International students

Admissions requirements for persons who are neither a Canadian Citizen nor an Official Permanent Resident of Canada nor a Convention Refugee, defined as “international students.”

In addition to meeting admissions requirements defined in the preceding sections, international students seeking to enroll at LaSalle College Vancouver must submit each of the following items:

• Transcripts and diplomas, prepared in English or an official English translation. Please see the section “Proof of Secondary School Graduation” for more detailed information;
• A photocopy of the student’s passport to provide proof of birth date and citizenship (applicants who have not yet acquired a passport will need to submit a copy of their birth certificate).
• In order to study in a full-time program at LaSalle College Vancouver, students must obtain a valid Study Permit and be permitted by Citizenship and Immigration Canada to physically be in Canada. Obtaining a valid Study Permits and/or visa is the student’s responsibility. For more information contact Citizenship and Immigration Canada at 1-888-242-2100, or visit their website. To extend your study permit, contact the nearest Canadian Immigration Centre at least two- months before the expiry of your Study Permit. Where an international student on a Study Permit has been dismissed or withdraws from the program for which the Study Permit is/has been issued, LaSalle College Vancouver may be required to provide notification to Citizenship and Immigration Canada.
• International students must provide proof of medical coverage via the Medical Services Plan (MSP) of British Columbia, or private health insurance. For more information call 1-800-663-7100 (This number is intended for persons residing outside Victoria or Vancouver). In Vancouver, call 604-683-7151. In Victoria, call 604-382-8406 or write to the following address: Medical Services Plan, PO Box 9035 Stn Prov Govt, Victoria, BC V8W 9E3. You can also visit their Web site at http://www.gov.bc.ca/healthservices/.
• Test Scores for degree programs. All degree-seeking applicants are required to submit official academic grades and/or test scores or take the Accuplacer test to determine placement in LaSalle College Vancouver’s college-level general education courses. Applicants who earn less than an acceptable score on the test are required to enroll in the appropriate developmental and/or transitional studies course offered at LaSalle College Vancouver. Please see the section “Academic Placement” for a complete description. Transfer credit may be accepted in place of test scores.
• 250 word essay for degree program applicants; 500 word essay is required for applicants to the Bachelor of Design in Fashion Design.
• Foundation for Design: applicants who wish to receive advanced standing in the Graphic Design diploma program must submit a portfolio that demonstrates proficiency in foundation-level skills. For current portfolio submission guidelines, please contact an Admissions representative.

Prospective students who wish to attend LaSalle College Vancouver and do not qualify as a mature student must have successfully completed the requirements for secondary school graduation or equivalent, as set by the recognized legal authority in the jurisdiction where secondary school was completed. In the absence of such legal authority, LaSalle College Vancouver reserves the right to examine academic credentials on a case-by-case basis.

Applicants must provide documentation in the form of official school transcripts sent directly from the institution to LaSalle College Vancouver that clearly indicate that the requirements for graduation have been met and the date of graduation. Documentation from outside of Canada will be evaluated by LaSalle College Vancouver prior to acceptance. For countries where it may not be possible to have official documentation sent directly from the institution, applicants should consult with their Admissions representative to determine what forms of documentation are acceptable. In some cases, evaluation by a credential evaluation agency may be required.

An applicant who holds a post-secondary diploma, associate’s degree or higher may submit proof of that credential as evidence of satisfying the secondary school graduation requirement. Secondary school applicants who have not yet graduated should submit a partial transcript that indicates their expected graduation date in order to be evaluated for early conditional acceptance. Applicants who are unable to provide documentation of having completed a high school diploma or GED due to a natural disaster destroying the records or the institution having been closed may submit the following for consideration in addition to completing an attestation of High School Diploma or GED completion:

• Confirmation from the province recognizing that the institution lost its records to a natural disaster. If the province cannot confirm, confirmation can be obtained from a recognized authority as approved by the Dean of Academic Affairs.
• Confirmation from the province recognizing that the institution has closed and that the records are not attainable.

Instruction at LaSalle College Vancouver is conducted in English. Students whose first language is not the language of instruction are required to undergo a Language Proficiency Assessment prior to enrollment in order to ensure they have the language abilities necessary to successfully complete the program of their choice. Language proficiency requirements are admission requirements and may not be waived by either the institution or the student. The following are accepted:

Equivalent scores based on other standardized English language proficiency tests could also be considered on a case by case basis.

