Immigration Advising

Our immigration advising services are offered by Anthony Cheah (immigration@mcmaster.ca), a regulated Canadian immigration consultant (RCIC). His passion and years of experience living and working in countries across the world can help you overcome any barriers you might experience with the immigration process.

Book an immigration advising appointment or email Anthony if you have questions about:

• Study and work permits
• Canadian resident applications
• Status as an international student
• Bringing your family to Canada
• Travel restrictions
• And more

If your situation requires a study permit, you must apply and get approved before you start your studies in Canada.

Unsure if you need a study permit?

You don’t need a study permit if your program or course is less than six months. However, you should still apply for a study permit if you:

• Want to work on-campus
• Plan to extend your studies after your program ends

If you’re still unsure if you need a study permit, contact Anthony Cheah (immigration@mcmaster.ca), our regulated Canadian immigration consultant (RCIC).

Are you an international student coming from a Canadian high school?

If so, you already have a study permit. If your permit is still valid, then you don’t need to change or apply for a new permit. If your study permit is about to expire, then you need to apply to extend it. Read this page’s section on extending your study permit for more information.

Are you an international student coming from another Canadian post-secondary school?

If you already have a valid study permit from another post-secondary institution, you need to change your designated learning institution (DLI) online. You don’t need to apply for a new study permit. Read this page’s section on changing your DLI for more information.

Getting started

Start your application as soon as you accept your offer of admission from McMaster. Here’s how to get started:

• Review the information by Canadian immigration on the study permit application process.
• Choose if you are applying online or by paper. We recommend online applications because you save time, avoid courier fees and receive updates.

Submitting your application online

1. Log in to my application through the GC key or a sign-in partner. If you are a new user, you will need to register for an account.
2. Select “Apply to Come to Canada.” If you previously completed the eligibility questionnaire on the site, enter your personal reference code; otherwise, select “I do not have a Personal Reference Code.”
3. Select “Visitor Visa, Study and/or Work Permit” and answer the questions that follow. (Please note, not all questions are listed here.)
   • What would you like to do in Canada?: Study
   • How long are you planning to stay in Canada?: Temporarily – more than six months
   • Do you also want to apply for a work permit?: Yes, if you have been accepted into a co-op program and wish to apply for both at the same time
   • Have you lived in a designated country or territory for more than six months in the last year?: If you have lived in a country for more than six months in the previous year and your country requires an immigration medical exam, based on the IRCC website, then you must answer “yes.” Otherwise, answer “no.”
4. You must have access to a scanner or camera, as well as a credit or debit card to pay the fees to complete the online application.
5. Once you answer the questions, the system will generate a checklist for your application:
   • Complete the application form IMM 1294. (Download our guide to completing IMM 1294.)
   • Complete the Family Information form (IMM 5707). This form requires a signature. If you cannot open the forms, save the document and then open the file as an Adobe PDF document on your computer.
   • Gather your supporting documents. Each document size should be 4MB or less:
     • Letter of acceptance
     • Passport: Scan the page that shows your picture, birth date, country of origin and all pages with stamps, visas or markings as a single document.
     • Proof of means of financial support, which could be bank statements, letter of sponsorship, etc.
     • Digital photo: Format here
     • Documents specific to your visa office: Check here for any additional documents required by your country’s visa office.
   • Optional Documents:
     • Letter of Explanation (client information): Include this if there are any issues you would like to clarify or that may be useful to the officer in assessing your application.
     • Schedule 1: Application for Temporary Residence IMM 5257B form. The document is required only if you answer “yes” to any of the following questions: 3, 4, 5 or 6 in the “Background Information” section of the IMM 5709 form.
     • If you have been studying in Canada for the past 12 months, you do not need proof of medicals unless:
       • You have lived in a designated country or territory for more than six months in the past 12 months — or
       • You would like to work in a job that will bring you into close contact with patients, children, etc. Check here to see if you require a medical exam. If you need a medical exam, it must be conducted by an IRCC approved panel physician.

