Students from foreign countries who desire to pursue studies at a Canadian college or university usually have to provide an acceptance letter from a Designated Learning Institution (DLI). This letter is essential when they apply for a Canadian study permit or aim to qualify for a Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP).
Hence, it is crucial to know whether an intended school of study is approved and listed before applying for school admission, paying a school application fee, and applying for a study permit; time and money should not be wasted on a school that is ineligible to host international students.
In this blog post, we take you through all the information related to DLI and PGWP.
What is DLI number in Canada?
The Designated Learning Institution Number (DLI) is a unique identifier for post-secondary schools that admit international students. The letter “O” starts this string, and each school has its own code. To study in Canada as an international student, one must first ensure their school is on the Designated Learning Institutions (DLIs) list. There are many schools in Canada with different DLI numbers for each location.
This criterion came into effect on June 1, 2014. According to the Canadian Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulation (IRPR), an international student willing to pursue courses in Canada that last longer than 6 months must have a Letter of Acceptance from DLI Canada.
The student is expected to mention the DLI number (DLI#) beginning with Letter ‘O’ on the study permit application form. Hence, you must check the DLI number of the respective DLI schools in Canada to which you wish to apply.
Reasons to choose DLI colleges in Canada
In Canada, each province or territory has been entrusted with the responsibility of designating schools that enroll international students at a post-secondary level. The list of designated learning institutions may include colleges, universities, CEGEPs, private career colleges, vocational schools, and language schools. But there are some exceptions in the case of some colleges in Quebec. Although they are designated by the provincial government, there is no DLI number assigned to them.
There are primarily three reasons for choosing a designated learning institution in Canada. They are as follows:
1. DLIs in Canada are administered by the federal government or agency.
2. They fulfill all the provincial requirements in terms of offering higher education in Canada.
3. The degrees or diplomas from DLI institutions in Canada have worldwide recognition.
One of the major benefits of DLI in Canada is that international students willing to study in Canada must have a Letter of Acceptance from a DLI in order to apply for a Canadian Study Permit. Some DLIs also play a major role in helping students acquire their Post Graduate Work Permit (PGWP) after their study program.
Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP) program
A PGWP enables students who have graduated from a Canadian DLI post-secondary institution to gain valuable Canadian work experience. What is great about the program is that often the work gained through the PGWP Program may help support a student’s application to become a permanent resident of Canada.
Students who apply for the PGWP can receive only one post-graduation work permit in their lifetime. For example, if a student successfully graduated from a one-year certificate, applied for and successfully obtained a one-year PGWP, worked for a year, then decided to study again and successfully graduated from a second academic program, they would not be able to obtain another PGWP. Prospective students should consider studying for two or more years if they wish to have a PGWP issued for longer than two years.
It is important to remember that a school’s status as a DLI does not necessarily mean that it offers PGWP-eligible programs. When first investigating a school, it is wise to make sure that it is both a DLI and that its programs are eligible for the PGWP program. Among other criteria, a study program must be at least eight months in length, and students must study full-time for all terms, except for the last term.
Part-time status can render a student ineligible for the PGWP; they must maintain full-time status during each academic session of the program. However, if all eligibility requirements are met, except for full-time status during the final academic session, a student is still considered eligible for the PGWP.