International Applicants

• Location: Study in one of the world's most multicultural cities. Toronto is a vibrant cultural hub that brings diverse creative forces together, and our downtown campus is located right in the heart of it.  

• Creative Education: Learn from experienced artists, designers, and industry professionals who are leaders in their fields.  

• Transformative Research: OCAD University has 20+ research labs, lead by teams of faculty, that connect to a global network and offer graduate students various opportunities for research assistantships, conferences, exhibitions, and academic publications.  

• Creative Campus & Facilities: Get access to state-of-the-art stop and studios, specialized labs and collaborative spaces that foster experimentation, innovation and creativity.  

• Diverse Creative Network: Join a global community of curators, art critics, scholars, educators, artists, designers and leaders in art, business, healthcare, government and design. Through these and global connections, you’ll find the places, the spaces and the opportunities to grow your ideas and career. 

Upon graduating from OCAD U, you will have the opportunity to live and work in Canada for up to three years with the Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP), if you meet all other eligibility requirements.  Keep in mind that to be eligible for a PGWP, you must have maintained a full-time student status during each semester of your study program in Canada.  

To ensure that you stay on track for PGWP eligibility, check requirements, exemptions, status requirements and more on the IRCC website.   

A PAL is a document that study permit applicants need to provide in their Study Permit application. OCAD U will request a PAL for you, if it is determined that you need one, after you accept your offer of admission through the OUAC portal and submit payment of the non-refundable admission confirmation deposit. Some international applicants might be exempt from submitting a PAL. 

HOW TO GET YOUR PAL 

• Accept your offer of admission through the OUAC portal
• Submit payment for the admission confirmation deposit
• We will automatically request a PAL for you
• We will send you an email once we receive your PAL from the IRCC 

Please Note: OCAD University does not manage the processing times for the PAL, as it is issued by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC). As this is a new process, timelines may vary depending on IRCC's internal processing times. 

A study permit is a document issued by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) that allows you to study and live in Canada temporarily. All international students need this document to register for courses at OCAD U.   

Visit the Immigration, Refugees & Citizenship Canada website for information on the application process and required documents. 

As soon as you receive your official letter of acceptance, visa support form and Provincial Attestation Letter (PAL) from OCAD U. 

Processing times vary from country to country, check processing times using this tool.  

If you are already in Canada on a study permit and want to continue studying, you must apply to extend your study permit before it expires. Study permit extension applications must be done from inside Canada, and we recommend applying for an extension 3 to 4 months before it expires. You can apply for a Study Permit extension from within Canada through the Immigration, Refugees & Citizenship Canada website. 

If you are already in Canada on a study permit and want to continue studying, you must apply to extend your study permit before it expires. Study permit extension applications must be done from inside Canada, and we recommend applying for an extension 3 to 4 months before it expires. You can apply for a Study Permit extension from within Canada through the Immigration, Refugees & Citizenship Canada website. 

As of November 8, 2024, you must be enrolled in the designated learning institution (DLI) named on your study permit. If you have been studying at another university or college in Canada and want to transfer to OCAD U, you are now required to get a new study permit by applying to extend your current one, even if your permit is still valid. Learn more about changing schools or programs in the IRCC website.