Update your immigration status
All changes to your immigration status in Canada are to be reported to the University. A change to your immigration status may result in a tuition fee reassessment and removal of the international differential fee.
How to request an update to your immigration status:
If you need to update your immigration status, you can request a change by submitting a Request to Update Residency or Immigration Status with the required documentation prior to the term’s deadline. If your request is approved, your status will be revised and if applicable, your tuition amounts will be updated.
When do I need to submit a change of immigration status?
Undergraduate and graduate international students who fall within one of the following categories may be eligible to pay domestic fees:
- Diplomats and Dependents
- Protected Person/Refugees and Dependents
- VISA Dependents of Canadians
- Permanent Resident and their dependents (including preliminary requirements met)
- Visiting Workers and Dependents holding an Ontario Closed Work Permit or a work permit granted under the Canada-Ukraine Authorization for Emergency Travel (CUAET) special measure
When can I request an update to my immigration status?
You can submit a Request to Update Residency or Immigration Status at any time. Please allow up to 7-10 business days for changes. You will receive a confirmation email when you submit the form and another when your request is completed.
The term deadlines for requesting a change to your provincial residency or immigration status are:
| Term | Deadline |
|---|---|
| Fall | November 1 |
| Winter | February 1 |
| Spring | June 30 |
Requests received after the deadline for the current term will be updated for the following term. Retroactive changes for past terms and exceptions for missed deadlines are not permitted.
Update your provincial residency status
Update your provincial residency status (for domestic students)
Beginning in fall 2023, all Canadian domestic undergraduate students, and graduate students in some programs will be assessed either domestic Ontario tuition fees or domestic out-of-province tuition fees. Your Quest bill will be posted to your student account approximately one month before the start of classes and will confirm the provincial residency billing rate.
How to request an update to domestic Ontario residency status:
If you have been assessed domestic out-of-province tuition fees but are eligible for domestic Ontario fees based on your provincial residency status, you can request a provincial residency change by submitting a Request to Update Residency or Immigration Status, along with the required documentation prior to the term’s deadline. If your request is approved, your status will be revised to domestic Ontario residency and your tuition amounts will be updated.
Who is eligible for domestic Ontario residency status?
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Students who are currently receiving full-time funding from the Ontario Student Assistance Program (OSAP) or have received full-time OSAP funding in the past 5 years while attending the University of Waterloo. There is no need to submit a request to change your status, your status will be updated for you within 7-10 business days. If you have recently applied for full-time OSAP and are awaiting an assessment, please allow approximately 7-10 business days for your status to be updated
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Dependent students whose parent’s primary residence is in Ontario
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Independent students whose primary residence is in Ontario, and Ontario is the last province lived in for 12 months in a row prior to becoming a post-secondary student
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Independent students whose spouse or common-law partner’s primary residence is in Ontario, and Ontario is the last province your spouse or common-law partner has lived in for 12 months in a row
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Dependent students whose parents are recently deceased and at least one of your parents was residing permanently in Ontario at the time of death
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Students in extended society care
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Students who are the dependent of someone holding diplomatic status in Canada
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Students who have been granted, or are the dependent of someone who has been granted protected person/refugee status
When can I request an update to my domestic Ontario residency status?
You can submit a Request to Update Residency or Immigration Status at any time. Please allow up to 7-10 business days for changes. You will receive a confirmation email when you submit the form and another when your request is completed.
The term deadlines for requesting a change to your provincial residency or immigration status are:
| Term | Deadline |
|---|---|
| Fall | November 1 |
| Winter | February 1 |
| Spring | June 30 |
Requests received after the deadline for the current term will be updated for the following term. Retroactive changes for past terms and exceptions for missed deadlines are not permitted.
Find out if you're eligible for the local indigenous tuition waiver
Validated members of Six Nations First Nations and the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation will have their tuition fee waived. Domestic Ontario tuition fees will be assessed for validated Indigenous or Native American students from Canada and the US.
How to submit Indigenous validation documents
Uploading your Indigenous validation documents to determine your eligibility for the tuition waiver can be completed on Quest. The Quest Indigenous Declaration form will also be used to determine eligibility for Ontario domestic tuition rates to out-of-province First Nations, Métis, and Inuit students and Native American students from the continental U.S. recognized by the Jay Treaty.
To help you navigate this process, there are a number of resources available:
- For information about the Indigenous tuition waiver eligibility, requirements and validation documentation, visit the Office of Indigenous Relations website.
- For step-by-step instructions to completing the Indigenous Declaration and uploading validation documentation visit the Quest website.
- For information about how residency affects your tuition fees, tuition deadlines, and details about tuition fees in general, visit the Student Financial Services website.