You may be able to immigrate more easily to Canada by furthering your education. Recent changes to the Canadian legal system cater to the foreign national who is willing to study at a Canadian University. Upon graduating as an international student, a foreign graduate from a Canadian post-secondary institution with at least one year of full-time (or equivalent) skilled work experience in Canada can apply for permanent residence from within Canada under the Canadian Experience Class. Seemingly towards this goal, there are also new international agreements that provide discounted fees to international students.
In some Canadian Universities, certain International students may qualify for an exemption from differential fees and be eligible to pay the same fees as Quebec residents (plus medical insurance). Inquiries and application for an exemption should be made directly to your Ministry of Education prior to leaving your home country. If you are living in Canada, it may be possible to apply for the exemption at your Embassy or Consulate in Canada or the United States.
The following are among those exempted:
- Diplomat, consular personnel, accredited representatives or civil servants of a foreign country working in Quebec in an official capacity, and their spouse and unmarried children, if they provide the appropriate letter from the Quebec Protocol Office;
- International students whose spouse or parent residing in Quebec holds certain categories of work permits;
- Exchange students participating in a program of cooperation agreed to by the Government of Quebec;
- French citizens (accord France-Québec);
- Convention Refugees or Protected Persons who have been issued a Certificat de sélection du Québec (CSQ) and provide appropriate supporting documents;
A limited number of students from countries which have a differential fee remission arrangement with the Quebec Government:
Algeria, Andorra, Belgium (Flemish community), Belgium (French community), Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, China, Colombia (ICETEX), Congo (Brazzaville), Democratic Republic of the Congo, Egypt, Gabon, Germany (Bavaria), Germany (DAAD), Guinea, Haiti, India, Israel, Italy, Ivory Coast, Korea, Lebanon, Luxembourg, Madagascar, Mali, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mexico (CONACYT), Mexico (SEP), Mexico (SRE), Morocco, Niger, Peru, Rwanda, Senegal, Spain (Catalonia), Togo, Tunisia, Vietnam
For further information see International Fee Exemptions.
French Programs have certain fee exemptions: Canadian Citizens and Permanent Residents who are not Quebec residents (as defined by the MELS) are normally required to pay additional differential tuition fees (the Canadian rate). Subject to certain conditions, these additional fees may be waived in whole or in part for students registered full-time in the following two approved French programs:
Major: Études françaises – Langue ou Littératures de langue française
Specialization: Études françaises Full- or part-time students registered for individual French courses as electives or as part of a French Minor may also be exempted from the differential fees for these specific courses.