Taking a Break From Studies

Fall and Spring terms are considered regular academic terms for Undergraduate students at the University of Lethbridge and therefore as an UG student, you must remain enrolled during Fall and Spring terms in order to comply with your study permit conditions. Summer is considered a regularly scheduled break for UG students and therefore they are not required to remain enrolled in courses during summer term.  

As there is no formal leave process that is currently in place for undergraduate students at the University of Lethbridge, UG students are not required to submit a leave application to the University for approval of their leave prior to taking a break from studies. You may simply choose not to register in courses for the term you wish to take a break. In order to resume studies the following term, you will need to re-apply for admission to your program for the following term. Please note, the admission application must be submitted before the application deadline that applies to the specific term. Please refer to the application deadline on the Academic Calendar.  

Students who are taking a break from studies are not eligible to work on or off-campus using their study permit during the break. If you also hold a Co-op work permit, you cannot use the work authorization of your co-op work permit while you are on a break.  

If you take a break or enroll as a part-time student in the Fall or Spring term, you will not be eligible to work during summer.  

Taking a break from studies may impact your Post Graduation Work Permit eligibility as IRCC requirements for the PGWP program state that students must maintain continuous full-time status during their study period (with the exception of final term of study and schedule breaks such as summer).  

You may either leave Canada while you are on a break, however if you are planning on staying inside Canada while you take a break from studies, you must submit an application to IRCC to change your status to a Visitor or a Worker.  

Contact your Academic Advisor to discuss the academic implications of taking a break from studies.  

Schedule an appointment with an International Student Advisor here to discuss the implications of taking a break in studies on your study permit, work eligibility and PGWP.   

We recommend that you gather supporting documents that will help you explain the reason why took a break from studies to the IRCC processing officer when submitting your PGWP application. Depending on the reason you took the break, supporting documents may include medical note from the doctor for medical reasons, birth certificate of your child if you gave birth to a newborn, medical reports of a family member if a family member was severely ill, letter from a financial institution explaining the financial difficulty, documents confirming legal proceedings etc. Please note these are only examples of some of the supporting documents we suggest that you may include when submitting your PGWP application to IRCC, depending on your specific situation, supporting documents may vary.  

If you have a taken a gap in studies in the past, no action is required at this time. At the time, you are preparing your PGWP application, please consult with an International Student Advisor for assistance with drafting a letter of explanation to address the gap in your studies and supporting documents.  

Graduate students are required to maintain enrollment year round in order to comply with their study permit conditions. Please note: Summer is not considered a scheduled a scheduled break for graduate students.  

Graduate students who wish to take a break from studies are required to submit an application for leave. Detailed information about the leave process for graduate students can be accessed here. If you have questions about the Leave of absence application process, please contact School of Graduate studies at sgs@uleth.ca 

Schedule an appointment with an International Student Advisor to discuss the implications of taking a break in studies on your study permit, work eligibility, PGWP prior to taking a break.  

Taking an approved leave of absence longer than 150 days may impact your Post Graduation Work Permit eligibility.  

Graduate students who are taking a break from studies are not eligible to work on or off-campus using their study permit during the break. If you also hold a Co-op work permit, you cannot use the work authorization of your co-op work permit while you are on a break.  

Students who plan to take a leave of more than 150 days must either leave Canada prior to the end of 150 days or submit an application to IRCC to change their status to a Visitor or Worker prior to the end of 150 day period.  

If you have a taken a gap in studies in the past, no action is required at this time. At the time you are preparing your PGWP application, please consult with an International Student Advisor for assistance with drafting a letter of explanation to address the gap in your studies and supporting documents.  

Contact your Graduate Advisor to discuss the academic implications of taking a break from studies.