- Level
- 1-Year Post Secondary Certificate
- CIP code
- 51.2602
- Duration
- 8 month college certificate including a practicum
- Open intake
-
Off-shoreJan 2027
- Field
- Health and Medical Sciences
- Institution
- Public College
- Offer speed
- Fast Offer Speed5–7 days
- Next deadline
- 2027-01-01
Program overview
A one year college certificate in personal care, covering personal support skills, safety and infection control, cognitive and mental health support, and supervised clinical placement.
At CAD 15,960 this is the cheapest programme at Cornwall, and it runs across all three St. Lawrence campuses under the same code, so the campus question does not arise here.
College Certificate - Personal Support Worker is taught at St. Lawrence College Cornwall campus, a public Ontario college. The personal support worker certificate sits below degree level, so a work permit depends on its field of study. St. Lawrence records the personal support worker certificate under CIP 51.2602 and lists it among its PGWP-aligned programmes, which supports a permit of up to one year. IRCC alone decides, so verify 51.2602 against the current eligible list before paying for the personal support worker certificate. Ontario also requires a provincial attestation letter before the personal support worker certificate can support a study permit.
The academic bar for College Certificate - Personal Support Worker is Grade 12 or equivalent with 50 percent. The English requirement is IELTS 6.0 with no band below 5.5, and tuition for the personal support worker certificate is recorded at CAD 15,960. St. Lawrence charges a CAD 100 application fee, and no scholarship is recorded against the personal support worker certificate. The personal support worker certificate lists four entry windows, the earliest in January 2027. Apply Study Visa manages your the personal support worker certificate application, the deposit, the offer, the attestation letter and the Canadian study permit as one process.
What it costs per year · indicative
Living cost is an estimate; tuition is the institute's published international fee. We confirm exact, current figures before you pay anything.
Do you qualify?
These are the published minimums. Whether your profile fits — with your marks, gap and budget — is exactly what a free counsellor check confirms.
Admission requirements
Who can apply (guide for international students):
- Education: Grade 12 or equivalent at the percentage stated for this programme.
- English (meet any one): IELTS Academic 6.0 overall with no band below 5.5; TOEFL iBT 78 with no component minimum; PTE Academic 55; or the Duolingo English Test at 110.
- Application and deposit: St. Lawrence charges a CAD 100 application fee. Confirm the tuition deposit and its refundability in writing before any money is transferred.
- Scholarship: No scholarship is recorded against this programme. Budget the full tuition.
- Additional requirement: A vulnerable sector police check, immunisation records and clinical placement clearance apply. Confirm Ontario PSW registry requirements before enrolling. St. Lawrence publishes its aligned list under a June 2025 heading and notes the IRCC codes were last updated in July 2025. That is older than the lists other Ontario colleges publish, so verify this CIP code against IRCC directly before paying any deposit.
- Work rights: St. Lawrence lists the personal support worker certificate as PGWP-aligned under CIP 51.2602, supporting a work permit of up to one year. Verify the code against the IRCC list before paying. A PGWP also requires a language test at CLB 5 in all four abilities for college credentials, taken within two years of applying. This is separate from the English test you need for admission. No dependant work permit.
- Study permit: Apply Study Visa prepares the attestation letter request, the financial evidence and the Canadian study permit submission with you.
English requirements
Documents you'll need typical · we confirm yours
- Valid passport (6+ months validity)
- Class 10 & 12 marksheets and certificates
- Bachelor's degree marksheets & final certificate
- English test scorecard (IELTS / PTE / TOEFL) or MOI certificate
- Statement of Purpose (SOP)
- Letters of Recommendation (LOR)
- Updated CV / resume
- Financial proof — bank statement / loan sanction + GIC
- Passport-size photographs
- Study-gap affidavit or work-experience letter (if applicable)
Getting documents right is the #1 reason applications succeed or get refused — our team checks every file before submission.
Career opportunities
Typical destinations for graduates:
- Personal Support Worker: long term care homes
- Home Care Worker: community care agencies
- Health Care Aide: hospitals and clinics
- Residential Care Aide: supported living settings
- Respite Worker: family support services
- Further Study: practical nursing pathways
Reality check: care work is physically and emotionally demanding and modestly paid, so understand that the demand reflects retention difficulty rather than easy conditions.
About St. Lawrence College - Cornwall
- Type
- College
- Ownership
- Public
- Rating
- ★ 4.7
- Established
- 1967
- Reference No.
- O19332845222
