UBC admissions blog

To study in Canada, you’ll need to apply for a study permit well in advance and receive approval before you travel to Canada and start your UBC classes. You’ll also need to ensure you have a valid study permit throughout your studies. Study permits are issued by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) and allow you to study and stay in Canada. Learn more about study permits at UBC Okanagan and UBC Vancouver.

Depending on your country of citizenship, you also need a Temporary Resident Visa (TRV) or an Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) to travel to Canada (US citizens are exempt). If you apply for your initial study permit application outside Canada, you will automatically be issued a TRV or eTA when your study permit is approved.

You can’t apply for a study permit until you’ve received your letter of admission. For new study permit applications from outside Canada, you must also receive a Provincial Attestation Letter before you can apply for your study permit.

When do you apply?

You should apply for a study permit online as soon as you receive your letter of admission to UBC and Provincial Attestation Letter, if required. Applications can take several months to process.

You cannot travel to Canada until you’ve received your Letter of Introduction (study permit approval letter).

 

How do you apply?

To prepare your application, visit UBC’s step-by-step initial study permit tutorial for UBC Okanagan or UBC Vancouver. Here, you’ll learn about the application process, how to fill out the application form, and what documents to provide.

If you are currently a resident of Antigua and Barbuda, Brazil, China, Colombia, Costa Rica, India, Morocco, Pakistan, Peru, Philippines, Senegal, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago, or Vietnam, you have the option to apply through the Student Direct Stream (SDS). Learn about pre-payment of tuition for SDS for UBC Okanagan or UBC Vancouver.

If you are a US citizen, US permanent resident, or a resident of Greenland or St. Pierre and Miquelon, you have the option to apply for a study permit at the airport or land border crossing on arrival.

Be sure to check our Canvas application review course for the regular process or Student Direct Stream (SDS) to go over your application before you submit it.

What if you’re already studying in Canada?

You do not need a Provincial Attestation Letter if you apply for a study permit extension inside Canada before your study permit expires.

You are coming to UBC from a Canadian high school

You should apply for your study permit extension as soon as you receive your letter of admission. You can include a letter of explanation to request conditions to work in Canada.

If your study permit expires more than 6 months from now or you have more than 150 days between schools, contact International Student Advising for support.

You can only apply for a study permit extension when you are in Canada. In this case, a Provincial Attestation Letter is not required. If you are in Canada, apply for a study permit extension by reviewing the step-by-step study permit extension tutorial for UBC Okanagan or UBC Vancouver as soon as you receive your letter of admission. Check the Canvas application review course before you submit your application. If you will not be returning to Canada before your study permit becomes invalid or expires and your Temporary Resident Visa expires (if applicable), contact International Student Advising for support.

You are transferring to UBC from a Canadian college or university

If your study permit is still valid, you can use the same study permit to study at UBC. However, you must notify IRCC by changing your DLI number online.

Contact International Student Advising for support with your study permit validity if you completed a program in Canada, as well as with your status in Canada if you will have more than 150 days between institutions.

What do you need to prepare before travelling to Canada?

Before making travel plans, be sure to review our Travelling to Canada Guide for UBC Okanagan or UBC Vancouver to learn about when to travel, what to bring, ensuring your study permit allows you to work, and more.

If you still have questions

The UBC International Student Guide for UBC Okanagan or UBC Vancouver is a great resource and reference handbook for everything you need to know about coming to UBC.

If you still have questions, our International Student Advising team at UBC Okanagan and UBC Vancouver is here for you.

We also recommend that you enroll in iPREP, a pre-arrival course designed for new students to learn about immigration documents, health insurance, banking, cell phones, and more.

As the final part of your UBC application, you’ll need to upload your documents for evaluation. Mark these important dates and deadlines in your calendar, and read on to find tips about document formatting and ordering transcripts based on your province.

 

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BC and Yukon

January 31

• Deadline to provide UBC with your BC Personal Education Number (PEN).
• Deadline to order a transcript for UBC through the Student Transcripts website.

When ordering your transcript, be sure to select “Send my transcript now and allow this Post-Secondary Institution to request transcript updates,” and choose the default date (one year from the date of your order) so that UBC can receive your interim and final grades continuously. This will allow UBC to receive your transcripts electronically from the BC Ministry of Education and Child Care.

 

February 15

• Deadline to meet UBC’s English Language Admissions Standard, if you have completed less than four consecutive years of study within Canada.
• If you entered the school system after Grade 9 and have applied to a UBC Vancouver program: Deadline for your counsellor or principal to submit a request for you to be waived UBC’s language 11 requirement.
  • Please instruct your counsellor to submit this request — and be sure to give them plenty of advance notice before the February 15 deadline. To apply for exemption from the language 11 requirements, UBC needs a written statement from your principal or counsellor indicating your date of entry and grade of entry into the Canadian school system and your UBC reference number. Statements must be emailed to language11.waiver@ubc.ca.
• If you are completing your IB diploma in Canada: Deadline for IB coordinators to submit your anticipated score results to UBC. This information is sent electronically and directly from your school to UBC.

 

Mid-March – end of April

• As all grade information will be sent to UBC from the BC Ministry of Education and Child Care on a continuous and ongoing basis, you do not need to submit any paper transcripts.
• After your application is reviewed, you will receive an admissions decision from UBC (unless you have already heard from UBC with a first round offer of admission) by email, or you can check your applicant status in the Applicant Service Centre from mid-March to the end of April.

