Immigration impacts of suspension or having an unauthorized leave from studies

You are not considered to be meeting your requirements as a student and cannot remain in Canada during your time away from studies without taking further action.

You must do one of the following before you take time away from your studies or as soon as possible after you’ve stopped studying:

• Apply for a Visitor Record to stay in Canada as a visitor, which does not allow you to work in Canada.
• Hold a work permit unrelated to studies (if eligible). In general, these are difficult to qualify for and you may find a regulated immigration representative outside UM for advice.
• Leave Canada for the duration of the unauthorized leave/suspension.
• Start or resume studies within 150 days. If you will study at another Designated Learning Institution (DLI) you must change your DLI. Please visit IRCC’s website for more information on changing DLIs. If you return to UM, you will need to change your DLI again. Ask an Academic Advisor from your faculty if you will need to reapply to UM in order to return and if the credits you earned elsewhere can be transferred back to UM or count towards your program requirements.  

Contact an International Student Advisor to discuss your options.

As soon as you are no longer enrolled in full-time studies, you are not eligible to work in Canada during the academic term. You are also not eligible to work during scheduled breaks before and after the term in which you are taking time away from your studies. If you have a co-op work permit, you cannot use it for work that is not required by your UM co-op program. To be eligible to work you must have a work permit which is unrelated to studies, which in general can be difficult to obtain. 

Taking time away from your studies or unauthorized leaves which are not considered actively pursuing studies can negatively impact your PGWP eligibility. When you apply for the PGWP, you should write a letter of explanation about the reason for any unauthorized leaves and gaps in your studies and provide as many supporting documents as possible. You can still submit a PGWP application; however, unfortunately, there is no guarantee the application will be approved. The officer who reviews your application will decide whether or not to approve the application on a case-by-case basis based on your individual circumstances and will make the final decision.

Learn more about PGWP eligibility

If you have been approved for Authorized Withdrawals (AW), this is not considered to be an authorized leave from your studies, as it’s a different policy. Please make an appointment to meet with an International Student Advisor to discuss your situation before submitting your PGWP application.

• Ensure you have the proper documents to travel to and enter Canada.
• In addition to the information on IRCC’s website about travelling outside Canada and then re-entering, the following information is also important:
  • Assessment of compliance with Study Permit conditions on your return to Canada:
    • A Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) officer may assess whether you are in compliance with your Study Permit conditions on your return to Canada.
  • As a Study Permit holder in Canada, you may be asked to provide documents to demonstrate that you meet the following conditions:
    • You are currently enrolled at a designated learning institution (DLI) and intend to continue to remain enrolled at a DLI until you complete your studies; and
    • You have actively pursued your course or program of study at all times while you held a Study Permit.
    • These documents may include:
      • Enrollment verification (proof of enrolment);
      • Transcripts for all previous academic years you held a Study Permit;
      • Copies of certificates, diplomas and/or degrees for any program of studies you have completed in Canada;
      • Letters of completion for any program of studies you have completed in Canada;
      • Letters of acceptance if you are in a process of switching DLIs.
    • The above is not an all-exhaustive list. You may wish to refer to IRCC’s Study permits: Assessing study permit conditions guidelines for additional information

• Important: Study Permit holders that are not able to demonstrate by way of documentation to the CBSA officer on request that they meet the above-noted conditions should consult the International Centre and/or a qualified Canadian immigration professional before travelling outside of Canada.

• Failure to demonstrate compliance with conditions of your existing Study Permit on arrival in Canada may result in an enforcement action being commenced by the CBSA which may include detention, cancellation of the Study Permit and removal from Canada.

If you are a Study Permit holder who is currently on academic suspension and you decided to travel outside of Canada, you may be found not in compliance by the CBSA officer when you are examined on return and ordered to leave Canada.

• After your leave/suspension, you can resume studies on your current study permit if it is still valid. A leave from studies does not cause your study permit or Temporary Resident Visa to become invalid.
• If your study permit will expire during your leave/suspension, contact an International Student Advisor before the expiry date to discuss your options. You may need to provide additional documents to explain how you plan to resume your studies.

• Your MISHP coverage will end once you are no longer enrolled in classes at the UM
  • An exception to this is if your leave or suspension begins in the Summer term, the coverage you paid for at the start of the Winter term will continue on until the end of August
  • We recommend that students explore private health coverage options through an insurance broker for the time they will not be covered by MISHP. You may only be eligible for emergency coverage and have to pay out of pocket for any regular visits to a doctor, but please explore the specifics with the broker/insurance company.
• You may not be able to stay in on-campus residences.
• You will not be able to claim a UPass for Fall and Winter terms if you are on a period of suspension or taking any time away from studies.
• If you are currently receiving funding, such as a fellowship, scholarship or award, check with your funding agency or Financial Aid and Awards to see if taking a leave will impact your eligibility.

• Social Insurance Number
  • Your Social Insurance Number (SIN) remains valid until the expiry date, however you can only work in Canada if you are enrolled full-time for immigration purposes, or are eligible to work on a scheduled break. Having a valid SIN by itself is not sufficient to work in Canada.
• Dependents’ status
  • If your common-law partner or spouse has a work permit as a result of your study permit, it remains valid until the expiry date indicated on the work permit unless there is a condition which says otherwise.
  • If you have children, they may continue to study with or without a study permit while your study permit is valid, even if you have applied for visitor status. Please review IRCC website find out if your children need study permits.
  • However, if you are on visitor status due to taking an unauthorized leave of 150 days or more and your study permit and your spouse’s open study or work permit will expire, your children must obtain their own study permit.
  • Contact an International Student Advisor for support.