New Students

Congratulations! We are excited to welcome you to the Faculty of Graduate Studies at Lakehead University.  Please read your Letter of Acceptance carefully to ensure that all information is correct. If you believe corrections are required, please contact gstudent@lakeheadu.ca. Your Offer will indicate which program you have received admission to, along with important dates and information.

Your Letter of Acceptance is the official document that will be used when you apply for your study permit, and you will be required to present it when you pass through Canadian customs on your way to Lakehead. It's important that all of the information on it is correct. Read your Letter of Acceptance and verify the following:

The accuracy of your personal information:

Is your name spelled correctly?

Does it match the name on your official travel documents (passport)?

Is your date of birth correct?

Is your address correct?

To secure your spot in your program, you must accept your Offer to Lakehead by the deadline stated in your Letter. Even if you have a Conditional Letter of Acceptance, you can still confirm your spot. Follow the instructions below as a guide:

1. Accept your Letter of Acceptance online by logging into the Survey Monkey portal where you completed your application.
2. Click on Accept as shown in the screenshot below.
   
3. If you click "I'll Decide Later" you will still be able to accept the offer later. See step 6
4. Click on your program from the application system dashboard. Select START
5. Select Accept
6. If you chose “I’ll Decide Later” when you log in, you’ll see this option.
   
   Simply click Accept.

You must pay a $1,000 Canadian non-refundable deposit to Lakehead University by the deadline stated in your Letter of Acceptance in order to reserve your seat in the program.

To pay the deposit, click on Confirmation Deposit from the list of Your tasks

Click on the green button to be redirected to our secure payment site.

If you would like to pay by an alternate method, please visit https://www.lakeheadu.ca/students/finances/tuition-fees/paying-fees for available methods. Please note, if you pay by an alternate method, your status will not automatically be updated. Please send a payment receipt to gstudent@lakeheadu.ca so your status can be updated.

Once you have made the confirmation deposit payment, you can click ‘Mark As Complete’ on the confirmation deposit section of your Survey Monkey application portal.

If you require a receipt, you can now view/print a receipt through your MyPortal - MyPortal > Financial Information tab > Student Finance > Account Activity > "Payments" bubble > select receipt number.

If you experience an issue downloading the receipt, please contact the Accounts Office directly at accounts@lakeheadu.ca. The Faculty of Graduate Studies cannot provide receipts.

If your offer is conditional, you will find the conditions listed in your Letter of Acceptance under the ‘Admission Conditions and Other Important Information’ section.

We strongly encourage you to meet the conditions outlined in your Letter of Acceptance as soon as possible to prevent registration delays. You will not be able to register for any courses or receive your unconditional letter until you meet the conditions outlined in your Letter of Acceptance.

In order to be considered official, documents must be sent to Graduate Studies directly from the granting institution. We require your final official transcripts and proof of degree document. The proof of degree document must state the name of the degree and the date that it was conferred.

Your final official transcript and official proof of degree can be sent by mail or email as long as they are sent directly from the granting institution. Please note: emailed transcripts must be sent directly from your institution, with an institutional email address directly to Lakehead University at gstudent@lakeheadu.ca. If you are mailing transcripts, please send them to;
Faculty of Graduate Studies
Lakehead University
955 Oliver Rd
Thunder Bay ON P7B 5E1 Canada

Unconditional Offer Letter

Once you have met all of the conditions listed in your Letter of Acceptance, we will automatically issue an unconditional letter. We require some time to process the official documents and issue the unconditional offer letter, we appreciate your patience. The unconditional letter will be sent to your Lakehead and personal email address.

We strongly encourage you to meet all conditions and have an unconditional Letter of Acceptance before you start the study permit process. This is the best way to ensure your study permit is issued for the correct duration of time and with the correct conditions.

However, we understand due to processing times, you may have to apply for your study permit with a conditional letter. If you decide to use a conditional Letter of Acceptance, please clearly demonstrate how you are currently working towards the conditions (finishing high school, completing IELTS). You may be issued a one-year study permit with conditions on working while studying if you use a conditional offer. This can be corrected after arrival once conditions are met and you have registered.

You should check the expiry date of your passport before you start the process. A study permit cannot be issued past your passport validity, therefore if your passport is expiring in the next two years, you may want to consider renewing this first. To renew your passport in Canada, most countries require an in-person meeting at the embassy (in Ottawa) which can be costly and time-consuming.

A medical exam could also be required, depending on your country of citizenship and program of study. This request is typically sent (if required) after you apply. Once you submit your online application, you will be sent a request for medical, if it is required. Please follow the instructions in the medical request letter and complete the requirement before the deadline indicated. If you plan to study and work in the health field, we recommend completing the medical before coming to Canada and including this with your study permit application.

Please click here to find an IRCC doctor close to you.

Co-op is work-integrated learning as part of your degree studies. Co-op may be a mandatory component to your program (either undergrad or masters program). Lakehead University will approve co-op positions after your first year of studies. Workshops will be held on-campus for individuals needing to apply for this permit.

You will be required to provide a program end date on your study permit application form. Your program end date will be listed on your Letter of Acceptance but you may also consult the following:

Dependents (spouse and/or children) of international students in Canada are eligible to visit, study and work while their family member studies. You can include your family members in your original application to come to Canada, or invite them to accompany you after you arrive. More information on family members can be found here.

Once you submit your application, you can track the progress through your IRCC online account. IRCC will send you notifications anytime they make a change. You can check processing times on the main page of the IRCC website.

Once your application is approved online, you will be sent a notification. It will also ask you to mail your passport or visit the VAC for your passport stamping. You must travel to Canada with the approval message, and your study permit will be issued upon entry.