Frequently Asked Questions for International Students

If English is not your first language or you’ve received your education in a language other than English, you must meet the University's English language requirements to gain admission to CapU.

Learn more on the English Language Requirements Page.

Please also be sure to check your individual program area for English Language requirements.

Service Canada is accepting Social Insurance Number (SIN) applications. You can apply online, by mail or in person at a Service Canada Centre.

If you are a newly admitted international student but would like to defer your admissions to a future term for a reason such as a delay in receiving a study permit, you can fill out the Request for Deferred Admissions form.

Note: This form will only be accepted for students who paid the deposit and received a Letter of Acceptance. We will do our best to accommodate requests, but it will depend on availability and space in your program.

Please drop all courses if you registered in any, before submitting a request to defer your admission.

You can request a program change by submitting an application online through EducationPlannerBC as a ‘Current Student-Changing Program’. This request must be submitted before the start of the registration period in which term you want the change to take effect. Once we receive your application, we will process it, but approval is not guaranteed. 

Before applying, please check the International Program Availability Status page for program details including PGWP eligibility. If you need guidance on selecting a program, please speak with our admissions advisor. 

Additionally, check whether you need to apply for a new study permit. 

Eligible international students can work up to 24 hours per week off-campus during regular school terms/semesters.

If you are a full-time student, you can work full-time off-campus on or after a scheduled break, such as winter or summer holidays or a fall or spring reading break. Make sure you meet the other requirements for working while you study.

Note: Study permit holders must balance their study and work commitments. Those who stop studying or reduce course loads from full-time (i.e., at least 9 credits per term) to study only part-time during the fall and spring terms are not eligible to work off-campus.

Please review Module 8 of your Welcome Guide for International Students on eLearn for more information about working while studying.

(Updated November 2024)

You may be able to re-enter Canada as an international student if you meet all of the following conditions: 

• Have a valid study permit (or an approved study permit extension) 
• Have a valid passport or travel document 
• You are attending CapU
• You have either a valid visitor visa or an electronic travel authorization (eTA), depending on which document you need.
• You meet all the other requirements for entering Canada. 

Note: if your study permit expires while you are outside of Canada, you will not be able to return until your study permit extension/renewal is approved and you receive your new valid study permit. Your entry to Canada is subject to Government of Canada travel restrictions. 

Ensure you also read the most recent Government of Canada travel advisory for your own country and the countries you may be transiting through before making your travel decisions and arrangements. 

Yes, study permits issued on or after November 8, 2024 will have the name of the Designated Learning Institution (DLI) printed on them.

Students will require a study permit for each DLI in which they are enrolled for programs and courses that are more than six months in length.

(Updated January 2025)

If your study permit is not approved by the tuition fee payment deadline of your new term, we strongly recommend that you drop your registered courses and defer your application to the next available intake.

If your study permit will expire soon and you need more time to complete your program, you should apply to extend your study permit via IRCC Online Services before the expiry date of your study permit.

If your study permit expires while your extension application is being processed, you will still be able to continue studying because you will have maintained (implied) status. We recommend applying at least three months before your study permit expires to allow for longer processing times.

Follow the step-by-step instructions outlined in Module 9 in your International Student Welcome Guide on e-Learn.

You can continue studying with your current study permit as long as you still meet its conditions.

If you need additional time to complete your new program, you may apply for a study permit extension before your current permit expires. A new Provincial Attestation Letter (PAL) is not required when extending your study within the same level of studies at CapU.

(Updated February 2025)

You can study in Canada for less than 6 months without a study permit if you have valid visitor status. Depending on your situation, you’ll need one of the following: 

• a visitor visa (temporary resident visa) 
• an electronic travel authorization (eTA) 

If you are approved to study for two terms as an exchange or visiting student, you will need to apply for a study permit.  

Students are encouraged to apply for their second study permit from within Canada as soon as possible to ensure that they receive their second study permit in time for their studies.

Students are allowed to hold more than one study permit as long as they meet the conditions of both permits. A student who applies for a study permit extension before their current study permit expires will have maintained status and may start their studies at the new DLI.

(Updated January 2025)

Students who wish to study at more than one DLI must apply for a new study permit for each DLI if the course or the program of study is longer than six months. Therefore, if the courses at another DLI are less than six months, a second study permit will not be required.

(Updated January 2025)

If you’re not exempt from giving biometrics, biometrics will be required to process your application. Applicants for a visitor visa, study or work permit must only give their biometrics once every 10 years. 

