Visa Information

IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT CANADIAN VISAS

Please note that this information is correct at time of writing and this should be used as a guideline only. EF can not be held responsible for any outdated information on this page. Please check with the Canadian or US immigration websites for current policies.

COUNTRIES NOT REQUIRING VISITOR VISAS FOR CANADA – LESS THAN 6 MONTHS VISIT

1. You do NOT need a visitor’s visa to study in Canada if you are from

Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Netherlands, Norway, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Slovenia, Switzerland. (information correct March 2006)

If you are from one of these countries you can stay in Canada and study for up to 6 months from the date you arrive here. (This date is stamped in your passport when you arrive). You are also allowed to go in and out of Canada, for example to visit the United States as many times as you want, but remember you should also be attending school and you need at least 80% attendance to get your certificate!

COUNTRIES REQUIRING VISITOR VISAS FOR CANADA - LESS THAN 6 MONTHS VISIT

2. If you are from a country other from the ones above, like Argentina, Brazil, Chile, China, Colombia, Peru, Ecuador, Indonesia, Taiwan, Thailand, Venezuela, Vietnam. You need either a VISITOR’S VISA or a STUDY PERMIT for Canada.

When you have a Visitor’s Visa, you can stay in Canada up to 6 months from the date you arrive here. (This date is stamped in your passport when you arrive). You may also be allowed to go in and out of Canada, for example to visit the United States, but remember you should also be attending school and you need at least 80% attendance to get your certificate!

STUDYING FOR MORE THAN 6 MONTHS

3. If you are from ANY COUNTRY and want to study at an English School in Canada for more than 6 months (180 days) you need a STUDY PERMIT. This Authorization can only be received OUTSIDE CANADA, either in your home country or in the nearest Canadian consulate, which is in Seattle in the United States. There is a fee to apply for the STUDY PERMIT. You can apply and get application forms for the Study Permit from the Canadian Immigration website: www.cic.gc.ca

IMPORTANT NOTE:

If the visa in your passport says “student” on it, this does NOT mean it is a “Student Permit”.

A STUDENT PERMIT has a fold-out page that says “student permit” on it, and it is stapled to your passport.

You can visit and study in Canada as a tourist for up to six months, but if you enter Canada as a tourist, it is usually VERY difficult for to change your status to Student from within the country. If you enter on a student permit, it is generally easier for you to extend your stay as a student.

Always contact immigration with any questions about your visa or status here: 1 (888) 242-2100 or www.cic.gc.ca

All Academic Year Students and students here for more than 6 months (180 days) should have Student Authorizations valid for the amount of time until the end of your course. If you would like to apply for an extension of a Student Authorization, you can do this and you DO NOT have to leave Canada. You can apply by getting the form from the website: www.cic.gc.ca.

To apply for an extension you will need to pay a fee. All information is available on the Canadian Immigration website www.cic.gc.ca.

VISITING THE UNITED STATES

4. The rules above are FOR CANADA. If you want to visit the United States even for 1 day, you will need to make sure that you are legally allowed to enter the USA.

Some nationalities are allowed to enter the USA for up to 3 months without a tourist visa, as part of the Visa Waiver Program. You will need to have a special machine readable passport. These countries include Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Japan, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland (correct in March 2006)

For all visitors to the United States, you will need to be able to explain to the US Immigration officers exactly where you will be staying in the US and for how long. AS POLICIES MAY CHANGE, PLEASE VISIT THE US IMMIGRATION WEBSITE FOR ALL UPDATED INFORMATION ON VISAS http://travel.state.gov/visa/visa_1750.html