Saskatchewan Colleges is a partnership between four regional Colleges in the province of Saskatchewan, Carlton Trail College, Great Plains College, North West College & Suncrest College. Each institution is a separate independent entity however these institutions partner to streamline the recruitment and admissions of international students. Saskatchewan Colleges staff oversee everything from the point of inquiry through to the point at which a study permit is approved. Once the study permit approval is received,the student is introduced to the local institution staff to assist with accommodation and program questions. The Saskatchewan Colleges staff stay involved for any document requests prior to the student’s arrival. Once the student arrives in Saskatchewan, the local institution staff take over entirely. This creates a situation in which applicants are supported from the point of inquiry right through to finding employment.

Some programs offered to international students are currently eligible for PGWP’s.  If students complete a one-year program they are eligible to apply for a one-year PGWP.  Students who complete a two-year program are eligible to apply for a 3 -year PGWP.

Learn more about Post Graduate Work Permits at https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/study-canada/work/after-graduation/about.html       (not sure if this is necessary, so take or leave it!)

Email is the best and fastest way to get a response from Saskatchewan Colleges staff.  The main contact email is international@saskcolleges.ca.

Saskatchewan Colleges oversees the recruitment and admissions of students who are or will be in Canada on a STUDY PERMIT.  All other applicants should contact local institution staff who oversee domestic admissions.

All of the Saskatchewan Colleges are public institutions.  Our programs are brokered from other institutions however the new policies regarding Public-Private partnerships DO NOT apply to our institutions.

Please consult the English Language Requirements document to see what assessments we accept as well as what countries are exempt from providing language assessments.

All applications can be submitted on the Saskatchewan Colleges website (www.saskcolleges.ca) Detailed information on how to apply can be found on the initial page of the application portal.  You will need to provide the following documents with your application: a) Passport b) transcripts from ALL levels of study c) language assessment (unless you are from an exempt country – see the language assessment tool on the XX page of the website to determine if this is required for your application) d) your application fee receipt – this can be paid using the link at the end of the application – please be sure to pay the same institution that you are applying to.

NOTE: If you are a Nigerian Citizen please consult the question “What are the requirements for submitting WAEC results from Nigeria?” to find out how this document should be provided.

Our application fee is $150.  This fee is non-refundable as it pays for the work of assessing your application.

(include IELTS & Duolingo online results submission)

We accept Duolingo, IELTS, PTE, TOEFL (iBT and Paper based). Please see the XX tab to find out more about each assessment and the required scores for each.

For submission of Duolingo and IELTS, please use the digital methods for submitting results from these assessments.  (See below)

IELTS

Although turnaround times can vary based on the volume of applications, we try to maintain a turnaround time between 7-10 business days.  Please note these 7-10 days start from the point at which we receive the application package in its entirety (all documents received and payments received in our accounts).

The application deadline for September intakes is May 15.
The application deadline for January/February intakes is October 15.

Please note that if we receive the number of applications needed to fill a program, we will close the program before the application deadline.

To request changes to the information submitted on your application, or to request a change in program/intake please email international@saskcolleges.ca.

Applications can be transferred between institutions in the Saskatchewan Colleges partnership if seats are available in the requested program.  If you have paid a deposit to the original institution, updated documents cannot be provided until the funds are transferred from institution to institution which can take up 30 days to process.  An administration fee of $200CAD will be withheld for transfers between institutions.  Paying the balance to the new institution will be the responsibility of the student.

Applicants who have paid a deposit and received a letter of acceptance will be allowed to defer their application to the next available intake.  Saskatchewan Colleges only allows multiple deferrals however an admin fee of $250CAD will be withheld for each deferral that is granted.

New PAL’s will not be issued for deferred applications, so you must be sure that your PAL will remain valid until you apply for your study permit. If you defer to a different Saskatchewan Colleges institution, you can use the same PAL as you were originally issued because any PAL issued from a Saskatchewan institution can be used to apply to any other Saskatchewan institution as long as the PAL has not expired.

For most of our programs, applicants need only have completed their secondary (high school) education.  Please note that we require your secondary credentials to be equivalent to a Saskatchewan Grade 12 credential.  It is strongly advised that you submit transcripts from ALL levels of study when you initially apply because if your secondary education does not meet our admission criteria we can try to use your higher levels of education to provide admission.  If you fail to submit all transcripts with your initial application and you are deemed ineligible, you will have to re-apply – including re-payment of the application fee – to submit documents for re-assessment.

Saskatchewan Colleges institutions maintain September and January/February intakes only.  These intakes vary from institution to institution and program to program.  Visit the program page of our website to find out which program is offered in which intake.

We do not carry waitlists for programs at Saskatchewan Colleges. If seats are not available at the time you contact us, you may be directed to contact us again within a certain period of time in case seats have become available.  It is your responsibility to contact us as directed.  If seats are available when you contact us again we will be happy to facilitate your application.

