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Your B.C. Government

International Students

Your B.C. Government is launching initiatives and making new connections to encourage more people to learn and live in B.C., and enhance the province's growing reputation as a top destination for students from around the world.

What your B.C. Government is doing for International Students:

  • Developed LearnLiveBC website, promotional kit and dvds in seven languages (Cantonese, French, English, Japanese, Korean, Mandarin, Spanish) to provide comprehensive resources to international students wanting to come to B.C. to study.
  • Established a $13-million endowment fund to provide a suite of four One World Scholarship programs that help students from B.C. study abroad and international students study at public post-secondary institutions in B.C. The portion of the One World Scholarships committed to assisting international students to study in B.C. is available to students from China for the 2008/09 and 2009/10 academic years. The government of China has already established a similar program to host B.C. students.
  • Your B.C. Government increased the number of residencies for international medical graduates from six in 2003 to 18 currently.
  • Collaborated in 2006 with Citizenship and Immigration Canada to implement the Off Campus Work Permit Program, which enables eligible international students to work off-campus for up to 20 hours per week while classes are in session, and to work full-time during class breaks. This program allows international students to obtain labour market experience in B.C., and may lead them to apply to become permanent residents.
  • Expanded the Off Campus Work Permit program in 2008 on a pilot project basis, to include international students in specific qualifying degree programs at eligible degree-granting private institutions.
  • Supported Citizen and Immigration Canada’s expansion of the Post-Graduation Work Permit Program to enable eligible international students to obtain, for the first time, an open three-year work permit with few restrictions on the type of employment and no requirement for a job offer at the time of application.

For more information:
International Education