Maintaining Your Student Status and Scheduled Breaks

There are several conditions associated with your study permit that you must meet, including being enrolled at a designated learning institution (DLI) and demonstrating you are actively pursuing your studies by:

• being enrolled full-time or part-time during each academic semester, excluding regularly scheduled breaks
• making progress toward completing your program's courses and
• not taking authorized leaves longer than 150 days from your study program.

Please note that part-time studies have implications for working and post-grad work permit eligibility.

As an international student, it is your responsibility to know when your status will expire and ensure that you take the necessary steps to extend your status if required.

Scheduled breaks

A scheduled break is a break from full-time studies. Full-time studies is a nine or more credit course load per semester.

Scheduled breaks at SAIT include:

• a break between academic semesters (the day after the last day of the semester until the day before the start of the next semester)
• reading break (during the winter semester)
• scheduled semester break, including:
  • one in the winter from January to April
  • one in the spring/summer from May to August
  • one in the fall from September to December.

You must remain enrolled full-time at SAIT in the term preceding the scheduled semester break and in the term following the break. This break typically transitions you from one year of study to the next.

During a scheduled semester break, you can choose to take no courses, a part-time course load of less than nine credits, or a full-time course load of nine credits or more.

🚨 We strongly recommend PGWP applicants who take any courses during the scheduled break period to submit a self-drafted Letter of Explanation in addition to a Scheduled Break letter (see below for details) issued by SAIT in their PGWP application. These letters should be uploaded under the Client Information section in your application along with the Language test results.

If you require a letter confirming your scheduled break period for the purpose of employment or an immigration application, please submit a request using the Confirmation of Enrolment request form (choose scheduled break as the purpose of your request) Once you submit your request, you should expect to receive a letter confirming your scheduled break period within 3-5 business days via email to your SAIT email. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact the International Centre for assistance.

An example of a scheduled semester break:

Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada state each scheduled break should be no longer than 150 days. The maximum cumulative duration of scheduled breaks is 180 days per calendar year.

Students at SAIT usually take the third semester following their starting term as their scheduled semester break to align with the suggested program outline. For example:

• if you begin your program in the Fall semester (September), you will likely take the following Spring/Summer as your scheduled semester break
• if you begin your program in the Winter semester (January), you would likely take the following Fall as your scheduled semester break
• if you begin your program in the Spring/Summer semester (May), you will likely take the following Winter as your scheduled semester break.

Taking time away from studies and requesting a leave of absence from SAIT

As a student, you can request and potentially receive approval for a Leave of Absence when you encounter life circumstances that may require you to be away from your program for an extended period. To request a leave of absence from SAIT, you must submit a request using this form.

For immigration purposes, if your leave is less than 150 days, it meets IRCC’s requirement of authorized leave and you will be considered actively pursuing studies during your authorized leave period.  

If your leave will be more than 150 days, you must take action in order to avoid non-compliance with study permit conditions. International students should speak to an international student advisor when considering to apply for a leave of absence.

If your leave of absence is more than 150 days, please take one of the following actions before the 150 days are over:

• Apply for a visitor record to stay in Canada longer
• Leave Canada
• Change your status to "Worker" by applying for an eligible program

Please note, as of Nov. 8, 2024, international students must obtain a new study permit for changing their Designated Learning Institutions (DLI). Please speak to an international student advisor if you have plan to change your DLI during your leave of absence.

You are not allowed to work either on-campus or off-campus during your leave of absence.

Please do not let your study permit expire during your leave of absence. If your study permit expires, you will need to apply for a new study permit and it can take additional time to receive a Provincial Attestation Letter (PAL) from SAIT. There is a possibility that you may not receive your study permit in time to continue your program, which may negatively impact your program progression and delay your completion date.

We strongly that you request a leave of absence confirmation letter by filling out the form here upon your graduation and include it in your future immigration applications.