If you're not a Canadian citizen or Permanent Resident of Canada, you must have a valid study permit to attend university in Canada.
Were you admitted to a co-op program?
If you received an offer of admission to a co-op program, apply for a co-op work permit in your study permit application using your Letter of Acceptance from Waterloo. Highlight all components of the Letter of Acceptance that pertain to your co-op program.
You need your co-op work permit for all co-op work terms and you must have it before starting your first one, which can be as early as January of your first year for some Engineering programs.
If your program includes a degree-required internship, you can apply for your co-op work permit from within Canada after you arrive.
Not issued a co-op work permit approval from a Canadian visa office or at the port-of-entry?
If you're not issued a co-op work permit approval from a Canadian visa office or at the port-of-entry into Canada, you can still apply for a co-op work permit once you're in Canada.
We recommend applying right away after arriving at Waterloo, as processing times from within Canada can be 6 months or longer. The current processing times are available on the Government of Canada website.