A Note to International Students

The Canadian federal government, through Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has released new guidelines to facilitate the studies of international students in Canadian universities while the COVID-19 pandemic continues to affect the health and mobility of citizens around the globe. 

To read the details of the new interim policies, visit the Canadian Government website. 

Below is a summary of the changes:

• IRCC is providing priority processing for students who have submitted a complete study permit application.
• You can now include the time you apply for a study permit, rather than when you were approved for one, towards a future post-graduation work permit. Students must eventually be approved for a study permit and complete more than 50% of their program in Canada
• IRCC is approving study permit applicants in 2 stages: eligibility and admissibility. If you pass the eligibility stage (showing that you have been accepted at a Canadian learning institution, have the available funds, etc.) you will be notified of a first stage approval. Students receive final approval once they meet all admissibility requirements, including submitting necessary documents such as biometrics, an immigration medical exam and a police certificate.
• For Biometrics, if the site closest to you is closed, your deadline will be automatically extended. You don’t have to give your biometrics until the sites begin offering collection services again. This applies to you, even if your biometrics instruction letter (BIL) says you have 30 or 90 days.

Whether you’re already in Canada or joining us from around the world, we want you to be excited to get started on your CBU journey. By working together and following the Public Health guidelines, we hope to welcome you to campus soon so that you can complete your education on Canada’s most beautiful island!