International Education

Application Process

How to apply

You can see which programs are available to international students, and if they are open or closed for applications here: Program Availability

Ensure you have enough time to arrive for the start of your program. Okanagan College application processing times can be 4-6 weeks plus the estimated processing times for study permits

Use the program search to quickly find more information about admission and graduation requirements for your desired programs: Okanagan College Program Search 

Note that not all programs are available to international students so check program availability first. 

-Age requirement 
Applicants must be 18 years of age, or turn 18 during their first semester. Applicants who are 17 years of age may be admitted if they have completed British Columbia Grade 12 or equivalent, or if they wish to study for the summer session only. 

-SDS Applicants residing in India or Pakistan  must apply through an agent. For agent information please contact OC International at inted@okanagan.bc.ca. 

-Need an agent recommendation for other countries?  contact the Marketing & Recruitment Specialist 

ESL STUDENTS

Duolingo: Language Assessment for placement in the English Language Program.  

  • Please submit a copy of your DuoLingo English test results with your ESL application and release your DuoLingo test results to Okanagan College through your DuoLingo account.  

Academic IELTS, TOEFL and OCELA scores are also accepted for placement.  Late test results are emailed to intedapps@okanagan.bc.ca.   

ACADEMIC STUDENTS 

International students graduating from British Columbia high schools can use their BC grades to meet English requirements the same as domestic students.  

Accepted English alternatives for the Bachelor of Business Administration and the Applied Bachelor of Arts: Community Research and Evaluation are found on the link below:  

 Accepted English alternatives for all other programs found on the link below:  

Applicants living in India or Pakistan must use academic IELTS to meet English requirements.  

For country-specific English requirement questions, please contact the Marketing Team member representing your region here:  

International Marketing Team Contact List 

Please note that transcripts must be in English or translated into English by an official translator. Please save your documents as PDFs if possible, and label them appropriately. 

  • All secondary/high school transcripts in one file 

  • English language proficiency documents (Duolingo, IELTS, TOEFL, LPI, PTE or other) into one file 

  • All post-secondary documents (transcripts, degrees, diplomas or certificates) in one file 

  • Copy of your valid passport  

Failure to list and provide transcripts from all institutions you attended on your application may be considered an intentional omission and will lead to the cancellation of your application for admission or withdrawal of your offer of admission. 

International student applications are submitted online here: Apply Online 

There is a non-refundable $100 application fee payable by credit card. 

Connect with your Marketing & Recruitment Specialist if you’re still unsure of specific admission requirements after reviewing the program’s webpage. 

Ensure you have enough time to arrive for the start of your program. Okanagan College application processing times can be 4-6 weeks plus the estimated processing times for study permits

After you submit your application

  1. Login to your MyOkanagan account to check your application status. Your status will say "applied" while it is in the processing queue. 

  1. Wait for a Conditional Offer of Acceptance letter (4-6 weeks) from a complete application. If additional information is required, or OC is experiencing a high volume of applications, it may take longer. 

  1. While waiting for your offer letter: 

            -start gathering documents for your study permit application. 

            -If considering applying for On-Campus Student Housing

  1. Pay deposit and submit any other required items to get your acceptance letter. 

             -Send your Marketing & Recruitment Specialist your payment confirmation number. 

  1. Receive a Letter of Acceptance and deposit receipt (7-10 business days) 

  1. Submit your study permit application. 

                 *Note: Students from India and Pakistan must use Student Direct Stream (SDS)  

  1. Notify your Marketing & Recruitment Specialist after your study permit application has been submitted 

  1. When you receive a decision about your study permit decision, notify your Marketing & Recruitment Specialist. 

How-to Apply Guide

To learn how to fill out the EPBC Education Planner British Columbia Application, please see the guide below.

How-to guide

Tuition fees

International student tuition fees vary from program to program. To find out the estimated costs for your academic program please use the cost calculator on the right or view the international estimated cost page.  Prices do not include student association fees (applicable to ESL for Academic Purposes, Certificate, Diploma and Degree programs only). Your account must be paid in full by the fee payment deadline. If you add or change courses after the fee payment deadline additional fees may be charged to your account.

You are expected to have enough money to cover the costs of your tuition, accommodation and living expenses while in Canada.  Please see more information on the minimum funds needed to support yourself as a student on the  Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada-IRCC website. 

Students taking a minimum of three courses will still be considered full-time students and have all the benefits that this offers – including a more manageable course load, and the opportunity for off-campus work provided they meet all Immigration, Refugee and Citizenship Canada-IRCC requirements.

