Wish to attend University as a Refugeee Claimant (Advice)

[Morale]

Hello everyone,

I have been living in Canada for 1 1/2 years as a refugee claimant. For sometime I have been contemplating on continuing my education by attending University, and getting a degree for better opportunities.

Apparently as a refugee claimant you are considered an international student and have to wait for a decision from the immigration to qualify for domestic fees.

However I have heard and read from different sources that it might be possible to qualify for the international fee exemption as a refuge seeker, some say in Ontario its possible but not in other provinces, others say as long as you have a work permit you are eligible.

Is there anyone who have firsthand knowledge or valid information about what actually is the case for refugee seekers who attend university. Is it possible at all to attend university as a refugee claimant without paying over 25,000$ in fees. And also is it dependent to a specific province or university?

Thank you!

 

[inaya.i]

Hello everyone,

I have been living in Canada for 1 1/2 years as a refugee claimant. For sometime I have been contemplating on continuing my education by attending University, and getting a degree for better opportunities.

Apparently as a refugee claimant you are considered an international student and have to wait for a decision from the immigration to qualify for domestic fees.

However I have heard and read from different sources that it might be possible to qualify for the international fee exemption as a refuge seeker, some say in Ontario its possible but not in other provinces, others say as long as you have a work permit you are eligible.

Is there anyone who have firsthand knowledge or valid information about what actually is the case for refugee seekers who attend university. Is it possible at all to attend university as a refugee claimant without paying over 25,000$ in fees. And also is it dependent to a specific province or university?

Thank you!

You dont have to wait for a decision to qualify for domestic fee. I started online bachelors as a claimaint and just showed them my work permit. Just make sure to look at the university's "international tuition exemption policy" just search this with uni's name and if they have a document that mentions this, then you qualify for domestic and in province tuition. Athabasca uni has online degree programs. some unis dont have degree program online anymore but has classes you can take and also offers domestic fee to people with work permits. When i requested my uni for domestic tuition, i attached their policy letter i found on their website. This is what it says:

An international student is eligible for domestic fee status if that student falls within any of the following categories: a. A person who is the dependent* of a Canadian citizen or permanent resident of Canada. b. A visitor, and his/her dependents*, who is authorized to work in Canada having been issued a valid work permit with a specified employer in Canada. The following students are excluded from this category: i. A visitor who is a graduate teaching assistant; ii. An international student holding a work permit to complete his/her co-op, internship or medical residency employment; iii. An international student holding an open work permit for post-graduate work (usually for up to three years of work opportunities upon graduation); iv. An international student whose spouse or common-law partner has received a work permit as a result of the international student holding a valid Study Permit; v. An international student holding an off-campus work permit allowing them to work up to 20 hours a week at paid employment and full-time during scheduled breaks, for example, during the summer and holiday breaks, and reading week off-campus.

Technically we have an open work permit but without name of employer but they never asked or questioned that for me. Give it a shot!

 

[inaya.i]

i live in quebec and i pay domestic in province tuition*

 

[canuck78]

You dont have to wait for a decision to qualify for domestic fee. I started online bachelors as a claimaint and just showed them my work permit. Just make sure to look at the university's "international tuition exemption policy" just search this with uni's name and if they have a document that mentions this, then you qualify for domestic and in province tuition. Athabasca uni has online degree programs. Queens doesnt have degree program online anymore but has classes you can take and also offers domestic fee to people with work permits. When i requested queens for domestic tuition, i attached their policy letter i found on their website. This is what it says:

An international student is eligible for domestic fee status if that student falls within any of the following categories: a. A person who is the dependent* of a Canadian citizen or permanent resident of Canada. b. A visitor, and his/her dependents*, who is authorized to work in Canada having been issued a valid work permit with a specified employer in Canada. The following students are excluded from this category: i. A visitor who is a graduate teaching assistant; ii. An international student holding a work permit to complete his/her co-op, internship or medical residency employment; iii. An international student holding an open work permit for post-graduate work (usually for up to three years of work opportunities upon graduation); iv. An international student whose spouse or common-law partner has received a work permit as a result of the international student holding a valid Study Permit; v. An international student holding an off-campus work permit allowing them to work up to 20 hours a week at paid employment and full-time during scheduled breaks, for example, during the summer and holiday breaks, and reading week off-campus.

Technically we have an open work permit but without name of employer but they never asked or questioned that for me. Give it a shot!

As you mentioned you don’t actually meet the requirements to qualify for domestic tuition and someone made an error. If someone reviews your file at a certain point then you could be charged the international tuition. That is a significant risk. Many university and colleges have their own policies and once someone’s asylum claim is accepted than many more schools offer domestic fees.

 

[Simba112]

You dont have to wait for a decision to qualify for domestic fee. I started online bachelors as a claimaint and just showed them my work permit. Just make sure to look at the university's "international tuition exemption policy" just search this with uni's name and if they have a document that mentions this, then you qualify for domestic and in province tuition. Athabasca uni has online degree programs. Queens doesnt have degree program online anymore but has classes you can take and also offers domestic fee to people with work permits. When i requested queens for domestic tuition, i attached their policy letter i found on their website. This is what it says:

An international student is eligible for domestic fee status if that student falls within any of the following categories: a. A person who is the dependent* of a Canadian citizen or permanent resident of Canada. b. A visitor, and his/her dependents*, who is authorized to work in Canada having been issued a valid work permit with a specified employer in Canada. The following students are excluded from this category: i. A visitor who is a graduate teaching assistant; ii. An international student holding a work permit to complete his/her co-op, internship or medical residency employment; iii. An international student holding an open work permit for post-graduate work (usually for up to three years of work opportunities upon graduation); iv. An international student whose spouse or common-law partner has received a work permit as a result of the international student holding a valid Study Permit; v. An international student holding an off-campus work permit allowing them to work up to 20 hours a week at paid employment and full-time during scheduled breaks, for example, during the summer and holiday breaks, and reading week off-campus.

Technically we have an open work permit but without name of employer but they never asked or questioned that for me. Give it a shot!

Reading from your post, then you dont qualify for domestic tuition fee. It mentions about closed work permit issued under LMIA

 

[Morale]

As you mentioned you don’t actually meet the requirements to qualify for domestic tuition and someone made an error. If someone reviews your file at a certain point then you could be charged the international tuition. That is a significant risk. Many university and colleges have their own policies and once someone’s asylum claim is accepted than many more schools offer domestic fees.

After reading the requirements he mentioned I think it is just a grey area because, although he is not a visitor with a work permit or dependent on one, his case is also not mentioned in the students who are excluded.

I don’t know if that makes sense, he is technically not excluded but also is not a dependent of a visitor with a work permit which I don’t think they have a way to find out. It sounds almost like a loophole

 

[Simba112]

After reading the requirements he mentioned I think it is just a grey area because, although he is not a visitor with a work permit or dependent on one, his case is also not mentioned in the students who are excluded.

I don’t know if that makes sense, he is technically not excluded but also is not a dependent of a visitor with a work permit which I don’t think they have a way to find out. It sounds almost like a loophole

No its not. Anything that is not on the list of eligibility are excluded...

 

[inaya.i]

Reading from your post, then you dont qualify for domestic tuition fee. It mentions about closed work permit issued under LMIA

Lol i got it so i qualify. im pretty sure people working at admissions office are better qualified than you people here and they know what they are doing. Im a protected person now so I definitely qualify lol.