Colleges and Universities

After high school, there are many options available if you or your children want to pursue higher education.

Public colleges

There are 28 public colleges in Ontario. Many colleges have more than one campus location, which means students can take full-time and part-time courses at more than 100 locations across the province.

Peel Region has Sheridan College, with campuses located in Brampton and Mississauga. Sheridan College offers a variety of programs for newcomers.

Universities

Ontario has 18 universities. Peel Region has two universities:

• University of Toronto, Mississauga campus (or UTM) along with traditional undergraduate, masters and doctoral programs, UTM offers several highly sought-after degree options.
• Algoma University at Brampton offers Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) program.

More information

• OntarioColleges.ca – applying to a college as an immigrant student
• Universitystudy.ca – offers profiles of Canadian universities, a large study programs database and helps you plan your university education.

Post-secondary education in Canada is expensive. Government of Canada and Government of Ontario have created ways to help you start saving early for your college or university tuition fees.

Registered Education Savings Plan (RESP) – is a special savings account for parents who want to save for their child’s post-secondary education.

SmartSaver.org – provides more details on how you can save for post-secondary education.

Canada Learning Bond – is a government grant of up to $2,000. For more information, call the Enrolled by Six Information Line at 905-890-9432.

Ontario Student Assistance Program (OSAP) – is a mix of grants and loans available for students to pay post-secondary education. There are two kinds of money available:

• grants: money you don’t have to pay back
• loan: you need to repay it back including the principal and interest

Both the Ontario government and federal government provide this money.

Understanding how your educational qualifications from another country translate in Canada is important when you’re searching for a job or planning to immigrate to Canada under the skilled worker category.

If you have obtained education, work experience or professional credentials from outside Canada, you will need to get your credentials assessed to:

• Immigrate as a Federal Skilled Worker (FSW)
• Work in a regulated profession or trade
• Study as a post-secondary international student

Educational credential assessment will help you:

• see whether your credentials are equivalent to the standards set for Canadian workers
• determine whether you need more training, education or Canadian work experience
• understand the types of jobs for which you might be qualified
• help employers understand your qualifications

It is good to start the credential assessment and recognition process before you arrive in Canada as the credential assessment takes time.

There are many organizations that can evaluate your credentials, but it’s important to know that an evaluation prepared for an employer may not be the same as an evaluation prepared for a school, training program, college or university for higher education.

The following organizations charge a fee for their services, and the process they follow may vary.

World Education Services (WES) will provide assessments of your degree and/or diploma from high school, training program, college or university. WES has been hired by the Government of Ontario to perform evaluation services. WES evaluation reports can be used for 5 purposes:

• Employment
• Immigration
• Higher education
• Licensing
• Apprenticeship training.

Some organizations may not take assessments from WES, so it is important to check with the organization first before you get this assessment done.

University of Toronto’s Comparative Education Service evaluates the education you received outside of Canada for employment purposes. A Canadian school or education program may or may not accept this evaluation for admission. Check with the school or program first.

International Credentials Assessment Service (ICAS) of Canada evaluates credentials from all levels of schooling for both employment and educational purposes. Their website provides information on fees, the evaluation process, as well as an application form.

Medical Council of Canada (professional body) provides Educational Credential Assessments (ECAs) for principal applicants intending to apply under the Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP) for immigration to Canada and for whom general practitioner and family physician or specialist physician would be the primary occupation for their application to immigrate to Canada.

Pharmacy Examining Board of Canada (PEBC) (professional body) is the national certification body for the profession of pharmacy in Canada. It

• assesses the qualifications of pharmacists and pharmacy technicians on behalf of provincial pharmacy regulatory authorities
• ensures that entry-level pharmacists and pharmacy technicians have the necessary professional knowledge, skills and abilities to practice pharmacy within their scope of practice, in a safe and effective manner.

Contact the regulatory body for your profession, a recognized credential assessment organization or your nearest employment services in Peel to find out the process.

Colleges

The first step in applying to college is to research the programs and colleges available to you. The College map provides information about college programs, admission requirements and more.

To apply to an Ontario College, you need to apply through ontariocolleges.ca as soon as the application is available in October, so that you have plenty of time to complete the academic and immigration requirements before your studies begin. Depending on the country in which you live, this process could take anywhere from three to nine months. Ontariocolleges.ca provides you with the information about applying to college as an international student.

Sheridan College has campuses located in Brampton and Mississauga and, offers a variety of programs for international students. Lambton College of Applied Arts and Technology (Lambton College) is a public, non-profit college located in Sarnia, Ontario which has established a licensing agreement in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada referred to as Lambton in Mississauga. Lambton College’s programs are licensed to and delivered by Queen’s College of Business, Technology & Public Safety, a licensed private career college.

Universities

Ontario Universities’ INFO provides information about university programs, admission requirements and more.

To apply to an Ontario university, you must submit your application to the Ontario Universities’ Application Centre (OUAC). The OUAC processes application for all Ontario universities.

Peel has two universities for international students:

• University of Toronto, Mississauga campus (or UTM) – along with traditional undergraduate, masters and doctoral programs, UTM offers several highly sought-after degree options. UTM’s International Centre provides information and support for international students with a study permit.
• Algoma University – at Brampton offers Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) program.

If you have applied to a college or university in Ontario, or if you are just thinking about it, the International Student Connect program can help you with both online and in-person support.

You need a study permit to attend college or university in Canada.

Immigration, Refugee and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) provides more information on standard eligibility criteria and how to apply for a study permit.

Working While Studying

As an international student you can work under any of the Citizenship Immigration, Refugee and Citizenship Canada’s work programs for students. 

• Work on campus – You can work at the institution where you are studying without a work permit, see eligibility criteria.
• Work off campus – Full-time international students enrolled at designated institutions in certain programs can work off campus without a work permit.
• Work as a co-op student or intern – You need to apply for a  Co-op work permit if work experience is part of your academic program.

Working After Graduation

As an international student you could be eligible to get a special work permit to allow you to work in Canada – for up to 3 years – after you graduate. Post-graduate work permit: Immigration, Refugee and Citizenship Canada provides more information.

If you are an international student, you may be able to apply to Opportunities Ontario for nomination as a permanent resident, under the International Student Category. Through the Provincial Nominee Program, Ontario nominates individuals for permanent resident status to the federal government. To be eligible, you need to:

• Be a recent graduate or graduating soon
• Have graduated or will soon graduate from a publicly funded college or university in Canada
• Have a qualifying permanent, full-time job offer from an Ontario employer
• Masters and PhD graduates can apply, without a job offer.

For more information, visit Opportunities Ontario: Applying as International Student.