• How to give your fingerprints and a photo
• Where to give your fingerprints and a photo

To be eligible to apply for a PGWP, international students must meet all IRRC eligibility criteria. As of November 1, 2024, PGWP applicants are also subject to the following two new requirements:

• All applicants: a language proficiency requirement; and 
• Students in certain non-degree programs: a field of study requirement. As of November 20, 2024, this is the list of the CapU programs that are eligible for a PGWP.

You may refer to the list of the CapU programs that are eligible for a PGWP.

Note that the field of study requirement is not required for students in a degree program at CapU or for any student who applied for their study permit before November 1, 2024.

• When applying for a PGWP, you now need to meet a minimum Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) of 7. 
• Minimum test scores to meet the Canadian English Benchmark of 7 are as follows:

• Your language test results must be less than two years old at the time of your PGWP application submission.
• For the time being, you can upload your language proficiency results in the “Client Information” drop box in Optional Documents in your IRCC account.

If you changed your program of study before November 1, 2024, you do not need to meet the field of study requirement for a PGWP. However, you will need to provide this information to IRCC when you apply for your PGWP.

If you changed your program of study after November 1, 2024, and you now to extend your study permit after November 1, 2024, then yes, you do need to meet the field of study requirement for a PGWP.

(Updated January 2025)

Until August 31, 2024, the time you spent studying online from within Canada still counts toward the length of your PGWP.

As of September 1, 2024, you must complete at least 50% of your program in-class in Canada to meet post-graduation work permit eligibility criteria.

(Updated November 2024)

If you have started or will start your program between September 1, 2022 and August 31, 2024, an extension of temporary distance learning measures will apply:

1. You must complete at least 50% of your program inside Canada.
2. The time you spent studying online from outside of Canada before August 31, 2024 will count toward the length of your PGWP as long as it constitutes less than 50% of your program of study.
3. The time you spent studying online from outside Canada after August 31, 2024, or before you applied for a study permit will not count toward the length of your PGWP.

See the full details on the IRCC website.

(Updated January 2024)

Our in-house licensed Immigration Advisors maintain their scheduled drop-in advising hours for Zoom, phone call or in-person sessions. If you would like to speak to an Immigration Advisor, please join one of the scheduled drop-in sessions. 

Note: all CIE advising hours are conducted in Pacific Standard Time (PST). Please use a Time Zone Converter to determine the reciprocal time in your area.

The application fee is non-refundable. If you choose to withdraw your application after you paid the deposit or you already started your program, please refer to the Fee Refund page on our website for more info.

guard.me Temporary Health Insurance 

All new CapU international students will be automatically enrolled in guard.me temporary health insurance to ensure your well-being during the 3-month MSP waiting period. MSP is the Medical Services Plan of British Columbia and is mandatory for anyone living in British Columbia for longer than six months. 

Only eligible students can opt out of the guard.me insurance plan. If you are eligible to opt out, you must complete the process, and your application to opt out must be received before the deadline not to be charged for guard.me medical insurance fees.

If one of the following options applies to you:

1. I have valid BC MSP Coverage: complete online opt-out application
2. I am studying outside of Canada for a semester: complete Out of Canada Declaration and Waiver and email inted@capilanou.ca. If you decide to come to Canada after choosing this option, you will be required to purchase late arrival coverage, which will be available after the end of add/drop period.

COVID-19 vaccines are available to everyone living in BC. You do not need to be in the BC MSP health insurance program (BC Services card or public health number) to get the vaccine. You do not need to be a Canadian citizen or have permanent residency to get the COVID-19 vaccine.

Visit the Province of British Columbia Vaccine Card webpage and follow the steps to receiving your vaccine card.

*The Government of Canada removed all COVID-19 border and travel measures effective October 1, 2022. Read the full announcement.

As an international student, you must have basic and extended health insurance for your entire study period in Canada.

Note: we only acknowledge the guard.me and the Medical Service Plan (MSP) of B.C. as a valid form of insurance. Any international insurance is not acceptable.

Please visit the Health Insurance for International Students page to learn more.

If you are covered under the BC Medical Services Plan (MSP), you may access provincial medical services.

If you are a new international student covered under guard.me insurance, please follow the advice and instructions of mobileDOCTOR by guard.me.

Counselling & Mental Health services are available at the North Vancouver campus during the Fall and Spring terms. Dental hygiene services are available during all semesters.

If your temporary permits have expired and you no longer have MSP coverage, you may be provided temporary MSP coverage if:

• You are currently living in B.C.;
• You have applied for a new work or study permit (implied/maintained status);
• You were previously enrolled in MSP as a deemed resident; and
• Your MSP coverage has expired. 

Contact Health Insurance BC to request this temporary coverage. 

For more information, please visit here.