Understanding your enrollment status

The number of credits you take determines your full-time or part-time status for immigration purposes. The regular academic session for undergraduate students is the Fall and Winter terms (September to April). Undergraduate students are considered full-time for immigration purposes if you register for and complete 9 or more credits in each Term. To be reported as a full-time student, you must be enrolled in:

• At least 9 credits in Fall term (September to December)
• At least 9 credits in Winter Term (January to April)

The Summer Session (May to August) is a scheduled break for most* undergraduate students where taking courses is optional.

For most* undergraduate students the Regular Academic Session is from September – April each year (fall and winter terms).

If you voluntarily withdraw "VW" from a course, you are no longer considered enrolled in that course for the term. You will be considered part-time if you remain enrolled in at least 1 course, but complete fewer than 9 credits in a term. This means you can start a term with 9 credit hours (full-time), but if you VW a 3 credit hour course, you will drop down to only 6 credit hours for that term and are reported as part-time for that entire term.

Voluntary withdrawals (VWs) and authorized withdrawals (AWs) do not count towards full-time status.

Most* Masters & Ph.D. students who are participating in studies on a regular basis in an academic term and/or are registered in the academic year are considered to be full-time students. Master and Ph.D. student status is not determined by the number of credit hours taken per term.

If you are registered in a Masters or PhD. Program you are in an “Intensive Program” and do not have a scheduled breaks. The Regular Session is September – August each year (Fall, Winter and Summer terms)

• A student registered in a Co-op work term is considered to have Full Time status. 
• Beginning Summer 2023, Summer term is required at the College of Nursing. Effective Fall 2022, students admitted to the Bachelor of Nursing program will be required to register in a full academic term in Summer. For continuing students who were admitted prior to Fall 2022, Summer Term will remain optional.
• The MBA is an exception to this rule for Masters programs for full-time status assessment – in the MBA, students must have 9+ credits per term to be assessed as full-time
• Students enrolled in the Intensive Academic English Program through ELC have different criteria for full time status
• Pre-masters enrollment status is determined the same as Undergraduate Students
• Extended Education Intensive Program Packages

Please consult our current Full Time Status Document for IRCC Purposes for more information

From an IRCC perspective, at a minimum, students must have part-time status with their institution to be considered to be actively pursuing their studies. 

See: Assessing Study Permit Conditions. 

However, registering for a part time term or dropping down to part time status can have significant impacts on your ability to work in Canada, both during your studies and after graduation.

If you are a part time student you are typically* not eligible to work on or off campus for the remainder of the term and must stop working immediately. You will not be able to resume working until you are enrolled full time.

You are also not eligible to work full-time during scheduled breaks immediately before and after your part-time term. You can only work full-time in the scheduled break if you are a full-time student both before and after the break. 

• Working off campus
• Working on campus

Exceptions to working while you study

If you’re a part-time student you can work on or off campus only if:

• you meet all other working in Canada requirements, except the requirement to be a full-time student 
  and:
• you’re only studying part-time, instead of full-time, because:
  •  you’re in the last semester of your study program and you don’t need a full course load to complete your program and
  • you were a full-time student in your program in Canada, up until your last semester

Your eligibility for the Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP) after graduation will be impacted since you are required to study full time continuously without unauthorized breaks in each regularly scheduled Term to be eligible for PGWP.

One of the requirements to apply for a PGWP is that you have maintained full-time* status as a student in Canada during each semester of your study program. 

• Post-Graduation Work Permit Eligibility 

If you have had a part time term and are still hoping to apply for a PGWP you are strongly encouraged to connect with a Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultant or immigration lawyer to discuss your options and receive comprehensive professional support with the application. 

Exceptions to working after graduation

You may still be eligible for a Post-Graduation Work permit if: 

• Only studying part-time during your final semester
• Taking an approved leave from your studies
  • Please note: UM does not have an authorized leave process for undergraduate students, or any process to defer a term. If an undergraduate student at UM chooses not to register, then there is no official process that you need to go through and there would just be a gap on your record for that term.
• Having to stop studying or changing to part-time studies between March 2020 and the fall semester in 2020 for reasons related to COVID-19 (that is, between January 1, 2020, and August 31, 2020)

Your Bus Pass, Scholarship and Bursary, and On campus Housing eligibility may be impacted by becoming a Part Time student. Be sure to connect with the relevant departments to discuss your situation.