International learners are required to comply with the conditions of the International Student Program from Citizenship and Immigration Canada in order to work before and after graduating. Here are some guidelines to keep in mind in order to comply with IRCC:
Minimum Full-Time vs. Part-time Course Loads:
- As an international student you must enroll as a full-time student during every academic semester to maintain eligibility to work off-campus or for the post-graduate work permit program. Please contact your Academic Advisor if you need support to enroll as a full-time student.
- To learn what is the minimum full-time load requirement, please visit: bowvalleycollege.ca/Courseload
If you are registering in online courses:
- The majority of the credits should be taken in-class (traditional course delivery only).
- Please refer to IRCC's guidelines concerning online courses, distance learning and full-time status and how to comply with eligibility for the different work permit programs when registering in online courses:
* Post-Graduate Work Permit (see the section Distance Learning)
* Off Campus work (see the section Full-Time Status)
Authorized Leave
When Bow Valley College approves the leave of absence according to the Bow Valley College policy, you may be able to take a leave of up to a maximum of 150 days from your program of studies and still be considered to be actively pursuing your studies. You must contact an international success advisor prior to taking a leave from studies. Please refer to the IRCC website to know about what counts as an authorized leave.
Academic breaks:
- Not all programs consider an Academic break. Please meet with the International Learner Advisor (issc@bowvalleycollege.ca).
- Read IRCC requirements about Scheduled Academic Breaks.
If registering in a Work Integrated Learning Course (WIL) such as practicum, field placement, work experience, service learning, or capstone project:
- You must hold a valid co-op work permit.
If considering transferring credits:
- Please refer to IRCC's consideration for the post-graduate work permit.