Payment SCAM alert

We have been alerted that there are companies contacting students to offer a discount on their tuition.  They ask for your student ID to make a payment on your account through PayMyTuition (PMT), and ask you to pay them a reduced amount after you can see the payment on your Okanagan College (OC) account.  The card owner subsequently disputes the charge with their credit card company, causing PMT to reverse the payment on your OC account.  This puts your OC account in bad standing, resulting in a HOLD on your account, reducing your access to many OC services, and may cause you to be dropped from classes or delay graduation if you are at the end of your program. 

Payments to OC student accounts should never be made by unrelated third parties.  You should not share your student ID with outside parties.  If you are uncertain if a service is legitimate, please contact the International Education department so we can assist.

Be wary of any person offering to make a tuition payment on your behalf or promising a discount on payment. If the offer sounds too good to be true, it almost certainly is. 

Payment options

Online application payments by:
Credit Card Only (Visa, MasterCard and American Express)

Tuition, Student Fees and Deposits.

  • Tuition fees and deposits should be paid through PayMyTuition.  PayMyTuition may be used to pay all amounts owing to Okanagan College, including Deposits, Tuition, Homestay, Residence, Medical and other Ancillary Fees.

  • For payments made from within Canada,  online payments can be paid directly through your Canadian Bank.  (Add Okanagan College as the Payee and for your Account number it is your 300 - - - - - - student ID number).

  • For additional  information about fee payment deadlines etc, go to more payment options.

Infographic on how to make Payments at Okanagan College 

Okanagan College PayMyTuition Partnership Confirmation Letter

English for Academic Purposes Certificate – Kelowna Campus

$ 3,200 per (140 hour course/4 month semester) 

Degree/Diploma Programs
$1,600  per course 

Trades Programs, Engineering Technology or Health and Social Development Programs
Please see our Program Schedule and Tuition Fees or email the Marketing Recruitment Specialist from your country 

Student Fees and Development and Technology Fees
All Okanagan College students are required to pay student fees each semester. These fees include student activity fees (about $60), development and technology fees (about $150), and student union fees ($80). The exact amount is calculated once you register for classes.

Other Fees
Please note that you may have to pay additional fees including student residence or homestay fees, student association fees and medical insurance fees. 

International Student Deposit Refund and Deferral Procedures

ESL and EAP programs:
ESL and EAP Student Refund and Deferral Procedures

Student Direct Stream (SDS) Countries:
Tuition Deposit, Refund and Deferral Procedures Student Direct Stream (SDS) Countries

All other countries - Non Direct Stream
Tuition Deposit, Refund and Deferral Procedures - Non Direct Stream

All refunds are issued to the student on the account regardless of who made the payment. Refunds are issued to the country of origin of the payment even if the student is now in Canada.

Withdraw from Courses

If you have to withdraw from courses you may be eligible for a tuition refund, provided that you do so within the withdrawal deadlines stated on the Academic Calendar. Please see Okanagan College Calendar Fees for full refund details. 

Fall and Winter Courses
For the Fall and Winter semesters, students who withdraw are entitled to a full refund, up to and including the end of the second week of classes, less the non-refundable tuition deposit. Students who withdraw after the second week of classes are not eligible for a tuition rebate.

Spring/Summer Session Courses
Tuition fee refunds will only be processed for withdrawals before session start dates. Okanagan College will retain the non-refundable registration deposit.

Vocational and Trades Programs
For partial withdrawals, students will be assessed full fees for each program component in which she/he remains registered. Okanagan College will retain the non-refundable tuition deposit and any penalties that have been assessed. Any additional monies will be refunded.

Rebates will not be granted after the second week of the program.

Unforeseen Circumstances
International students, who withdraw from their programs due to unforeseen circumstances beyond their control, may request pro-rated rebates of tuition less any costs incurred by Okanagan College. Students must submit supporting documents satisfactory to the Registrar.  Please email the international office inted@okanagan.bc.ca

Stay connected


The iCent app benefits International Students from the moment they are accepted into Okanagan College throughout their academic lives, by providing useful information and service support.   The app is Free to download for all Okanagan College International Students.

Download the iCent App

International Orientation

We are happy that you are joining us this upcoming semester and hope you enjoy studying here at Okanagan College. An orientation session has been planned to provide you with the information you need to successfully start your semester here. Our orientation sessions are intended to help you navigate and understanding how things work at the College, and to make you feel like a welcome part of the College community.

Attending this event is MANDATORY for all new students. Find the next orientation on your campus below.

Register for orientation