Backgrounder - Release of online services to study permit extensions in Canada and expansion of the Electronic Notification System

Since February of this year, international students have had access to expanded online services. They can apply online to extend their study permit and can also apply for or extend the status of their dependent family members while in Canada.

International students applying for an off-campus work permit can now confirm their eligibility online with more than 200 participating institutions through CIC’s Electronic Notification System.

This builds on a pilot project launched in 2008 that allows international students who are applying for an off-campus work permit to confirm their eligibility and submit their application online. Since its release, over 6,000 applications have been submitted online.

e-Services include four components:

Online Application: This system allows applicants to complete, sign, pay, attach scanned documents and submit their application online in a secure manner. It also includes a tool for CIC employees who are reviewing applications at our case processing centre in Vegreville, Alberta.

Electronic Notification System (ENS): This system allows CIC and educational institutions to exchange information regarding the student’s eligibility for an off-campus work permit. In order to be eligible for an off-campus work permit, students must be studying full-time and have satisfactory academic standing. ENS replaces the current paper forms used to confirm student eligibility.

MyCIC: This is an online user account on CIC’s Web site. It contains the applicant’s personal profile. Applicants can also receive information from CIC relating to their applications through their MyCIC account.

Partner Portal: The Partner Portal is a dedicated password-protected Web site that links designated institutional representatives at participating schools to specific CIC services and information.

Students who apply online will benefit in a number of ways:

• they can submit their application at anytime, from anywhere, using the Web;
• they can use the help text that is available for every field, which makes the online application easy to use; and
• they can only submit a complete application. Forms submitted by mail often need to be returned because they are incomplete, adding additional time to the process.