Professional Certificate Programme
Personal Support Worker - International
A two-term certificate offered specifically for international students that prepares graduates to work as personal support workers on health-care teams in long-term care, community and hospital settings. Students learn person-centred care across the lifespan, including help with daily living, personal care, home management and nutrition, safe environments, responsive behaviours and end-of-life care, and practise in Conestoga's Living Classroom in long-term care and retirement settings.
University
Conestoga College
Country
Canada
Level
Professional Certificate
Field
Personal Support Work
Duration
1 year (2 academic terms)
Language
English
Campus
Guelph, Kitchener – Doon, Milton – Steeles Avenue, Waterloo
Degree
Ontario College Certificate
Intake
September, January, May
Application Deadline
International applicants: Conestoga accepts applications until a program reaches capacity and does not keep waitlists, so apply early; incomplete applications close when the program closes. Canadian applicants (September 2027): February 1, 2027 is the equal-consideration date; most programs keep accepting applications after that while space remains, but most oversubscribed programs do not
Tuition Information
This offering is for international students only, so no Canadian fee is listed. Conestoga lists 2026-27 fees of CAD 15,477 tuition (about CAD 19,214 with compulsory fees, including health insurance) for international students. These are the 2026-27 (September 2026 to August 2027) rates; Conestoga says fees for programs starting September 2027 or later will be published in spring 2027. A non-refundable CAD 2,500 deposit is required from international students to hold a seat.
Admission Requirements
- Apply: international applicants use the ontariocolleges.ca (OCAS) international applicant portal and pay a CAD 100 application fee; Canadian applicants apply through ontariocolleges.ca. After an offer, international students pay the non-refundable CAD 2,500 deposit and Conestoga requests the Provincial Attestation Letter (PAL) needed for the study permit
- Academic: OSSD or equivalent, or mature student status, with Grade 12 English (C or U) or Conestoga preparatory communications
- A clear police check for vulnerable sector screening is needed for placements, and students must complete work-integrated learning requirements (immunizations, TB test, first aid) to finish the program. Conestoga recommends arriving in Canada about 30 days before the program starts
- International applicants must meet the same program requirements with equivalent qualifications, and upload both their graduation document and transcript (Conestoga lists accepted documents by country)
- English proficiency (if your previous studies were not in English): IELTS Academic 6.0 with no band below 5.5, TOEFL iBT 80 with no skill below 20 (or 4.5 on the new 1-6 scale), PTE Academic 53, Duolingo 110, CAEL 70 (writing 60, no sub-test below 30) or Cambridge 170 (no skill below 165). Conestoga notes that required scores may vary for some IT and engineering programs
- International intakes listed on the program page as of October 5, 2026: January 2027 at Guelph: open; January 2027 at Kitchener – Doon: open; January 2027 at Milton – Steeles Avenue: suspended; January 2027 at Waterloo: open; May 2027 at Milton – Steeles Avenue: open; May 2027 at Kitchener – Doon: open; May 2027 at Waterloo: open; May 2027 at Guelph: open; September 2027 at Kitchener – Doon: upcoming; September 2027 at Guelph: upcoming; September 2027 at Milton – Steeles Avenue: upcoming; January 2028 at Guelph: upcoming; January 2028 at Kitchener – Doon: upcoming; January 2028 at Waterloo: upcoming; May 2028 at Waterloo: upcoming; May 2028 at Kitchener – Doon: upcoming; May 2028 at Milton – Steeles Avenue: upcoming. "Upcoming" is Conestoga's status for an intake that is not yet open for applications
- Conestoga lists this program (code 11651) on its PGWP-aligned programs page under CIP code 51.2602. Conestoga notes that it does not determine PGWP eligibility; IRCC makes the final decision and applicants should check IRCC's current list