Studying in Canada without a study permit

To study in Canada at any level, a foreign national is normally required to apply for and obtain a Canadian study permit. There are, however, cases in which a foreign student is exempt from this requirement.

Short-term study in Canada

Individuals do not need a study permit to take a programme of study lasting 6 months or less. Courses may cover any subject and may be taken part time or full time. To be exempt from the study permit requirement, the course must be completed within six months. A visa extension will not be granted solely to complete a short programme.

Foreign nationals in Canada without a study permit who wish to enrol on an educational programme must apply for a study permit from outside Canada. An exception may apply where the course is short in nature and can be completed within the initial period of stay specified when they entered Canada.

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC)recommends that foreign nationals obtain a study permit for a programme lasting 6 months or less if they intend to work on campus or to continue studying in Canada after completing the initial programme.

Construction industry trainees

Under a temporary public policy in force from 27 February 2025 to 27 February 2027, apprentices in certain construction trades may apply for an exemption from the study permit requirement.

To be eligible, apprentices must hold:

• A valid work permit.
• A job offer in an eligible trade.
• An apprenticeship agreement with an employer for the work described in the job offer.

Eligible apprentices must request this study permit exemption.

Note:Apprenticeship agreements must be registered with the appropriate provincial or territorial regulator.

Foreign workers must meet all the eligibility requirements both at the time of application and at the time of decision.

Guidance on the process

Foreign apprentices must apply to IRCC for this study permit exemption.

To apply, foreign apprentices must state that they are applying under the public policy designated “Apprenticeship 25-27”. This information must be entered in the “Tell us about your enquiry” section of theIRCC form.

The table below sets out in detail the trades eligible under this temporary policy. The trade names and their correspondingNational Occupational Classification (NOC)codes are listed:

Occupations	NOC code
Bricklayers	72320
Cabinetmakers	72311
Carpenters	72310
Civil engineering technologists and technicians	22300
Civil engineers	21300
Concrete finishers	73100
Construction estimators	22303
Construction managers	70010
Construction millwrights and industrial mechanics	72400
Electrical mechanics	72422
Electricians (except industrial and power system)	72200
Floor covering installers	73113
Heating, refrigeration and air conditioning mechanics	72402
Heavy-duty equipment mechanics	72401
Home building and renovation managers	70011
Industrial electricians	72201
Painters and decorators (except interior decorators)	73112
Plumbers	72300
Roofers and shinglers	73110
Sheet metal workers	72102
Water well drillers	72501
Welders and related machine operators	72106

The process

1. Go to the IRCC web form.
2. Select the option to “update or enquire about your application”, then select the option “Add documents to your application”.
3. Select the option that best describes your situation, under “Who are you?”.
4. Fill in the relevant personal details, including an email address at which the department can contact you.
5. Where an application number is requested, use the work permit number printed on your valid work permit.
6. Indicate, where asked, that you applied for “temporary residence” and that you applied for a “work permit”.
7. Where the “Unique Client Identifier” is requested, enter the 8- or 10-digit number appearing on your work permit.
8. In the “Tell us about your enquiry” section:
   • In the field headed “Did we ask you to add documents to your file?”, select “Yes, you asked me to add documents”.
   • In the explanation box, be sure to indicate that you are applying under “Apprenticeship 25-27”, identifying the application as part of the temporary public policy exempting holders from the study permit requirement. You should also include a description of each document you will upload as part of your web form submission.
9. In the “Upload your documents” section, upload evidence that:
   • You hold a job in one of the eligible construction fields, and
   • Your apprenticeship agreement is registered with the relevant provincial or territorial apprenticeship regulation and certification authority.
10. Select “Review your enquiry” when prompted.
11. If all the information above is correct, submit your enquiry through the web form.

Minor children in Canada

Any minor child residing in Canada may study at kindergarten, primary or secondary level without a study permit. This applies to the children of temporary students or workers, as well as to Canadian citizens and permanent residents.

This exception does not apply to the children of temporary residents who are not permitted to work or study in Canada (that is, visitors).

Family members and private staff of diplomats

Family members or private staff of foreign diplomats and accredited foreign representatives do not need a permit to study in Canada. For the purposes of this exception, a family member is defined as:

• A spouse or common-law partner.
• A dependent child of the individual or of their spouse/common-law partner.
• A dependent child of a dependent child.

Foreign armed forces in Canada

The Visiting Forces Act lists the following countries as designated states:

• Albania
• Antigua and Barbuda
• Australia
• Austria
• Azerbaijan
• Bangladesh
• Barbados
• Belgium
• Belize
• Benin
• Botswana
• Brunei
• Bulgaria
• Cameroon
• Croatia
• The Czech Republic
• Denmark
• El Salvador
• Estonia
• Ethiopia
• Finland
• France
• Georgia
• Germany
• Ghana
• Greece
• Guyana
• Hungary
• Iceland
• Italy
• Côte d’Ivoire
• Jamaica
• Japan
• Kazakhstan
• Kenya
• South Korea
• Kuwait
• Latvia
• Lithuania
• Luxembourg
• Malawi
• Malaysia
• Moldova
• Nepal
• The Netherlands
• New Zealand
• Nicaragua
• Niger
• Nigeria
• North Macedonia
• Norway
• Oman
• Poland
• Portugal
• Romania
• Sierra Leone
• Singapore
• The Slovak Republic
• Slovenia
• Spain
• Sudan
• Sweden
• Swaziland
• Tanzania
• Thailand
• Trinidad and Tobago
• Türkiye
• Uganda
• Ukraine
• The United Arab Emirates
• The United Kingdom and Northern Ireland
• The United States
• Uzbekistan
• Venezuela
• Zambia
• Zimbabwe