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Student Services

International Student Advising and Programs

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ENROLMENT REQUIREMENTS: STUDYING AND WORKING IN CANADA

Starting January 22, 2025, a Provincial Attestation Letter (PAL) is required for most study permit applications, including those applying for graduate programs or changing schools (e.g., high school to post-secondary or transferring DLIs).

For more information on PAL exemptions, visit the . For PAL related inquiries, visit our PAL FAQ page.

To be compliant with your , Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) requires you to  as this is the primary reason for you to be here in Canada. You may demonstrate this by:

  • Enrolling in classes each academic term
  • Remaining enrolled until you complete your program, and
  • Not taking authorized leaves longer than 150 consecutive days from your study program

What is an authorized leave for immigration purposes?

If you need to take some time away from studies, you may be eligible to take for up to 150 consecutive days without negatively affecting study permit compliance, provided certain conditions are met. 

According to IRCC, any leave taken from a program of studies in Canada should not exceed 150 consecutive days from the date the leave commenced and must be authorized by their Designated Learning Institution (DLI). Authorized leaves may be taken for reasons such as:

  • Medical illness or injury
  • Pregnancy or parental leave
  • Death or serious illness of a family member
  • Program change within SFU, outside of a regularly scheduled term break
  • Postponed program start
      - see: Deferring Your Program Start (Before Studies Begin) 
  • Other exceptional circumstances: additional reasons may be considered if authorized by the university

Immigration Impacts of an Authorized Leave

If you need to take a gap (or more) from your studies, depending on a few factors including the length of your leave, it may impact your study permit conditions and validity, your ability to work on and or off-campus, and eligibility for the post-graduation work permit (PGWP) in different ways.  If you are considering an authorized leave of absence, ensure that you fully understand the implications and have taken the necessary steps to obtain approval.

Reminders for international students considering an authorized leave for immigration purposes

Undergraduate Students

  • Spring and Fall terms are considered academic terms at SFU for immigration purposes
  • You can take the Summer term off without applying for an authorized leave 

Graduate Students 

Check the summary table and detailed descriptions below:  

Leave Length

Study Permit Conditions 

On/off-campus Work Eligibility            

 Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP)   Eligibility
Taking a leave up to 150 days  May take an authorized leave up to a maximum of 150 days Not eligible to work on or off campus at all (except for  
- a regularly scheduled break  
- graduate students on an approved leave under the category of “academic break”)  		 May still meet , provided that the leave is up to 150 days with proof that leave is authorized by SFU.  
Taking a leave(s) longer than 150 days  The IRCC officer will assess your circumstance(s) to determine if you are compliant with the study permit conditions.  Not eligible to work during the leave  Can impact eligibility for PGWP and the IRCC officers will make the final determination on your eligibility for PGWP  

Authorized Leave Process at SFU

If you’re considering taking time away from your studies, the Authorized Leave process pages below will guide you through your options, outline the steps to request leave, and connect you with the resources available to support you during your time away. 

Please click the buttons to learn more:

FAQs on Authorized Leave

I am a International Undergraduate Student:

I took a term off before Spring 2025. Can I request an authorized leave letter retroactively?

No, the authorized leave letter cannot be applied retroactively. 

I took an academic term off before Spring 2025. What supporting documents can I gather to support my future PGWP application? 

Undergraduate students may download a letter to demonstrate there was no process to request a leave letter prior to Spring 2025. To download, please see Confirmation of Enrolment webpage and scroll down to “I have been asked to provide a letter to confirm SFU’s enrolment and undergraduate leave policy. How do I get this letter”? 

For students who were not able to maintain continuous full-time enrollment in all academic terms at SFU (e.g., you studied part time or took a term off) it is strongly recommended that you must include a letter of explanation  detailing your unique circumstance(s) with your future immigration application. Depending on the circumstances, supporting documents may also be submitted as evidence of reason(s) for any gaps in your enrollment.

Do I need to request an authorized leave letter if I intend to take a Summer term off?  

From the immigration perspective, the Spring and Fall terms are considered academic sessions for SFU undergraduate students. If you are an undergraduate student and you choose not to enroll in a full-time course load in the Summer term, this will not impact your study permit or your post-graduation work permit eligibility. 

If you plan to take a Summer term off, you do not need to request an authorized leave for Summer term. You may still be eligible to work on or off campus under your study permit during the Summer term, provided that if it meets IRCC’s definition of a regularly scheduled break. 

How can I access the Authorized Leave Request letter?  

Once approved, the authorized leave letter will be emailed to your SFU email account.  

I am a International Graduate Student:

What should I consider before taking a leave of absence?

If you need to take a break from your studies, you must apply for a leave of absence. Please review the Faculty of Graduate Studies website for the instructions on how to apply for an online leave of absence form. You can visit the Leave of Absence section for more information.

If you choose to take a leave of absence:

If your leave is more than 150 days in length, please see the "If your leave is longer than 150 days " section.

Note: Some intensive programs may not permit breaks in your studies unless there are extenuating circumstances. It is your responsibility to check with your academic program prior to taking any term(s) off.

For All International Students:

I need to take time away from my studies. Will this affect my study permit or post-graduation work permit eligibility?

We understand that sometimes students may need to take time off from their studies due to personal circumstances such as pregnancy, family emergencies, or health-related issues.

If you take an authorized leave of absence of less than 150 days, you can remain compliant with your study permit conditions. While final decisions are made by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), they do recognize that students may need or choose to take a break from their studies while in Canada.

If your leave will be longer than 150 days (e.g. taking multiple academic terms off), please refer to the section titled “If your leave is longer than 150 days” for more detailed guidance.

This is my first term at SFU but I can’t enroll due to processing delay with my study permit application. Can I apply for an authorized leave letter from SFU?

You are not eligible to apply for an authorized leave during your first term at SFU. If you can’t enroll or need to postpone your studies, you should apply for deferral. 

What happens if I do not enroll in courses and do not apply for an authorized leave?

Undergraduate Students 

While SFU does not require you to seek permission from the university to take leave, you may be asked by IRCC to provide proof that your leave is authorized by SFU. Starting in Fall 2025, you may request an authorized leave letter as a new administrative policy. Before you withdraw from courses, please review the immigration section or Consult with an International Student Advisor, Immigration Specialist to make an informed decision. 

If you are away from SFU for three or more consecutive terms, your SFU account will be deactivated, and you must apply for reactivation or readmission (depending on your eligibility) before you can resume your studies at SFU.  See SFU’s policies on Reactivation and Readmission for undergraduate students.

Graduate Students 

If you are enrolled and wish to withdraw from courses, please contact the Faculty of Graduate Studies directly for leave options and eligibility assessment. For immigration implications, please consult with an International Student Advisor, Immigration Specialist to make an informed decision. Graduate students who are not enrolled or on leave (see regulation 1.4.5) by the end of the 6th week of classes within a term, will be discontinued from their program. For more information, see SFU’s policies on reactivation and readmission for graduate students.

Can I work during an authorized leave?

As per IRCC, study permit holders can’t work on or off campus during an from their study program, even if their study permit says they’re allowed to work in Canada. You may only return to work once you're back to studying and meet the on or off-campus work requirements.

*Exception: Graduate students who are approved for an academic break may be eligible to work. See "Regularly Scheduled Break" for details.

Who can help? 

Leave of Absence Questions

Undergraduate students

  • First Step: Review the current page for immigration implications and leave of absence process.
  • Further Questions?
    📧 Contact Undergraduate Records: urecords@sfu.ca

Graduate students 

Immigration questions (All Students)