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Defer your admission: International students
Have you been accepted into SFU but wish to defer your Undergraduate Admission offer? Requests will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis, and deferrals are not a guarantee. Please allow three weeks for us to review your request to defer your admission.
Deferrals may be approved for students who:
- Have an exceptional, unforeseen situation that is typically of a short-term nature and have a clear and definitive end date
- Mandatory Military Service
- Visa or Study Permit rejection
- Visa or Study Permit delay
Deferrals will not be granted for students who:
- Plan on attending another post-secondary institution during the deferral period
- Do not meet the conditions of their admission offer
- Are not financially prepared to attend post-secondary. We encourage you to connect with our Financial Aid & Awards Department for guidance and support with next-steps for financial planning for university
If your deferral application is not eligible, we encourage you to consider reapplying for an upcoming term. 91ÅÝܽ accepts applications for our Fall (September), Spring (January) and Summer (May) terms. More details on application dates and deadlines can be found here.
Deferral dates and deadlines
| Original Admit Term | Deferral Application period |
|---|---|
| Spring (January) | October 15 to December 15 |
| Summer (May) | February 15 to April 15 |
| Fall (September) | July 1 to August 15 |
For your deferral request to be considered, you must pay the admission deposit, which will be applied to your approved deferral term. Please note: The admission deposit is non-refundable.
Contact us
Contact the go-to person who emailed you following your application, get help, or submit an inquiry by visiting our .
Graduate Student Deferrals
You should make the request directly to your academic program. If the deferral is approved, the offer of admission may be modified.
How to Request an Admission Deferral
Step 1: Accept your offer of admission and pay the non-refundable admission deposit fee: /students/enrolment-services/fees/how-to-pay.html
Step 2: Begin preparing supporting documentation in support of your deferral request. Supporting documentation requested will depend on the reason noted in your application.
Step 3: Send an email to director_internationalrecruitment[at]sfu.ca requesting a deferral. You must include the following information in your email:
- The reason(s) you are requesting to defer your admission
- The necessary document(s) required to support your deferral request, such as: proof of a denied study permit, mandatory military service notice, medical records
- When you want to start your studies at SFU. You can defer to start next Spring (Jan 2026), Summer (May 2026) or Fall (Sept 2026).
Step 4: If you have a conditional offer of admission, be sure to satisfy the conditions of your offer.
Important Information
Deferring SFU Entrance Scholarships, Awards and Bursaries
Only certain Entrance Scholarships, Awards and Bursaries can be deferred and requests will be reviewed on a case by case basis. Please contact fiassist@sfu.ca to see how your admission deferral may impact any scholarships, awards and bursaries you may have received. Be sure to include your SFU Student ID in your communications.
Course Registration
As deferrals are not a guarantee, we encourage you to register for courses on your enrollment date while your deferral application is reviewed. Your Deferral Application Form must be submitted by the posted deadline to be considered by SFU Admissions.
If your deferral application is approved, it is your responsibility to withdraw from any courses you may have registered in prior to the start of the academic term to avoid financial and/or academic penalties.
If your deferral application is not approved, you may choose to remain enrolled and begin studies for your admitted term or drop your courses. It is your responsibility to withdraw yourself from enrolled courses prior to the start of the term to avoid financial and/or academic penalties. If all courses are dropped for the upcoming term, your SFU student status will be discontinued, and any future interest in studying at SFU will require a new application.
We encourage deferral applicants to:
Familiarize yourself with the deadlines to add, drop and swap courses without financial penalty
SFU Residence
If your deferral is approved and you have applied for residence, notify Residence and Housing to have your housing deferred by emailing housing@sfu.ca. Be sure to include your SFU Student ID in your communications.
International Students
If you have not already done so, please reach out to International Services for Students to discuss immigration implications regarding your deferral to a future term. Visit here to connect with an International Student Advisor, Immigration Specialist to discuss important considerations on how your deferral may impact your study permit, post-graduation work permit and your future studies at SFU.