Disclaimer

The following guide was prepared by a licensed immigration professional in compliance

with section 91 of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (IRPA).

This is not a legal document and does not constitute legal advice.

Immigration information may change without notice and it is your responsibility to refer to
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) for the most up-to-date information
and to be sure you meet the eligibility criteria.

IRCC is the authoritative source for immigration legislation, policies, instructions and
information.

The information in this guide is current as of June 1 , 2023 and is subject to change.
Understanding the Co-op Work Permit (COWP)

International students who are required to complete work (e.g. co-op, internship, practicum,
placement) that is integral to their academic program must apply for a co-op/internship
work permit. This applies whether the work is on or off campus, paid or unpaid, during the
academic year or during the summer, and regardless of the number of hours required for
work. Integral means that you cannot graduate from the program unless you complete the
work.

Why do I need a co-op work permit?

As you will be completing work for academic credit you will need authorization to do so. If
work is integral to your academic program, you are required to have a co-op work permit
before you start your work.

Am I eligible for a co-op work permit?

You are eligible to apply for a co-op work permit if:
The intended employment is integral to your academic program
You have a letter from your department indicating that the intended employment is
integral to your academic program
You have a valid study permit
The co-op or internship employment constitutes less than 50% of your program
You are not a medical intern or extern, nor a resident physician (except in veterinary
medicine)
International students enrolled in English as a Second Language, French as a Second
Language or general interest courses and programs, are not eligible to obtain a work
permit under the co-op work permit Program.

If you are unsure if your work is integral to your academic program or if you are eligible to
apply, please reach out to the International Advising Team internationaladvising@trentu.ca.

How to apply:
If accepted directly into a program requiring mandatory work, students can apply for
their co-op work permit at the same time as they apply for their initial study permit from
outside Canada.
Students accepted into a program requiring mandatory work later in their studies or
students who were not issued a co-op work permit at the Canadian port-of-entry (land
crossing or airport) and are eligible, can apply from within Canada.

When to apply:
Students are advised to apply for their co-op work permit at least 6 months before their
work requirement is due to start. If you must provide biometrics (fingerprints and a photo),
apply for your work permit earlier to allow for this extra step.
The Co-op Work Permit Application Process

Applying from Inside Canada:

If you did not apply for your co-op work permit at the same time as you applied for your
initial study permit from outside Canada, then you can apply for your co-op work permit
online from inside Canada.

There are two methods of applying for a co-op work permit:

1. Direct Co-op Work Permit application (IMM5710)
2. Study permit extension + co-op work permit application (IMM5709)

When is your anticipated graduation date? With your work requirement, will your study
permit be long enough for you to complete your studies? If not, apply for study permit
extension with the COWP application. Check your study permit expiry now!

Required Documents:
Application form:
App to Change Conditions, Extend my Stay or Remain in Canada as a Student IMM5709 OR
App to Change conditions, Extend my Stay or remain in Canada as a worker IMM5710

Supporting Documents:
Trent Letter Indicating Work Requirement
Passport - information pages and any page with a stamp, marking or visa
Digital Photo (can obtain at Walmart, Shoppers, Staples)

You may require:

Biometrics if you have not submitted them within the last 10 years for an application to
come to Canada
A medical exam if you have lived outside Canada for more than 6 months in the last year
or you intend to work in certain jobs.
Letter of Acceptance (referring to a current Letter of Enrollment)
Undergraduate: myTrent > Register > Verification > International Immigration Letter
Graduate: myTrent > Academics > Academic Record >Verification of Enrollment

Co-op Letter:
You must have a letter from your academic department indicating that the intended
employment is integral to your academic program to support your co-op work permit
application.

The request form can be found in myTrent by navigating to the

Finances tab > Marketplace > Office of the Registrar > Special Letter
Request > Co-op Letter. The cost is $40.00 CAD.
Starting an application

First login to your IRCC Secure Account:

Visit the IRCC Secure Account webpage. Create account or sign in if you already have an
account.

"GCKey" allows you to register by creating

your own ID, password, and security
questions. Be sure to record this
information so you do not forget.

"Sign in Partner" allows you to register for

an IRCC Secure Account using online
banking information for listed financial
institutions in Canada.

