Visas & Permits

What to Know about Working in Canada

Below you will find helpful information that focuses on:

Two international students posing for photo on campus holding an ipad and smiling.

Immigration Advising

Cestar College has retained the services of licensed Immigration Consultants who are members of the College of Immigration and Citizenship Consultants (CICC).

Please feel free to email the immigration consultants at immigration@cestarcollege.com.

For more information about immigration consultant services and availability, visit our Immigration Information page on Moodle.

Border Entry - at the Canadian Airport

Documents You'll Want to Have

Before leaving you country, be sure you are eligible to travel to Canada. You will also want to pack the following documents in a safe place that will be carried with you in your cabin baggage; upon arriving in Canada, you will meet a Border Services Officer who will make sure you meet some basic requirements and will want to review these documents:

Mandatory Documents

Valid travel document, such as a passport.
The port of entry letter of introduction the visa office sent you when they approved your study permit. This letter has your permit reference number, which is used to issue your study permit.
A copy of a valid letter of acceptance from your school.
Letters of reference or any other documents the visa office told you to bring.
Either a valid electronic travel authorization (eTA) or a visitor visa (temporary resident visa.) If you have a valid eTA, it will be linked to the passport you used to apply for your study permit.

Provide Proof of the Following:

Enough money for your stay (the amount you will need can vary - it depends on things such as how long you will stay, whether you will stay in a hotel or with friends or relatives, etc.)
Be in good health.
Have no criminal or immigration-related convictions.
Inform an immigration officer that you have ties - such as a job, home, financial assets or family - that will take you back to your home country and that you will leave Canada at the end of your visit.
Valid immigration medical exam results (if you needed one).
Prove that you will leave Canada at the end of your stay.

Review Government of Canada website

Exiting Border Entry

Check your Documents before Leaving

You will be issued a study permit at the airport and a work permit, if applicable. Please ensure that personal information and conditions are correct on the permit. If they are not, notify the officer immediately. If you leave with incorrect documents, there is a separate process for amendments, and it could take months to correct the documents.

Normally, the study permit expiry date would be three months after the program end date. However, please be sure to check the expiry date of your study permit.

If you are traveling with dependents, then please be sure to collect and verify their permits before leaving.

Maintaining your Documents

Students are responsible for maintaining their immigration status and obeying immigration regulations during their stay in Canada. Ensure you are clear when they expire.
If your passport is lost of stolen, you must replace it immediately.
If your study or work permit is stolen or lost, then you must apply for a replacement permit.