Visa Application Centre (VAC) applications

VACs are private companies that have formal contracts with the Government of Canada. You can apply for a study permit in person at a VAC in your country.

Have questions?

Through the Student Direct Stream (SDS), you may be able to obtain you may be able to get your study permit application processed within 20 calendar days.

Who can apply?

To be eligible for SDS, you must:

• Be a legal resident living in China, India, Philippines or Vietnam.
• Have an acceptance letter from McMaster University.
• Prove that you have paid the tuition fees for your first year of study.
• Live outside of Canada when you apply.
• Have a Guaranteed Investment Certificate (GIC) of $10,000 CAD.
• Obtain a medical exam before you apply (if applicable).
• Produce a police certificate before you apply (if applicable).
• Have a language test result that shows:
  • A score of 6.0 or higher in each skill (reading, writing, speaking and listening) on the International English Language Testing System (IELTS), or
  • A test d’évaluation de français (TEF) score that is equal to a Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) score of at least 7 in each skill (reading, writing, speaking and listening).

If you live in another country — even if you are a citizen of one of the countries above — you must apply through the regular study permit application process.

Guaranteed Investment Certificate (GIC)

A GIC is a Canadian investment that has a guaranteed rate of return for a fixed period of time. Many banks offer GICs. The bank that gives you the GIC must:

• Confirm that you bought a GIC by providing a letter of attestation, GIC certificate, Investment Directions Confirmation or Investment Balance Confirmation
• Hold the GIC in an investment account or a student account that you can’t access until you arrive in Canada
• Make you confirm your identity before they release any funds to you
• Release the funds to you by providing:
  • An initial lump sum once you identify yourself upon arrival in Canada
  • The remainder of the funds in monthly or bi-monthly installments over 10–12 months

If your bank or GIC doesn’t meet these criteria, you won’t be able to apply through the Student Direct Stream.

Getting a GIC

You can get a GIC from a bank listed on the Canadian Deposit Insurance Company website. Make sure the bank you choose offers a GIC and meets the criteria for the Student Direct Stream.

The following banks offer GICs that meet the criteria:

• Bank of Beijing
• Bank of China
• Bank of Montreal
• Bank of Xian Co. Ltd.
• Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce (CIBC)
• HSBC Bank of Canada
• ICICI Bank
• Industrial and Commercial Bank of China
• RBC Royal Bank
• SBI Canada Bank

Medical exams and police certificates

Depending on where you’re applying from, you may need to get a medical exam and/or police certificate. To get faster processing through SDS, you must include these with your application (if applicable). If you don’t, your application won’t be processed any faster.

Apply for SDS online

You must apply online to get faster processing on your study permit. There is no paper application for the Student Direct Stream. Make sure you include all the documents required with your application.

Before you apply online, make sure you have:

• The instruction guide to fill out your forms
• A scanner or camera to create electronic copies of your documents
• A valid credit or debit card for payment
• Biometric fee (if applicable): In most cases, you need to give biometrics. You should pay the biometrics fee when you submit your application online. If you don’t pay this fee, your application won’t be processed any faster.

Have questions?

Has your study permit application been rejected?

Refusals for Study Permits are typically a result of the applicant failing to satisfy one or more of the eligibility criteria. The immigration officer typically checks a number of things when reviewing an application, and there are many reasons why the officer may not be satisfied. To know why the immigration officer rejected your application, you can request your case file. In most scenarios, the immigration officer will have a note on your file that provides the actual details of the refusal. This will help you know exactly how to package your reapplication.

Access to Information Act and the Privacy Act (ATIP)

The Access to Information Act and the Privacy Act give you the right to access information and records held by government institutions.

