Immigration Support Services

What you will need to get started

CBU has a Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultant on staff in the International Student and Study Abroad Centre, as well as advisors, to assist students with immigration concerns regarding study, work permits and citizenship processes. As an international student planning to study in Canada, you must apply for a study permit and either a Temporary Residence Visa (TRV) or Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA). If you choose to apply to CBU and get accepted, you will need your letter of acceptance to start the study permit application process, and you should begin this process four to six months before you plan to arrive.

A study permit allows you to study at a college or university and is a requirement for you to remain in Canada for the duration of your studies. A visa or eTA allows you to enter Canada. Depending on your citizenship, you may need a visa or eTA in addition to a study permit in order to enter Canada as an international student.

Visit www.cic.gc.ca for more information as well as a list of countries that require visas to enter Canada. For immigration information specific to Nova Scotia (the province where CBU is located), you can visit www.novascotiaimmigration.com/study-here

Travel Plans

When booking your travel tickets, if possible, plan to arrive during campus business hours of 8:30am to 4:30pm. Many of you will fly into the Halifax International Airport before connecting to Sydney. This is a 4-hour drive from Sydney, so do not plan to take a taxi to Cape Breton from the Halifax airport. The simplest plan is to book your air travel all the way into Sydney. The JA Douglas McCurdy Sydney Airport (YQY) in Sydney is located just minutes from campus. A taxi ride to the university should cost on average $10 per person.

Airport pick-up in Sydney, Nova Scotia is available for a limited time each semester. Pick-up requests must be submitted 48 hours prior to arrival time at the JA Douglas McCurdy Sydney Airport. You can complete the airport pickup request form here.

Working while studying in Canada

You are able to work in Canada if you are a full-time student and hold a valid study permit. You will need to obtain a Social Insurance Number once you arrive in Canada in order to work. To learn more, visit www.canada.ca/en/services/immigration-citizenship

Post-graduate work permit

After completing an academic degree, diploma or certificate program in Canada that is at least eight months in length, you are eligible to receive a work permit that allows you to work full-time in Canada for up to three years through the postgraduate work permit program.