Once you are logged into your IRCC Secure Account:

Scroll down to the "Start an Application Section" and select "Apply to come to Canada" (even
though you are already here).
Complete Eligibility Questionnaire

Select "work"

Select your country/territory

code - you can find this on your
passport.

Click on the hyperlink for definition of a

family member before answering.
Indicate yes/no based on your
circumstances.

Answer yes/no based on

your circumstances.

Select no even if you do (this will not

impact your study permit working
conditions).
Complete Eligibility Questionnaire

This page shows the applications are eligible to submit

Select "Co-op (in Canada)" > Continue > You will then proceed to a
questionnaire > the answers you provide will populate your personalized
document checklist (application package).
Populate Personalized Document's Checklist

Answer yes/no based

on your circumstances.

Answer based on your circumstances.

Family member refers to a spouse,
common-law partner, dependent child or
dependent child of a dependent child
(grandchild), who plans to immigrate to
Canada with the principal applicant.

Answer based on
your circumstances.

Answer based on
your circumstances.
Populate Personalized Document Checklist
Personalized Document Checklist

Your document checklist provides a list of all the documents you require for your application.
You will upload each document here.

Example of document checklist for those only applying for COWP:

NOTE: the items in this checklist will vary based on the answers you provided.

Example of document checklist for those extending study permit and applying for COWP:
NOTE: the items in this checklist will vary based on answers you provided.
Completing the Application Form

If only completing co-op work permit application:

Complete the Application to Change Conditions, Extend my Stay or Remain in Canada As a

Worker (IMM 5710):
In Section 1, be sure to include your UCI (Universal Client ID - which can be found on
your Study Permit)
In reply to Section 1 a/ of the “Details of Intended Work in Canada – What type of work
permit are you applying for?” select “Co-op work permit” from the drop-down menu.
Leave sections 2, 3, 4, 5 6, 7 of the “Details of Intended Work In Canada” part of the form
blank

If extending study permit AND applying for a co-op work permit applying for a co-op work
permit:

Complete the Application to Change Conditions, Extend my Stay or Remain in Canada as a

Student (IMM5709):
Under “Details of Intended Study In Canada”:
6a) In addition to a study permit are you also applying for a work permit > Select Yes
6b) What type of work permit are you applying for? Co-op Work Permit

Note: You will ONLY complete IMM5709. You do not need to complete IMM5710 as well.
 Application to Change Conditions, Extend
Completing IMM5710 my Stay, or Remain in Canada as a Worker

Simply indicate yes or no - proof not required

Some countries have a government identification document that is not a passport

Some national identity documents

have an issue and expiry date, some
have neither, some only have an
issue date, some only have an expiry
date. Indicate whatever is applicable

Mailing address = where do you want your co-op work permit/study permit mailed?

Likely not Door number if Street no. refers to

applicable living in a building "building number"
with multiple units

Residential address = where do you live? Only indicate if different from mailing address.

Not applicable unless you have one

Select from
drop-down
Not applicable
Indicate the email address you access most often.
You should also be checking your spam folder.
 Application to Change Conditions, Extend
Completing IMM5710 my Stay, or Remain in Canada as a Worker

Indicate yes or no to all questions in this section. Be sure to answer truthfully.

If indicated yes to any of these questions, write a short sentence providing more details. If you run out of space you can write a letter
providing further details and upload it in your "document checklist" under "optional documents" > "client information"

If indicated yes to any of these questions, write a short sentence providing more details. If you run out of space you can write a letter
providing further details and upload it in your "document checklist" under "optional documents" > "client information"

EXAMPLE:
2b) Denied entry visa to China in 2001.
2c) Applied for initial study permit from outside Canada which expires on DATE. Applied for study permit extension in June 2013 and
new entry visa in July 2013.

If indicated yes to any of these questions, write a short sentence providing more details. If you run out of space you can write a letter
providing further details and upload it in your "document checklist" under "optional documents" > "client information"

If indicated yes to any of these questions, write a short sentence providing more details. If you run out of space you can write a letter
providing further details and upload it in your "document checklist" under "optional documents" > "client information"
 Application to Change Conditions, Extend
Completing IMM5709 my Stay, or Remain in Canada as a Student

IMM5709 should be completed if you are extending your

study permit and applying for a co-op work permit.