N.B. All scores must have been obtained within two years of the start date of the program to be considered valid.

*The accepted English Language Requirements and Pathways options are subject to change. LaSalle College Vancouver reserves the right to amend the table from time to time.

The language of instruction at LCV is English. Applicants can demonstrate their English language competency in one of the following ways:

1) Achieve minimum scores on tests of English proficiency as described in the English Language Proficiency table below.
2) For degree applicants, achieve a grade of 68 percent in any one of: BC English 12, English Literature 12, English 12 First Peoples, Communications 12 or Technical and Professional Communications 12 or equivalent in another high school system. For diploma applicants, achieve a grade of 55 percent in any one of: BC English 12, English Literature 12, English 12 First Peoples, Communications 12 or Technical and Professional Communications 12 or equivalent in another high school system. Equivalencies can only be determined by the Chief Academic Officer.
3) Advanced Placement (AP) English Language or English Literature, minimum grade of 3 or 68 percent.
4) International Baccalaureate (IB) English Language A1 or A2 (Higher or Standard level), minimum grade of 5 or better.
5) Proof of undergraduate or higher degree conferral from a recognized post-secondary institution where English is the language of instruction.
6) Achieve 68 percent or higher in 100-level English language course at a recognized post-secondary institution.
7) Successful completion of a minimum of two consecutive full-time semesters or quarters of post-secondary course work, with a minimum overall score of 68% or equivalent for degree and 55% for diploma, at a recognized college or university in which English is the language of instruction. Successful completion is defined as passing all courses for which the student was registered during the two semesters.
8) Achieve a PASS on GED administered in English.
9) 480 score or higher on the Evidence-Based Reading and Writing Section of the SAT.

All international applicants to LaSalle College Vancouver must meet the same admissions standards as all other students. In addition to the Admissions Requirements above, students presenting transcripts or credentials earned outside Canada will be evaluated internally and may be required to provide a credential evaluation prepared by a National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES) or Association of International Credential Evaluators (AICE)-member credential evaluation service and an English translation (if applicable). International students will also be required to present evidence of financial support sufficient to cover the duration of their stay prior to receiving the Letter of Acceptance. Please speak with an Admissions Representative to determine eligibility and learn more.

Post-graduation work permit (PGWP)
International students may be eligible for a post-graduation work permit (PGWP) if they graduated from LaSalle College Vancouver, a designated learning institution (DLI), and want to stay in Canada temporarily to work.

Graduation from a DLI doesn’t automatically make international students eligible for a PGWP.

The PGWP is only available once in a lifetime.

Eligibility requirements
To be eligible for a PGWP, students must meet the following requirements:

• They completed one of the degrees below:

• Associate of Arts
• Bachelor of Design in Graphic Design
• Bachelor of Applied Design in Interior Design
• Bachelor of Science in Game Programming
• Bachelor of Design in Fashion Design

• They maintained full-time status as a student in Canada during each semester of their study program.

For the complete list of eligibility criteria, please visit the Government of Canada website. 

Application submission
Students can apply for a PGWP from inside Canada or from another country, if they meet all the eligibility criteria and have received their degree/diploma, transcript or official letter from LaSalle College Vancouver confirming that they have completed their studies.

For more information, please visit the official website of the Government of Canada.

The Student Direct Stream (SDS) is an Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) program aiming to speed up the Student Permit application process for students coming from specific countries. The list of these countries can be found on the Canadian government website.

To qualify for SDS, applicants need to meet additional requirements, in particular language levels that are stricter than regular study permit requirements. Students who do not have all of the additional information required for SDS can apply through the regular study permit application process, either online or at a Visa Application Centre.

The minimum eligibility criteria to qualify for a Canadian study permit under the SDS processing can be found on the Canadian government website.

At present, Scotiabank and ICICI Bank Canada are the only participating Canadian financial institutions.

People who have previously been refused any Canadian study permit application are not eligible to apply under SDS.

Please click on the following links to get all the details and the forms needed to apply:

Application to Study in Canada, Study Permits

Visa Application Centre (VAC) in the Specific Countries Stated by SDS for Submitting the Study Permit Application