International Students
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International students have incredible opportunities at Saint Mary's. With supportive programming, cultural activities and attentive professors, you'll thrive in a community that believes in your success.
Find out more about visas, study permits, and living in Canada.
Apply for a study permit
To study in Canada, international students require a study permit and/or a visitor visa, issued by Canada immigration authorities.
Apply for your student visa at least 8 weeks prior to your intended study date. The length of this process depends on your country of residence and where you need to apply. You can find more information online from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC).
Full information on how to apply for a study permit can be found on the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) website.
The CIC website has comprehensive information on how to get a study permit, including instructions on how to:
- Prepare to study by finding out what you need before applying for a study permit
- Determine your eligibility
- Apply for a study permit, including where to get application forms and guides
- Check Processing Times
- Get 'next steps' after you apply; and
- Prepare for arrival in Canada
American citizens or permanent residents of the United States can apply for study permits at the points of entry (border or airports) into Canada.
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International students are able to work in Canada during full-time academic studies at Saint Mary’s. When you arrive in Canada and begin your full-time undergraduate or graduate studies, you will be able to work part-time (up to 20 hours a week, on or off campus) during academic study and full-time (up to 40 hours a week) during school breaks.
Once you complete your degree, you may be able to stay in Canada and work full-time, anywhere in the country, for up to three years on a Post Graduate Work Permit (PGWP). The Saint Mary’s University International Student Centre can assist you with the work permit process.
Saint Mary's University will accept custodianship responsibility for international students who are under the age of 19, the age of majority in Nova Scotia. To apply for custodianship, you may contact the International Student Centre at international.centre@smu.ca to request the custodianship documents.
There is a $250 (Canadian) fee to process this application. Please also note that you must live in an on-campus residence at Saint Mary's until at least the end of the academic semester in which you turn 19 to qualify for custodianship. Please visit our Residence page to learn more about applying for residence at Saint Mary's University.
Questions?
For general admission questions, you can contact our International Admissions Officers at international@smu.ca.
Graduate studies
For information on admission into graduate programs, please visit Graduate Studies.