In June 2023, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) announced a temporary, three-year measure allowing work permit holders (temporary foreign workers) to attend post-secondary education for periods longer than six months while in Canada. Bow Valley College has carefully reviewed this opportunity for temporary foreign workers and welcomes work permit holders to consider our College by inquiring through our International Recruitment office or applying for admission at bowvalleycollege.ca/admissions/vas.
Because this is a new and temporary provision, we advise prospective students and applicants:
- Bow Valley College may limit the number of temporary foreign workers considered for admission and will prioritize study permit holders and Canadian learners.
- The IRCC has granted this temporary measure for a period of three years. They may change, cancel, or extend this temporary measure at any time.
- Most College programs involve a work-integrated learning offering. Programs that involve an off-site work placement or internship are not suitable for work permit holders they require a co-op work permit which can only be issued alongside a study permit. We recommend applicants consider programs that involve an in-class capstone project or have no work-integrated learning requirement.
- The post-graduation work permit program is not available to individuals who did not study full-time or who did not attend on a study permit.
- For credit programs and Open Studies courses, work permit holders are assessed international tuition and mandatory fees. They are recognized as international students for College purposes of advising services, deadlines, immigration document requirements, etc.
- For non-credit (“continuing education”) courses or programs, international students do not have access to advising services or most other student supports, as these courses do not assess mandatory (student services) fees.
- We encourage all learners to consult IRCC policies and with a regulated immigration consultant to make an informed decision before applying to, confirming admission to, or registering in any program.
Temporary foreign workers interested in studying at Bow Valley College part-time are invited to contact our International Recruitment team:
Email: international@bowvalleycollege.ca
Phone: +1-403-410-3476
Walk-in: Welcome Centre, South Campus, 1st Floor, Monday to Thursday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
