After receiving your Letter of Acceptance, it is time to get ready to come to Canada and start your studies. Please read the following information carefully and email us if you have any questions.
Log into your my NIC account. All future communication from North Island College will be through your myNIC email address. You can find your log-in information in your Letter of Offer. Please check your email regularly. If you have problems with log in, please visit the help page.
You may have outstanding admission requirements that need to be submitted. Please check your Letter of Offer to ensure that all documents are submitted.
Some programs (especially those in Health and Human Services programs) require you to submit additional documents prior to the start of the program. This information will be communicated to you in your Letter of Acceptance.
A study permit is issued by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC). A study permit allows you to study in Canada temporarily.
You must have a study permit if your programs is longer than 6 months.
If you are unsure whether you need a study permit, please contact us at study@nic.bc.ca
For information on study permit requirements to study in Canada, visit IRCC’s website.
It can take a few months to receive a study permit, and it is important that you apply for your study permit as soon as you receive your Letter of Acceptance and Provincial Attestation Letter from NIC. To check the current processing time, please visit IRCC’s website. Please note that the approximate processing time does not include the time it takes to send application between a VAC (visa application centre) and IRCC office, the time you need to complete your biometrics, or the time it takes to send and receive your passport from a VAC.
If your program includes a Co-op/Internship/practicum requirement, ensure you tick the appropriate box on your study permit application to request a co-op work permit. Waiting until you are in Canada to apply for a work permit will result in long wait times. For more information, speak to your agent or visit IRCC’s website.
If your contact information changes after you have submitted an application, be sure to update it through IRCC’s webform and through myNIC.
Once you have received a decision regarding your visa and study permit, please email istudentvisas@nic.bc.ca by attaching the decision document in its entirety. You will not be registered in courses and we cannot guarantee there will be space available in courses if you do not provide your study permit by the study permit deadline indicate in your Letter of Acceptance.
Citizens of certain countries are required to have Temporary Resident Visa (TRV). If you are from a TRV-exempt country, you may need to apply for an Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) before you can travel to Canada.
If your study permit does not specifically include post-secondary study or you study at a Canadian high school under visitor record or visitor visa, you need to apply for a new study permit. You will apply to change your study permit as soon as you have your acceptance letter. This is a 'Change in Condition' of your study permit. The form and process are located on the IRCC website.
Once you submit your documents, it may take a few months to receive your study permit. If you plan to go back to your home country or exit Canada during the break and before starting your studies at NIC, we strongly recommend that you have your new study permit approved BEFORE you exit Canada. If unsure, please contact us at study@nic.bc.ca.
If you have a valid study permit and you are starting your study at NIC, you can use the existing study permit to study at NIC. However, you must inform IRCC of the change of institution on your myCIC account.
If you are starting a program at NIC that requires co-op/internship/practicum, you must apply for a cop-op work permit even if you have an existing co-op work permit. Co-op work permit is specific to each post-secondary institution and requires a new co-op work permit.
Depending on the expiry of your study permit, you may need to apply to extend your study permit. If you completed your previous program in Canada before coming to NIC, you must extend your study permit within 90 days after receiving confirmation of program completion, even if your study permit has not expired.
If unsure, please contact International Student Advisors at isa@nic.bc.ca.
The deposit payment does not cover the full program fees. For information on program fees, please visit International Tuition and Fees. Generally the first term fee is covered by your deposit, and there is an outstanding charge for the second term of your study. Fee payment deadline varies depending on the term of your study. Please see NIC Key Dates for payment deadline.
Additional Supplies
Some programs require you to purchase program-specific supplies, which will incur additional cost. For more information, please visit your program page.
After study permit information is provided to us, our International Student Advisor will contact you regarding course registration based on course availability and the prerequisites you have on file, as evaluated by our international admissions. Depending on your prerequisites you may have additional courses you will be registered in.
Whether your courses are online or in-class, we want you to be successful. To be successful learners in our new digital world, students will require access to a computer with internet.
NIC has created 3 technology checklists to assist students prepare for learning. Please see our Learn Anywhere site for a full list of technology requirements.
Program change is not permitted in the first term of study. In limited entry programs you are not be allowed to exit the program in the first year of study.
In cases when students are allowed to change programs in the second or subsequent term of study, they must meet all admission requirements. Please note that some programs may be offered at a different NIC campus location which will require students to relocate to another community. Program change fees are subject to a $100 fee.
