Starting Monday July 5, 2021, official college letters will be issued to active and former Bow Valley College learners through MyCreds™ platform.
As of July 1, the college will no longer be sending official college letters via email or mail. There will be a $15 fee charged for all standard official college letters. Learners will not have to pay to view their documents in MyCreds platform. However, payments will be required for each document share that they make with the recipient(s) of their choice, or when they download their document in PDF file format. Please refer to the official college letters page for more detailed instructions about MyCreds.
Most Common Letters for International Students
- Confirms you're currently enrolled in a Bow Valley College program. It includes your expected end date.
- You'll need this to apply for a study permit extension or renewal.
Confirmation of Co-op Work Experience
- Confirms your program has a practicum or work experience.
- You'll need it to apply for a Co-op Work Permit.
- You can request this letter from the international department
Confirmation of Academic Break
Academic break is not available to all programs. Certain programs run consecutively without a break. If you're looking to take a break please come to the international department and book an appointment with an international learner advisor who can confirm that the requested break meets immigration requirements.*
- Please read IRCC requirements for Scheduled Academic Breaks. You should also read the “Studying While in Canada” section on the Study Changes page.
Post Graduate Work Permit Letter
Post-Graduate Work Permit Letter will be issued automatically to each international learner who has been officially graduated from a post-secondary program. This should not be requested separately. This is the letter international graduates will need to submit to IRCC along with their official transcripts upon graduation to apply for a Post-Graduate Work Permit. It confirms you've completed a full-time program of 1 or 2 years at Bow Valley College.
Eligibility criteria
- You have studied full-time and continuously throughout your program. Exceptions: a regular academic break and the last semester of classes. If you transfer credits, make sure you maintain full-time enrolment.*
- Most of the courses you're enrolled in every term are in-class delivery.*
- If you're in a certificate program: You've completed at least 8 months of study at Bow Valley College. *
- If you're in a diploma program: You've completed at least 16 months of study at Bow Valley College. *
* Please note: Eligibility is based on continuous enrolment in your program. After the regular academic break, you must maintain your full-time studies. If you don't, you'll be violating the terms of your study permit.
Invitation to Graduation
If your convocation guests would like to attend your graduation ceremony, they will need to apply for a Temporary Resident Visa. Bow Valley College does not provide letters of invitation; you must write the letter of invitation yourself.
The following are guidelines taken from the CIC website. For more information, please visit the IRCC web page here
Some visa offices may require that your letter be notarized by a Notary Public. Please note that a letter of invitation does not guarantee that a visa will be issued.
The officer reviewing your guests’ application for their visitor visa will likely want to confirm that the information you have provided in your Letter of Invitation is accurate. Therefore, you may want to provide the following documents in support of your Letter of Invitation:
- Proof of Bow Valley College convocation taking place: Include the website link and a printout of Bow Valley College upcoming convocation ceremony date(s) from this web page
- Copy of your passport and your study permit
- An official transcript
- Gaspard confirmation email (rental fee receipt for regalia)
- Email confirming your application to graduate was accepted
Please note, we recommend that you print out the whole FAQ page regarding Convocation. Doing so will provide the date and times, as well as offer the immigration officers a comprehensive sense of the process.
