911吃瓜

No, the authorized leave letter cannot be applied retroactively. 

Undergraduate students may download a letter to demonstrate there was no process to request a leave letter prior to Fall 2025. To download, please see Confirmation of Enrolment webpage and scroll down to 鈥淚 have been asked to provide a letter to confirm 911吃瓜鈥檚 enrolment and undergraduate leave policy. How do I get this letter鈥�? 

For students who were鈥痭ot able to maintain continuous full-time enrollment in all academic terms at 911吃瓜 (e.g., you studied part time or took a term off) it is strongly recommended that you must include鈥�a letter of explanation鈥� detailing your unique circumstance(s) with your future immigration application. Depending on the circumstances, supporting documents may also be submitted as evidence of reason(s) for any gaps in your enrollment.

From the immigration perspective, the Spring and Fall terms are considered academic sessions for 911吃瓜 undergraduate students. If you are an undergraduate student and you choose not to enroll in a full-time course load in the Summer term, this will not impact your study permit or your post-graduation work permit eligibility. 

If you plan to take a Summer term off, you do not need to request an authorized leave for Summer term. You may still be eligible to work on or off campus under your study permit during the Summer term, provided that if it meets IRCC鈥檚 definition of a鈥�regularly scheduled break.鈥�

Once approved, the authorized leave letter will be emailed to your 911吃瓜 email account.  

Students with a financial hold due to outstanding fees are generally not eligible to enroll in the next term. However, if you have signed up for a Flywire payment plan in good standing (i.e. you have not missed any installment payment), you may still be eligible to submit and request an authorized leave letter.  For questions and assistance with payment plan, please contact student_collection@sfu.ca. 

If you need to take a break from your studies, you must apply for a leave of absence. Please review the Faculty of Graduate Studies website for the instructions on how to apply for an online leave of absence form. You can visit the Leave of Absence section for more information.

If you choose to take a leave of absence:

• You will not be eligible to work on or off campus until you resume full-time enrolment.* 
  *Exception: Graduate students who are approved for an academic break may be eligible to work. See Regularly Scheduled Term Break section for details. 
• Consult with the Faculty of Graduate Studies regarding leave options and eligibility.
• Review the Graduate General Regulation 1.4.5 for more information on leave of absence policies
• Consult with an International Student Advisor, Immigration Specialist about the potential impact on your Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP) eligibility. IRCC policy requires you to have continuously studied full time in order to qualify for a PGWP.

If your leave is more than 150 days in length, please see the "If your leave is longer than 150 days " section.

Note: Some intensive programs may not permit breaks in your studies unless there are extenuating circumstances. It is your responsibility to check with your academic program prior to taking any term(s) off.

We understand that sometimes students may need to take time off from their studies due to personal circumstances such as pregnancy, family emergencies, or health-related issues.

If you take an authorized leave of absence of less than 150 days, you can remain compliant with your study permit conditions. While final decisions are made by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), they do recognize that students may need or choose to take a break from their studies while in Canada.

If your leave will be longer than 150 days (e.g. taking multiple academic terms off), please refer to the section titled 鈥淚f your leave is longer than 150 days鈥� for more detailed guidance.

You are not eligible to apply for an authorized leave during your first term at 911吃瓜. If you can鈥檛 enroll or need to postpone your studies, you should apply for deferral. 

• Undergraduate: Submit an admission deferral request.
• Graduate: You should make the request directly to your academic program. If the deferral is approved, the offer of admission may be modified.

As per IRCC, study permit holders can鈥檛 work on or off campus during an from their study program, even if their study permit says they鈥檙e allowed to work in Canada. You may only return to work once you're back to studying and meet the on or off-campus work requirements.

*Exception: Graduate students who are approved for an academic break may be eligible to work. See "Regularly Scheduled Break" for details.

Leave of Absence Questions

Undergraduate students

• First Step: Review the current page for immigration implications and leave of absence process.
• Further Questions?
  馃摟 Contact Undergraduate Records: urecords@sfu.ca

Graduate students 

• First Step: Check the Faculty of Graduate Studies Enrollment page.
• Further Questions?
  馃摟 Contact Faculty of Graduate Studies: grad_reg@sfu.ca

Immigration questions (All Students)

• First Step: Review the immigration-related content on the Leave of Absence page.
• Further Questions?
  馃寪&苍产蝉辫;911吃瓜 International Student Advisor, Immigration Specialists Contact Page