Can I take a temporary leave from my studies?
International students are allowed to take a leave from their studies without violating their study permit conditions.
If you would like to take an emergency leave from studies less than two weeks, you will need to communicate with your course instructors and program department and get the permission from them. You may need special course arrangement for your emergency leave.
If you would like to take a leave from studies more than two weeks and this leave would hinder the completion of your courses, you may want to consider taking an authorized leave for an entire term.
What is an authorized leave?
IRCC understands that a student may need to take a leave from their studies. An authorized leave from studies of up to 150 days allows a study permit holder to remain in Canada without violating their study permit conditions. One of the conditions of your study permit is that you are “actively pursuing your studies”.
According to IRCC: “A student on leave who begins or resumes their studies within 150 days from the date the leave commenced (that is, the date the leave was granted by the institution) is considered to be actively pursuing studies during their leave.”
Authorized leave application deadlines:
November 1 for Fall term
March 1 for Winter term
*If you need to take a leave from studies after the deadline, please contact internationaladvising@trentu.ca for further support.
Unauthorized leaves:
Trent University is legally obligated to report the academic status of international students to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC).
To ensure compliance with IRCC regulations, any approved authorized leave applications submitted by the stated deadline will be reported accordingly.
Students who take an unauthorized leave will be reported to IRCC as no longer enrolled at Trent University. According to IRCC regulations, a study permit becomes invalid on the date the permit holder is no longer enrolled at the designated learning institution (DLI) listed on their permit.
What if I am not able to resume my studies within 150 days?
According to IRCC: If a student does not resume their studies within 150 days, they should do either of the following:
change their status (that is, change to visitor status or worker status)
OR leave Canada and return once you are ready to resume your studies.
If they do not change their status or leave Canada, they are considered non-compliant with their study permit conditions.
Taking an authorized leave:
Drop courses | You must drop your courses prior the academic deadline. You will be able to drop all your courses but one if you are not registered in courses for an upcoming term. The Office of the Registrar can support you in dropping your final course once you have dropped your other courses. |
Health insurance | If you are inside Canada, you may require supplementary health insurance. A student may be eligible to enrol in UHIP if they take a 150-day leave. You should connect with uhip@trentu.ca to discuss your circumstances and determine eligibility. |
Documentation | We advise you to keep record of any documentation relating to your leave. For example: medical documentation, financial documentation, etc. |
Do I need to inform IRCC of my leave? | You do not need to inform Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) prior to taking an authorized leave, however, you will be coded as on an authorized leave in our term DLI compliance report which is provided to IRCC. |
Working | You cannot work on or off campus without a work permit (as per your study permit conditions) when you are not a full-time enrolled student. You may resume work once you are registered full-time and have resumed your classes. If you are registered in courses during the summer term, you will be permitted to work 24 hours off campus and unlimited hours on campus. If you are not registered in courses during the summer term, you are not permitted to work. |
Post-graduation work permit
| A leave from studies could impact your eligibility for the Post-Graduation Work Permit. You will need to ensure you provide IRCC with an explanation and strong evidence of your leave if you choose to apply. You will also need evidence your leave was authorized, see attached letter. Please note, just because a leave was authorized does not guarantee a positive PGWP application outcome. |
Academic deadline | If the academic deadline has passed, your final grade will be noted on your transcript. |
Financial deadline | You are responsible to pay for the courses you were registered in beyond the financial deadline. |
Trent services
| You will not have access to Trent services which are embedded in your fees during any term you do not register and pay fees. However, you are welcome to connect with Trent International. |
If your leave will exceed 150 days
| Leave Canada or change your status to visitor or worker. If the study permit is about to expire when the student resumes their studies, the student must apply to extend their study permit in Canada, using the application to change conditions, extend your stay or remain in Canada as a student, before the expiry date. Leave Canada or change your status to visitor or worker. After changing status to visitor or worker, students may resume their studies, using their previous study permit, as long as the study permit is valid. |
If leaving Canada
| Upon re-entry to Canada, you will need a valid passport, valid study permit, and valid entry visa (if applicable). If your documents will expire, you may need to apply for new documents from outside Canada. |
Return to Trent | As you prepare to resume your studies, reach out to Trent International and we will advise you on your next steps. |
Apply for authorized leave:
| Level of Study | Instructions |
| Undergraduate and Post-graduate Certificate | Apply on the myTrent portal > Academics > International > International Authorized Leave Request. |
| Graduate | Find the application process on the School of Graduate Studies Forms webpage. |
Meet with an Immigration Advisor:
If you have questions, we recommend meeting with an Immigration Advisor prior to taking an Authorized Leave. Book an appointment on the Student Experience Portal > Appointment Booking > Trent International > Immigration Advising.