Important reminder for incoming students
New students must arrive at the campus location stated in your official Letter of Acceptance. Changing campus locations after program acceptance or upon arrival is NOT permitted. Reasons include the predetermined capacity of each campus, distance and limited public transportation between campus locations, and hazardous road conditions, especially during the winter season.
1. Immigration (Study Permit/Visa)
To study in Canada, you must apply for a study permit before coming to Canada. You are highly encouraged to apply for a study permit as soon as you receive your Official Letter of Acceptance from the College.
General information for study permits is here. To find out more about study permit application click here. Depending on the passport nationality, you may need to apply for a Temporary Resident Visa (TRV; also known as visitor visa) or an Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) to be eligible to enter Canada legally.
Click here to find out if you need a TRV, eTA or not. If your study permit application is approved, your TRV or eTA will be issued automatically. You do not need to apply separately.
For more information on Canadian immigration, please refer to the IRCC website.
2. After study permit gets approved
Email a scanned copy of your study permit or POE Letter of Introduction (also known as your Study Permit Approval Letter) as well as your CMTN student number to international@coastmountaincollege.ca as soon as you receive them.
Failure to send us a scanned copy of your study permit or POE Letter of Introduction means that our International Advising Team will not be able to assist you in course registration (as stated in #3 of this checklist). We do not accept submissions of Passport Request (PPR) Letters or Temporary Resident Visas as replacements for study permits or POE Letters of Introduction.
Do not book your flight tickets even after your study permit has been approved. You will first need to be successfully registered for your courses to ensure your class seats, as they are on a first-come, first-served basis.
What if your study permit is denied by IRCC:
If you are refused a study permit, you may be eligible for a tuition deposit refund (less the administration processing fee). Refund requests will be administered to the origin of payment and no cheques will be issued. Applicants are required to complete the Refund Request form. Please ensure you read carefully the CMTN Procedures for Payment and Refund Policy.
What if your study permit approval is delayed:
- If your permit is delayed, you may choose to defer your application to the next term or intake and your deposit will be held. International students may defer up to three academic terms (the equivalent of one calendar year). Students must notify the college before the beginning of class.
- Deferrals are subject to program availability and require approval from the Dean and Registrar’s Office. Please ensure you read carefully the CMTN Procedures for Payment and Refund Policy. Please review the Deferral or Refund form and refer to Page 3 of the form to learn how to submit a deferral request.
3. Wait to get registered
As a new international student, your registration is done through the International Student Advisor and the Registrar’s Office. You must review the Course Planning Sheet which the International Student Advisor will send you and authorize registration via email. The Registrar’s Office will complete your registration for you and send you a confirmation. It is important that your email address is up to date on file with the College.
It is important that you confirm your registration first before making any travel plans to Canada. You may book your travel and flight tickets once you have successfully registered for your first-term courses.
4. Know before you go
Make sure you know what to expect for your journey to Canada.
- Know your international and domestic points of entry: Your will be entering Canada through Vancouver (YVR) or another international Canadian airport. You will then make a connecting flight to another domestic airport depending on your campus location at either Terrace (YXT), Prince Rupert (YPR), or Smithers (YYD). Make sure to double check your flight details as well as your official Letter of Acceptance to verify.
- Allocate sufficient time for border checkpoint: All newcomers entering Canada for study or work are mandated to go through the Canadian Border Services Agency (CBSA) Checkpoints upon arrival at the airport. Note that this may take 1-2 hours depending on the number of new arrivals being accommodated at a time.
- Allocate sufficient time for domestic connections: Due to changing or unexpected circumstances, such as delayed flights and longer checkpoint processing times, we encourage you to give yourself a minimum of three hours before transferring to your domestic flight.
5. Submit your Travel Plans
Let our International Student Advisors know your travel intentions by sending an email to international@coastmountaincollege.ca. Do not make any bookings until an International Student Advisor acknowledges your request. Please expect 3-5 Business days for an acknowledgement via email.
6. Prepare for your arrival to Canada
Visit the preparing to arrive section of our website to learn more about:
Arriving in Canada
Border entry
Getting here
Checking in
Medical insurance
Be sure to download and read CMTN's International Student Handbook [PDF], attend the New Student Orientation in your residing campus, and have your Student ID Card prepared.