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Arriving after your Canadian college's start date due to a passport/visa delay

Canada • Study Permit • study 0 views
By VisaBuddies Communityvia community — compiled from public visa forums

Step-by-Step

A student whose passport was still with VFS for visa stamping asked whether landing 1-2 days after their college's official start date (due to their flight and passport timing) would be a problem.

What the group advised:
  1. Email the college's international admissions office and request a late start — members said this generally isn't an issue as long as you proactively communicate rather than just showing up late.

  2. Follow up if you don't hear back, and make sure your email specifically reaches the international admissions office rather than a general inbox.

  3. Orientation and even the first week often don't significantly affect your standing — members noted many students miss these without real consequence, so a short delay of a couple of days is unlikely to be a serious problem.


The practical takeaway: proactively email the international admissions office about a short arrival delay rather than worrying silently — colleges are generally accommodating about a few days' difference caused by visa processing timing.

Dos, Don'ts & Tips

  • Do: Email the college's international admissions office as soon as you know you'll arrive late, and follow up if there's no response.
  • Tip: Missing orientation or the first few days of classes due to a short visa-related delay is usually not a serious problem.

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