 

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Ontario

January 31

• Deadline to provide UBC with your Ontario Universities’ Application Centre (OUAC) reference number.

 

February 15

• Deadline to meet UBC’s English Language Admissions Standard.
• If you are completing your IB diploma in Canada: Deadline for IB coordinators to submit your anticipated score results to UBC. This information is sent electronically and directly from your school to UBC.

 

Mid-March – end of April

• As all grade information will be sent to UBC through OUAC on a continuous and ongoing basis, you do not need to submit any paper transcripts.
• After your application is reviewed, you will receive an admissions decision from UBC (unless you have already heard from UBC with a first round offer of admission) by email, or you can check your applicant status in the Applicant Service Centre from mid-March to the end of April.

 

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Alberta, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and the Maritimes

February 15

• Deadline to meet UBC’s English Language Admissions Standard.

 

February 15 – March 15

• Upload a copy of your transcript/report card or Detailed Academic Report (see instructions below).

Please note: If you are completing your IB diploma in Canada, the deadline for IB coordinators to submit your anticipated score results to UBC is February 15. This information is sent electronically and directly from your school to UBC.

 

Which documents do you upload?

If you attend a linear school

If you attend a linear school (where you are taking year-long courses from September to June), you will need to upload:

• a transcript/report card including final grades for Grade 11 courses and in-progress (interim) grades for all Grade 12 courses you are currently taking.

If your transcript does not contain any item listed above, you will need to wait until you have this information before you upload your documents.

If you attend a school with a different format

If you attend a school where your courses are taken sequentially (for example September to January, and February to June), you will need to upload:

• a transcript/report card including final grades for your Grade 11 courses and final grades for any completed Grade 12 courses. If you are studying in Alberta, please upload only your Detailed Academic Report (DAR).
• a list of in-progress courses as a separate document. This does not have to be an official document – it can be a list that you’ve typed up yourself or written by hand, as long as it is legible.

If your transcript does not contain any item listed above, you will need to wait until you have this information before you upload your documents.

If your school has a modified timeline in which your courses are completed (for example, your school may offer courses via quarter, quadmester, or quintet systems), you should still complete the steps above.

 

Document format and size

• Your documents must be uploaded in PDF, TIFF, or JPEG format, and must not exceed 2 MB.
• Multiple pages need to be collapsed into a single document. For example: If your transcript exceeds one page, you need to collapse the pages into a single PDF, TIFF, or JPEG and upload it through the Applicant Service Centre.

Please do not mail in a paper copy of your transcripts/report card. Doing so can slow down the review of your application.

 

Mid-March – end of April

• After your application is reviewed, you will receive an admissions decision from UBC (unless you have already heard from UBC with a first round offer of admission) by email, or you can check your applicant status in the Applicant Service Centre from mid-March to the end of April.

 

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If you have any questions, please contact us.

 

 

Updated March 14, 2022

 

In January 2022, BC’s Ministry of Education made the difficult decision to cancel the January sittings of all Grade 12 Literacy Assessments. The Ministry of Education has now confirmed that the April and June assessments will go ahead as planned.

 

What this means for you

You’ll need to take your Grade 12 Literary Assessment in April or June.

In July, the BC Ministry of Education will provide UBC with a copy of your final grades including your Grade 12 Literacy Assessment. At that time, you’ll need to demonstrate that you’ve achieved a score of “Proficient” in order to keep your offer.

 

Disruptions due to COVID-19

The Grade 12 Literary Assessment is an important condition of your offer and you must try to do your best on the exam. However, UBC understands that you’ve faced uncertainty and challenges during your most important years at school, and that this stress can affect your test results.

When we review your application and final grades, including the results of the Grade 12 Literary Assessment, we will do so with great care and sensitivity. In the event that you do not achieve a score of “Proficient” on the exam, we will take these disruptions into account when reviewing your final standing.

We know you’ve been working very hard for your upcoming assessments. We hope you enjoy a restful spring break, and we wish you luck for a successful school year.

 

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January 26, 2022

This week, BC’s Ministry of Education made the difficult decision to cancel the January sittings of all Grade 12 Literacy Assessments. We understand that you may have questions about how this might impact your application to UBC.

 

How UBC uses your Grade 12 Literacy Assessment

Remember: UBC does not use your Grade 12 Literacy Assessment score as part of your admissions decision. The cancellation of the January sittings of the exam will not impact the evaluation of your application.

UBC will only require your Grade 12 Literacy Assessment if you receive an offer of admission. The BC Ministry of Education will provide UBC with a copy of your final grades in July, including your Grade 12 Literacy Assessment. At that time, you’ll need to demonstrate that you’ve achieved a score of “Proficient” in order to keep your offer.

 

Cancellation of future Grade 12 Literacy Assessments

The BC Ministry of Education will confirm in mid-February 2022 whether the April and June sittings of the Grade 12 Literacy Assessment will go ahead. In the event that these exams are also cancelled, UBC will not require you to sit the Grade 12 Literacy Assessment to keep your offer.

 

Graduation before June 2022

If you plan to graduate – or have graduated – from high school before June 2022, UBC will not require you to show any results from a Grade 12 Literacy Assessment. This includes students who graduate in January 2022.