Opportunities in Canada

Doctoral awards from Canada's federal research agencies are applied for through universities, not directly. The Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarships no longer accept applications, and the Vanier site points candidates to the Canada Graduate Research Scholarship for doctoral study (CGRS-D). International students can apply to the CGRS-D if they are registered in a doctoral programme at an eligible Canadian institution by the deadline, although only up to 15 percent of awards are available to international applicants.

Study in Canada requires a study permit, applied for before travelling. Documents always include a letter of acceptance from the school, proof of identity and proof of funds, and in most cases a provincial or territorial attestation letter, which the school provides and which usually follows acceptance of the offer and payment of some tuition. Quebec uses its own Quebec Acceptance Certificate instead. After graduating from an eligible institution, graduates may apply for a Post-Graduation Work Permit, whose length depends on the programme length, up to three years.

Graduating does not automatically qualify someone for a work permit: the institution and programme must be eligible, only one such permit is issued, and since 1 November 2024 most applicants must submit language test results. For the CGRS-D, institutional deadlines can fall well before the agency deadline in mid-October, and applying through the wrong channel results in rejection. Applicants should confirm the work-permit eligibility of a programme with the school before accepting an offer.