All of the Saskatchewan Colleges use FLYWIRE (www.flywire.com) as their payment platform.  For all colleges Flywire can be used to make payments from outside of Canada.  Suncrest College accepts Flywire payments from both out of country AND in-country applicants, so if you are applying to Suncrest you can use Flywire exclusively to pay your fees.

The Saskatchewan Colleges do not allow payment plans.  In order to get a study permit approval, applicants need to show that they have the funds to pay 100% of their first year tuition up front.  Without this financial proof, getting a study permit is very difficult.  Due to the fact that these funds need to be in place to get a study permit, our colleges expect full payment by the first day of the program.

International students are not eligible to apply for loans in Canada.  Applicants may be able to apply for loans in their home countries.

If you are already in the country on a visitor visa, it is possible to apply for a study permit from within Canada.  Please note that processing of applications submitted from within Canada is not faster than it would be from outside of Canada.  The application process is exactly the same as it would be from outside of the country. Applicants who have a visitor visa and apply for a study permit from within Canada do not have a better chance of getting a study permit approval. Applicants still need to meet the criteria for the study permit application, in the same manner as is expected from an applicant applying from outside of the country.

Saskatchewan Colleges prides itself on providing practical experiences in many of its programs.  Your Letter of Acceptance documents will indicate if it is necessary for you to apply for a co-op work permit for your program.  Co-op work permits can be applied for at the same time as you apply for your study permit.  Our acceptance documents are designed to meet the criteria for both study permit AND Co-op Work permit applications, so your LOA documents can be uploaded with your co-op work permit application as well.

Once you receive a visa approval, you should email that information to international@saskcolleges.ca. With that information your institution will officially register you for your program.  Once you have a visa approval you will be connected to a local adviser at the campus where you will be studying.  The adviser can assist you with finding accommodation if necessary as well as answer your questions on transportation from the airport and anything related to your program.  If you have questions about entering Canada you can continue to direct those to international@saskcolleges.ca.

If your visa is refused, you can do one of the following things:

1. Request the GCMS notes to determine the exact reasons for refusal
2. Based on these notes you can decide if you are able to address the concerns causing your refusal and launch a reapplication for your study permit.
3. You can apply for a refund of your tuition deposit. To do so email international@saskcolleges.ca and request the Refund Request Form.

We are only issuing one PAL per applicant.  If you need to re-apply for your study permit you are able to use your existing PAL for your re-application as long as you submit your application before the PAL expiration date.

Application fees are non-refundable in all cases.

Tuition deposits are non-refundable in the following cases:
– Once your PAL is issued, UNLESS you get a study permit refusal.
–  Once your study permit is approved.

If you get a study permit refusal you are eligible for a refund of your tuition deposit minus a $500CAD admin fee.

Student housing is available at the following locations:

North West College – Meadow Lake Campus

Great Plains College – Swift Current Campus

To find out more about these housing options contact international@saskcolleges.ca

Once you receive a visa approval, we will connect you with an adviser at the campus location where you will be attending.  Local advisers are able to provide information on local accommodation options, or local supports to find accommodation.  We are committed to supporting students in finding appropriate accommodation prior to their arrival, as this helps to alleviate the stress of relocating.

Each of the colleges has arrangements made for individuals who require airport pick up.

• Carlton Trail College – Contact the local adviser to learn about airport pick up options.
• Great Plains College – contact the local adviser at your campus location to request an airport pick up. Airport Pick ups travelling to Swift Current or Kindersley will be charged $200CAD for the service.
• Suncrest College – Visit the website www.yorktonshuttle.com to book your airport pick up
• North West College – Contact the local adviser at your campus location to inquire about airport pick up options.

It is best to contact IRCC to inquire about this, as the guidelines tend to vary year-to-year.  A safe arrival time appears to be 30 days before the program start date.

All students registered with any of the Saskatchewan Colleges will be provided health insurance for the duration of their studies.  Just prior to your program start date you will receive an email from the insurance company with your insurance information.  If you plan to arrive several weeks prior to your program start date it is highly encouraged that you secure your own insurance for the dates between your arrival and your program start date.

Advisers at each campus location can support students in ensuring that their resumes (CV’s) are properly prepared so that you can be competitive in the job market.  Advisers can also provide information on interview skills for the Canadian job market.  These skills position students well to obtain employment.  Connecting with employers and applying for jobs is the responsibility of the student.  Having said that advisers are constantly on the lookout for opportunities for our students so if you are struggling to find employment, which is unusual, connect with the adviser at your campus location to get some assistance with this.

Anyone with a current valid study permit, who is enrolled in a full-time program can work a total of 24 hours per week, while classes are in session.  If there is a school break (eg: Christmas break) students are allowed to work unlimited hours, until the program resumes.