Immigration information

While a full-time student in Canada, students can extend their student authorizations by mail. Students should apply at least one month prior to the expiry date.

Steps to follow when applying for student authorization extensions:

1. Download an application from the Canada Citizenship and Immigration website: www.cic.gc.ca/english/applications/extend-student.html or pick up an application form from the International Office.
2. Complete the application form and include the following required documentation:
   
   • A copy of your valid passport
   • Proof of financial support
   • Tuition fee receipt
   • Official transcript from previous studies in Canada
   • A letter of enrolment from Durham College(available from the International Office). Please see "Letter Request Forms" (top left of screen) for details on ordering an enrolment letter.
3. Mail the completed application form and documentation to the Case Processing Centre in Vegreville, Alberta. Complete address is available in the application guide.

Students planning to be outside of Canada when their student authorization expires should obtain an extension before leaving Canada. Should an application reach the Processing Centre after the authorization has expired, students will have to pay a reinstatement fee of $200 Cdn.

A student authorization may be withdrawn if a student violates immigration laws while studying in Canada. Students withdrawing from Durham College for any reason must inform the International Office and immigration authorities immediately.

Visiting the United States

Students from the following countries do not require U.S. visas if they are entering the United States for a brief visit (frequent visits require an American visa): Andorra, Austria, Belgium, Brunei, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Monaco, The Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, San Marino, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and United Kingdom.

Students from all other countries require a visitor's visa to enter the United States. Students with a valid student authorization do not require a re-entry visa to enter Canada from the U.S. For complete up-to-date information on U.S. visas, refer to the US Consulate in Toronto.

To obtain a visitor's visa to the U.S., visit the:
U.S. Consulate General Non-Immigrant Visa Unit
225 Simcoe Street, Toronto
Tel: 416.595.0228
Office Hours: Monday to Friday - 8:15 a.m. and 10 a.m..

International students who have been residents of Ontario for a year may complete this process through the mail. A processing fee is required and a "reciprocity fee" may also be charged for the approved visa, depending on nationality. It may take up to two weeks to process.

A completed application should include:

• A completed application form
• A signed photograph
• Copy of your passport
• Evidence of your current immigration status in Canada
• Nature of your visit
• Letter confirming your registration at Durham College
• A stamped, self-addressed envelope.
  

A student visa is not a guarantee of entry into the United States, since an immigration officer at the port of entry to the U.S. determines whether or not a person qualifies under the law to enter the country.

For more information, consult the Citizenship and Immigration Canada website, http://www.cic.gc.ca/.

Temporary Resident Visa

Do I need a Temporary Resident Visa?

A Temporary Resident Visa is a document that allows you to enter Canada and stay for a specified time. Citizens of some countries need a Temporary Resident Visa in addition to a Study Permit to enter Canada. See the list of Countries that require a Temporary Resident Visa on the CIC Website.

Must I renew the Temporary Resident Visa when it expires?

Your Study Permit is the important document that permits you to remain and study in Canada. With a valid Study Permit there is no need to renew the Temporary Resident Visa unless you leave Canada and want to re-enter.

I am leaving for another country, however, my Temporary Resident Visa has expired. Can I re-enter Canada with a valid Study Permit?

You need a valid Temporary Resident Visa to re-enter Canada. Returning to Canada from the United States, however, is an exception because of an agreement between the U.S. and Canada that allows you to return to Canada provided you have a valid passport and Study Permit. The Temporary Resident Visa can be renewed at a Canadian Consulate outside of Canada, in Detroit or Seattle, for example(details below), or in your home country.

I am going home for a visit and I need a Temporary Resident Visa to come back to Canada. Can I apply for a Temporary Resident Visa to Canada before I leave or do I have to do this in my home country?

If you want to renew your Temporary Resident Visa before you leave Canada, send your application to a Canadian Consulate General in the U.S., 2 months before your departure date from Canada.

Instructions and materials required for applying for a Temporary Resident Visa are available on the Citizenship and Immigration Canada website. When you submit your application to a Canadian Consulate for a Temporary Resident Visa, include:

1. original transcript from Durham College 
2. letter of enrolment from the International Office (see "Letter Request Forms")
3. bank statement
4. copy of current Study Permit. The expiry date should be later than date of return to Canada.

Below are the links for Detroit and Seattle for applying for a Temporary Resident Visa

• Canadian Consulate General - Detroit
• Canadian Consulate General - Seattle