• Who can make a request for records and information?: Any Canadian citizen, permanent resident or individual in Canada has the right to access their personal information held by government institutions that are subject to the Privacy Act. A friend or family member based in Canada can help you request this. There are also companies that offer services online to help with the case file request. McMaster does not currently offer case file request or review services.
• Make an online request: There are several options when making an access to information or personal information request. Using the Access to Information and Privacy (ATIP) Online Request service is a fast, easy and convenient way to submit a request. This service allows individuals to make online requests for information to participating government institutions instead of having to print, scan, mail or email a paper form.

Request checklist

To request information about another individual with their consent, you will need:

• Access to a valid email account
• Electronic copies of any documents you wish to attach to your request (accepted formats are DOC, DOCX, PDF, TIFF, JPG and PNG)
• Proof that the individual you are making the request for has the right to make a request for their personal information, such as proof of their Canadian citizenship (a copy of their passport or citizenship certificate); or proof of their status as a permanent resident (a copy of their permanent resident card); or proof of temporary status in Canada (a work, study and/or visitor permit)
  • If the individual does not have a right to apply for their own personal information, then the request must be made under the Access to Information Act. You will need to provide: Proof that you have the right to make an access to information request, such as proof of Canadian citizenship (a copy of your passport or citizenship certificate); proof of your status as a permanent resident, ( a copy of your permanent resident card) or proof of temporary status in Canada ( a work, study and/or visitor permit)
• Credit card information to pay the $5 application fee (VISA, MasterCard or American Express are accepted. Payments cannot be made through debit or prepaid credit cards)
• Information about the individual you are making the request for, including name and date of birth
• If you are making a request on behalf of someone else, you must include consent to release their information. The consent must be signed and dated by the person authorizing the disclosure of their information.

Once you have completed your request, it will be sent to the selected institution for processing. Institutions have up to 30 days to respond to your request, either by providing the records or explaining why more time is needed. When you receive the file on your rejected permit application, you can identify the officer’s concerns and then reapply for your permit accordingly.

Note: This is not a guarantee that the reapplication will be approved, but it can help with packaging your application better to address the officer’s concerns.

Before reapplying, you can contact Anthony Cheah (immigration@mcmaster.ca), our regulated Canadian immigration consultant (RCIC), to get some tips on how to address those concerns.

Have questions?

Getting started

If you are travelling outside of Canada, you will need either an Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) or a Temporary Resident Visa (TRV) to re-enter Canada, depending on your country of citizenship. Find out if you need a Visa or ETA.

• Review the information by Canadian immigration on applying for a TRV from within Canada
• Choose if you are applying online or by paper. We recommend online applications because you save time, avoid courier fees and receive updates.

Note: Citizens of specific countries require a TRV to enter Canada. A study permit does not allow you to re-enter Canada if you travel. Although a TRV is not needed inside Canada, it is advisable to have a valid visa in case of emergencies.

Apply for a TRV online

1. Log in to my application through the GC key or a sign-in partner. If you are a new user, you will need to register for an account.
2. Select “Apply to Come to Canada.” If you previously completed the eligibility questionnaire on the site, enter your personal reference code; otherwise, select “I do not have a Personal Reference Code.”
3. Select “Visitor Visa, Study and/or Work Permit” and answer the questions that follow.
4. You must have access to a scanner or camera, as well as a credit or debit card to pay the fees to complete the online application.
5. Once you answer the questions, the system will generate a checklist for your application:
   • Complete the application form for Temporary Resident Visa – IMM 5257. (Download our guide to completing IMM 5257.)
   • Complete the Family Information form (IMM 5707). This form requires a signature. If you cannot open the forms, save the document and then open the file as an Adobe PDF document on your computer.
   • Gather your supporting documents. Each document size should be 4MB or less:
     • Passport: Scan the page that shows your picture, birth date, country of origin and all pages with stamps, visas or markings as a single document.
     • Copy of your study permit (or post-graduate work permit if applicable)
     • Recent Transcript: Request on Mosaic >Student Centre > Transcript: Request Official Transcript (Video: How to request an official transcript)
     • Proof of enrolment: Download from Mosaic > Student Centre > My Academics > Enrolment/Financial Letters (Website: Enrolment Verification)
     • Proof of means of financial support, such as bank statements or a letter of sponsorship
     • Digital photo: Format here
     • Client information (optional): You may include an explanation letter if applicable.

