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Visiting students

Study here as a student from another university

You may apply for visiting student status if:

  • You are an undergraduate student from another university who has written approval from your home university to take courses at Concordia University, or
  • You are a student currently registered in a professional program sponsored by external associations, such as the CA, CMA or CGA.  

Please note: being granted visiting student status in no way guarantees you a place in a Concordia course.

If you are a student from another Quebec university who wishes to take courses at Concordia, you must complete a web-based Inter-University Exchange Authorization form on the Bureau de cooperation interuniversitaire (BCI) website. Once you complete the BCI form, your application will be handled online.

This guide will lead you through the online application process.

Please note:

  • You may save your application at any point, allowing you to partially complete the process (if necessary) and return to it later.

Go to this page and follow the steps to arrive at the start of the application.

Specify your level of study.

Choose Undergraduate Visiting Student from another Canadian university.

Provide your name, date of birth, first language, email address and other details. Please ensure that all information is accurate and matches all your official supporting documents. If you had to modify the spelling of your name when you created your Netname account, please correct your name here.

For the questions about languages, if you are bilingual or multilingual, please choose the options that seem most appropriate to you. Your answers will not affect your application for admission in any way.

The email address you provide will be the one we use to communicate with you throughout the admissions process.

Indicate where you’re currently attending university and which field you’re interested in at Concordia.

You may specify a mailing address different from your home address.

You can change your contact information at a later date by going to the personal information section of your Student Centre. You can also manage your personal information by logging in to the Student Hub and going to My CU Account

The Student Hub is the university’s main site for students to carry out key tasks related to their academic life, like checking course schedules and paying tuition. For future students, it’s also the place where you can check on the status of your application for admission. You’ll be able to log into the Student Hub once you’ve submitted your application.

Please ensure that you have PDF copies of your documents ready to upload.

You do not have to upload all the documents listed in the drop-down list, only the documents required to support your application, including:

  • A letter of permission from the registrar of your home university
  • Canadian birth certificate/citizenship/permanent residency documents or a Quebec Certificate of Acceptance (CAQ) and/or student visa.

You may be eligible to pay Quebec rates of tuition if you are a Canadian or Permanent Resident.

  • Include proof of Quebec residency in your visiting student application to be eligible for Quebec tuition rates.

File types that can be uploaded include:

  • Adobe Acrobat Document (*.pdf)
  • Image files (*.bmp, *.gif, *.jpg, *.jpeg, *.tif)
  • Microsoft Word Document (*.doc)
  • Rich Text File (*.rtf)
  • Text File (*.txt)

File size can be no larger than 5 MB per document.

You may also upload documents after the application has been submitted through your Student Centre. You can also upload documents to your Student Centre by logging in to the Student Hub and going to My CU Account

You’re almost finished!

Release of Information: Privacy rules prevent us from talking to anyone but you about your application, unless you authorize a specific person on your application. Once you are admitted, this person will no longer have access to your file.

Once you click the “submit” button, you will receive a confirmation email with an attached PDF copy of your application within 24 hours. This email will include an eight-digit student ID number that you will use throughout your studies at Concordia.

If you have any technical difficulties with your online application please contact the Instructional & Information Technology Services (IITS) service desk.

Application assessment period
When your application is complete and you’ve added all supporting documents to your file, we start to consider your application.

Check your application status online
You can check your application status online. You can also access your application status by logging in to the Student Hub and going to My CU Account.

Letters of acceptance
We communicate admission decisions with you by email – not over the phone. Please double check your email junk folder if you have not received any emails from Concordia.

Contact Us
To contact the Office of the Registrar about questions regarding your application, email us at students@concordia.ca.

If you are an international student who wishes to take courses at Concordia, we invite you to see how to attend Concordia as a visiting international fee-paying student

Canadian visas for international students

You must obtain a Quebec Certificate of Acceptance (CAQ) and a Canada Study Permit if you wish to pursue studies in the province of Quebec and you are not a Canadian citizen or a Landed immigrant.

However, you need only apply for a Temporary Resident Visa if:

  • You reside in a country that requires such a document to enter Canada, and
  • Your program of study is for six months or less and can be completed within the allowable period of your stay in Canada. ­

In this case, no other document is necessary. Despite this regulation, foreign nationals may still opt to apply for a CAQ and a Study Permit if they wish. You may obtain further information from the Visa Departments of the Canadian Consulate and Embassy in your country

If you wish to register for courses required for a program sponsored by an external association or order, such as the accountancy CA, CMA or CGA certifications, you must send us:

  • Proof of membership in the association 
  • Your citizenship documents. Visiting students who are Canadians or Permanent Residents may be eligible to pay Quebec rates of tuition if they submit of proof of Quebec residency in accordance with government criteria.

Read more about this option in the academic calendar. 

Graduate visiting students from other universities who have been authorized by their home universities to take graduate courses at Concordia University are subject to the regulations of Concordia University.  Consult the Visiting Students section in the Graduate Calendar

Does your home university have a visiting student agreement with Concordia?

Follow the visiting student application process that best describes your situation:

  1. Graduate students from Québec universities must submit requests for courses through the Inter-University Agreement (AEHE/BCI) process.
  2. Graduate students from Canadian universities outside of Québec must obtain a letter (or form) of authorization from their home university. Applicants must submit this document to the degree program that offers the course(s). The Graduate Transfer Agreement between Canadian Universities (CAGS) form can also be completed if used by the home institution.
  3. Graduate students from universities outside of Canada must contact Concordia International if their home university has an exchange agreement with Concordia. They will be considered as Visiting Exchange students.

If your home university does not have an exchange agreement, follow these steps to apply (at least one-month prior to the commencement of the requested term):

Immigration documents for international students

All individuals who wish to pursue studies in the province of Québec must obtain immigration documents if they are not Canadian citizens or Landed immigrants.

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