Unique Client Identifier - located Click the drop-down

near top right of study permit for English or French

Last name(s) as stated on passport First and middle name(s) as stated on passport

Study permit Study permit

Student issue date expiry date

Not including country/territory of

citizenship or Canada
 Application to Change Conditions, Extend
Completing IMM5709 my Stay, or Remain in Canada as a Student

Study permit issue date Name of city from which you entered Canada

Study

date if applicable Name of city from which you entered Canada

Study permit document number - located in top-right corner

and begins with "F". Ex. F012345678

Trent University Select from drop-down Select from drop-down

Anticipated graduation date noted on Letter

of Enrollment. If LOE notes month and year
Durham or Peterborough address only, indicate the last day of the month

O19395164223 Ex. 0123456 Today's date

If applicable - for example

Total of tuition + Select from drop-down
For 1 academic $10,000 "parents, myself, and scholarship
room/board Ex. 38,000
year Ex. 28,000
Co-op work permit

Not applicable for students studying in Ontario

Only include post-secondary education which you have

graduated from, if applicable. Otherwise, indicate "no".

year and month Returning student Trent University

leave blank Peterborough or Oshawa Canada ON

 Application to Change Conditions, Extend
Completing IMM5709 my Stay, or Remain in Canada as a Student

Indicate yes or no

TYPE GIVEN NAMES AND LAST NAMES AS STATED ON PASSPORT Indicate date form signed and
completed

When you are finished, click the blue validate button.

This will check for errors and omissions. If there is
anything missing, the form will highlight the field in
red. You can validate the form as many times as you
need. Once it has validated successfully, a pop up will
appear to confirm. The form will automatically add an
additional page with barcodes. Ensure you save the
file at this time. You can now upload into your
document checklist in your IRCC Account.
After You Apply

Application decision:
Once a decision has been made on your co-op work permit application, IRCC will notify you
through your IRCC account. Your co-op work permit will be mailed to the address indicated
in your application form (either IMM5709 or IMM5710).

Once you receive your Co-op Work Permit:

The remarks at the bottom of your Co-op work permit must indicate: "Only for work
forming an essential/integral part of the course as per Trent University." If the above remarks
do not appear, you may need to apply for a work permit amendment.

Have questions about your application?

If you have problems with your online application, please contact the Immigration Canada
Call Centre at 1-888-242-2100 or refer to detailed information on Immigration Canada’s
Co-op Work Permit webpage.
Complete Eligibility Questionnaire

Complete the questionnaire to determine which applications you are eligible for:

What would you like to do in Canada? Work.

How long are you planning to stay in Canada? Temporarily – more than 6 months.
Select the code that matches the one on your passport: Select code which is applicable
to you.
What is your current country/territory of residence? If you are presently in Canada, you
should select Canada.
Do you have a family member who is a Canadian citizen or permanent resident and is 18
years or older?: Click on the hyperlink for definition of a family member.
What is your date of birth? Indicate your date of birth.
Are you a lawful permanent resident of the United States with a valid U.S. Citizenship and
Immigration Services (USCIS) number? Select yes or no based on your circumstances.
What is your current immigration status in Canada? Student.
Do you plan to work on campus? You must select no even if you do (this will not impact
your study permit working conditions).
Are you a full-time student at a participating post-secondary institution and want to work
off-campus up to 20 hours per week? You must select no even if you do (this will not
impact your study permit working conditions).
Have you recently graduated from a participating Canadian post-secondary institution
for which your study program was full-time and a minimum of eight months? No.
Is your work an essential part of your studies (for example, a Co-op or internship
program)? Yes.
Have you been told by an Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada office that you
are approved in principle for permanent residence in Canada? Select yes or no based on
your circumstances.
Have you submitted a permanent resident application in Canada? Select yes or no based
on your circumstances.
Do you have a written job offer? No. (It is not required).
What is your marital status? Answer based on your circumstances.
What is your province of destination? Ontario.
On the "Your results" page: Select "Co-op (in Canada)" > Continue