Apply for an ETA online

An ETA is a requirement for visa-exempt foreign nationals entering Canada by air. Here is the list of countries requiring an ETA.

1. Gather the necessary documents: valid passport, credit card
2. Visit ca/eta.
3. Select “Apply for an ETA.”
4. Answer the questions to determine eligibility.
5. Pay the application fee of $7 CAD.
6. You will receive an email confirming if your ETA is approved.

Note: ETAs are typically valid for five years.

Have questions?

If you wish to invite your family or friends to Canada for a visit or would like to bring your family to Canada while you are living here, ensure they have the correct immigration documents.

Depending on the country of citizenship, your family or friend may need to either apply for a Temporary Resident Visa (TRV) or an Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA).

If a family member requires a TRV, please provide the following supporting documents to help them with their application. Some countries may have additional requirements. Please check the website of the specific visa office.

• Copy of proof of status in Canada, such as study permit, post-graduate work permit, P.R. Card, or Canadian citizenship
• Copy of your passport data page
• Letter of invitation written by you — template included in our tabs
• Proof of your relationships, such as a marriage certificate or a birth certificate
• Official enrollment letter or employment letter (PGWP)
• Proof of available funds to cover the visit

Note: Your family/friends must provide proof of ties to their home country, such as bank statements, employment, investments and dependants.

Spouse

If your spouse comes to Canada on a visitor visa, they may stay for up to six months.

A visitor record allows your spouse to stay in Canada for more than six months. Your spouse will not be eligible to work or study on a visitor record.

Your spouse/partner can apply for a work permit before or after they arrive in Canada; the permit will be the same length as your study time. No job offer is needed to apply for this permit.

You will need:

• A copy of your study permit
• Letter of enrollment/acceptance
• Copy of marriage certificate or common-law declaration
• Proof of funds
• Passport (data page plus any pages with stamps, visas or markings)

Children

Minor children already in Canada can study without a study permit at a pre-school, primary and secondary level if at least one parent is authorized to work or study in Canada. You will need to apply for a visitor record to extend their stay in Canada past the usual six months.

Minor children applying from outside Canada to accompany a parent for work or study in Canada should apply for a study permit. More information is on the Government’s website.

Have questions?

If you’re a full-time student, you’re usually eligible to work on campus. Your study permit must state that you’re allowed to work on- or off-campus.

You must stop working on-campus if you no longer meet the conditions of your study permit. For example, you’re no longer a full-time student, or your study permit expired.

Note: Full-time graduate students can be employed no more than an average of 10 hours per week on-campus to a maximum of 505 hours in an academic year (September to August).

Have questions?

If you’re a full-time student, you’re usually eligible to work off-campus for up to 20 hours a week during the school session or full-time during the scheduled break.

Your study permit should state one of the following:

• May work 20 hours off-campus or full-time during regular breaks if meeting criteria outlined in section 186(v) of IRPR.
• May accept on- or off-campus employment if meeting eligibility criteria as per R186 (f), (v) or (w). Must cease working if no longer meeting these criteria.

If you have one of these statements on your study permit, you are eligible to work as stated and do not need to apply for a work permit.

If your study permit does not have either of the listed statements, you will need to apply to amend your study permit or you may be ineligible. Book an appointment with Anthony Cheah (immigration@mcmaster.ca), our regulated Canadian immigration consultant (RCIC), to discuss your case.

Note: Full-time graduate students holding external awards should refer to the terms and conditions of the award in regard to off-campus employment.

Have questions?