Did I need a study permit?

[ustreft]

Hello guys, I have a work permit in Canada for two years now as an engineer. I took some random evening acting classes just for fun, they came in 3-months courses. I took 3 installments of the same course (9 months total), but before starting those I specifically asked the school if I needed a study permit and I was told no. Moreover, they told me it's impossible to get the study permit for their evening acting classes.
I also took some Spanish classes, also for self development, for also roughly a 9 month period.
I shared this with a friend of mine and they told me I needed a study permit for both of those things. Is it true? Could it be that I violated my work permit conditions? I honestly thought that these classes were just for self-improvement and didn't require a study permit. Neither of the schools ask for any ID from me, and they didn't give me any kind of diploma or certificate.

 

[Esporte321]

The IRCC website states that [1]:
"When a study permit is required
Foreign nationals are required to obtain a study permit for engaging in academic, professional, vocational or other education or training that is more than 6 months in duration at a designated learning institution (DLI) in Canada.
The following activities are not considered studies for the purposes of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (IRPA) and do not require a study permit:

• pre-school (pre-kindergarten)
• courses of general interest or self-improvement
• distance learning
• audited courses (typically by sitting in on an academic course, but without obtaining credit for it, or having the ability to obtain credit for it retroactively)"

Your study was more than 6 months, maybe that is the reason why your friend told that you must have had a study permit. However, note that there are some activities that are not considered as studies and do not require a study permit, maybe your courses can be defined as "general interest or self-improvement". The "self-improvement" courses may be ambiguous. You told us that the Spanish was for self-improvement, but someone can say also that a master's degree in physics is only for self-improvement purposes. Sincerely, the language courses with more than 6 months usually require study-permit. However, if you took it remotely, you could define it as "distance learning", which does not require study permit.

One other link, from IRCC website states [2]:
"Distance learning
Distance learning can be through e-learning, correspondence, or internet courses. Distance learning is a process by which technology is used in ways where the student does not have to physically be in the place where the teaching is taking place.
Since by definition distance learning does not require one to be in Canada, a study permit cannot be issued for this type of course. For example, if a foreign national authorized to work in Canada is prohibited from engaging in studies as per a condition of their work permit, they are allowed to engage in distance learning courses.
However, some distance learning courses include an in-Canada portion to the program (e.g., special tutorials or the writing of final exams). If the overall course of study is greater than six months, then the student requires a study permit for the in-Canada portion of the program, even if the in-Canada portion is less than six months. The duration of the study permit should be for the duration of the in-Canada portion only."

Note that the part highlighted in red describes your situation (if it was distance learning courses).

With the work permit, your first interest in Canada must be to work. The evening acting course could be interpreted as "courses of general interest or self-improvement" and hope your Spanish classes were held remotely.

Wish you the best, and this is my opinion of the text published in the websites below:

[1] https://www.canada.ca/en/immigratio...nts/study-permits/who-needs-study-permit.html
[2] https://www.canada.ca/en/immigratio...dents/study-permits/other-considerations.html

 

[ustreft]

The IRCC website states that [1]:
"When a study permit is required
Foreign nationals are required to obtain a study permit for engaging in academic, professional, vocational or other education or training that is more than 6 months in duration at a designated learning institution (DLI) in Canada.
The following activities are not considered studies for the purposes of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (IRPA) and do not require a study permit:

• pre-school (pre-kindergarten)
• courses of general interest or self-improvement
• distance learning
• audited courses (typically by sitting in on an academic course, but without obtaining credit for it, or having the ability to obtain credit for it retroactively)"

Your study was more than 6 months, maybe that is the reason why your friend told that you must have had a study permit. However, note that there are some activities that are not considered as studies and do not require a study permit, maybe your courses can be defined as "general interest or self-improvement". The "self-improvement" courses may be ambiguous. You told us that the Spanish was for self-improvement, but someone can say also that a master's degree in physics is only for self-improvement purposes. Sincerely, the language courses with more than 6 months usually require study-permit. However, if you took it remotely, you could define it as "distance learning", which does not require study permit.

One other link, from IRCC website states [2]:
"Distance learning
Distance learning can be through e-learning, correspondence, or internet courses. Distance learning is a process by which technology is used in ways where the student does not have to physically be in the place where the teaching is taking place.
Since by definition distance learning does not require one to be in Canada, a study permit cannot be issued for this type of course. For example, if a foreign national authorized to work in Canada is prohibited from engaging in studies as per a condition of their work permit, they are allowed to engage in distance learning courses.
However, some distance learning courses include an in-Canada portion to the program (e.g., special tutorials or the writing of final exams). If the overall course of study is greater than six months, then the student requires a study permit for the in-Canada portion of the program, even if the in-Canada portion is less than six months. The duration of the study permit should be for the duration of the in-Canada portion only."

Note that the part highlighted in red describes your situation (if it was distance learning courses).

With the work permit, your first interest in Canada must be to work. The evening acting course could be interpreted as "courses of general interest or self-improvement" and hope your Spanish classes were held remotely.

Wish you the best, and this is my opinion of the text published in the websites below:

[1] https://www.canada.ca/en/immigratio...nts/study-permits/who-needs-study-permit.html
[2] https://www.canada.ca/en/immigratio...dents/study-permits/other-considerations.html

@Esporte321 Thank you for your response.
The Spanish classes were originally offered remotely and then they moved to classroom. I called the Spanish school and they told me this should be fine since they are not an accredited organization. The acting school told me the same thing, their part-time courses are not accredited nor governed by any government org. Does this matter?