive your new passport.
STUDY PERMIT
If your study permit was lost or stolen, you can apply for a replacement for a fee (30$). Should you need a new study permit urgently because of travel plans or registration purposes, you can include 'proof of urgency' with your application. Make sure to include a letter of explanation as well as a copy of your police report with your application.
Application Instruction can be found here.
NOTE: You may continue studying and working as a student while your study permit is being replaced. You should NOT leave Canada until you receive your replacement study permit.
CAQ
If you have lost your CAQ, remember you have a copy of your CAQ approval letter sent by email. Nonetheless, contact Ministère Immigration Diversité et Inclusion Québec (MIDI) at (514) 864-9191 if you are in the Montreal area or 1-877-864-9191 if you are elsewhere in Quebec
International students are expected to make their studies their primary activity in Canada. To this end, International Students who have a CAQ and Study Permit are advised to maintain full-time status for the duration of their degree. Failure to be full-time can lead to refusal of your CAQ and Study Permit extension and may lead to, employment and financial challenges. It is not recommended that international students pursue their studies part-time or take leaves of absence.
Find out more about how the university defines full-time status in the Undergraduate and Graduate calendars. Note, however, that even if a student meets the university’s definition of full-time status, discontinued courses, failed courses, and failure to receive credits for attempted courses can lead to challenges extending your CAQ and Study Permit. If you are in this situation, please speak to an ISO Advisor.
If you are considering reducing to a part-time course load or taking a leave of absence, it is important that you review the possible impacts. If, after reviewing the list below, there are extenuating circumstances that may require that you reduce your registration to part-time status or that you take a leave of absence, please contact the ISO to discuss your situation with an Advisor.
Impact on Future Immigration documents:
When applying for a CAQ, students “agree to comply with all the conditions for issuing your Certificat d’acceptation du Québec (CAQ) for studies”, including “making your studies your principal activity”, meaning that you are studying full-time for the complete duration of your studies. The only terms students are not required to be registered in full-time courses is during scheduled breaks in your academic calendar, such as winter and summer break, and during your last academic term.
In order to be eligible for a Post-Graduation Work Permit students must “have maintained full-time student status in Canada during the complete duration of their studies, except during scheduled breaks in the academic calendar, such as winter and summer break, and during your last academic term.
According to IRCC International students who work either on-campus or off-campus must maintain full-time status. If you reduce your registration to part-time or take a leave of absence, you must immediately stop working as you are no longer eligible to work.
IRCC states that students can work off-campus on a full-time basis during scheduled breaks in the academic calendar if they are enrolled full-time during the academic terms before and after a regularly scheduled break. If the student is on a scheduled academic break, they may work full-time even if they elect to take courses during the scheduled break. If these requirements are not met, then the student may only work up to 20/hrs per week off-campus.
There are many ways to stay informed!
- Video tutorials on a variety of topics are available here.
- Follow us on Instagram for important updates.
- Always read the ISO Bulletin, which you will start receiving once you begin your studies.
- Check out our FAQs.
- Reach out to your ISO Advisor.
RECAP: Your responsibilities as an international student
- You are responsible for maintaining your immigration status and obeying immigration regulations during your stay in Canada.
- You must maintain full-time status throughout your studies:
- Always verify that your immigration documents (passport, CAQ, study permit, TRV or eTA) are accurate and still valid. NOTE: Your CAQ and study permit do NOT always have the same expiry date.
- Submit your immigration documents to the ISO either in person or via upload.
- Keep your contact information in your student service centre up to date as ISO may contact you with regards to your immigration documents.