The Emerging Leaders in the Americas Program, usually shortened to ELAP, is a Canadian government scholarship for short-term study or research at a Canadian college or university. It is run by Global Affairs Canada under the EduCanada initiative. Before you spend an evening on it, though, know the single fact that decides most of this guide: ELAP is built for students from Latin America and the Caribbean. If you are a Pakistani student applying from Pakistan, this is very likely not your scholarship.
We are still covering it properly, because students search for every Canadian government award they can find and ELAP comes up often. Knowing why it does not fit you is useful too. It saves you from chasing professors and international offices for something you cannot be nominated for. You can see the full scholarship details on our listing, and the rest of this article explains how the program actually works.
A Canadian exchange award with a narrow target group
ELAP exists to support educational exchanges and build links between post-secondary institutions in Canada and countries across Latin America and the Caribbean. It runs through institutional partnerships. That framing matters. This is not a general scholarship that a talented student anywhere can win by writing a strong essay. It is a tool for strengthening ties between Canadian institutions and a specific region.
The award is for short-term study or research, not a full degree. Both undergraduate and graduate students are eligible levels. So the typical ELAP scholar is someone already enrolled at a home university in an eligible country who spends a limited period at a Canadian partner institution, either taking courses or doing research.
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Provider | Global Affairs Canada (EduCanada) |
| Funding | Listed as full or partial |
| Study level | Undergraduate and graduate |
| Type | Short-term study or research in Canada |
| Who applies | The Canadian host institution, on the student's behalf |
| Call opens | January (for the 2026-2027 academic year) |
| Institution deadline | March 31, 2026, for the 2026-2027 cycle |
| Official site | EduCanada scholarships |
Why a Pakistani passport usually rules you out
The first eligibility requirement is that you must be a student from an eligible country in Latin America or the Caribbean. Pakistan is in South Asia, so a student who is only a Pakistani citizen and studies at a Pakistani university does not meet that condition. No amount of good grades changes this.
There are edge cases. Some Pakistani families live in Latin American or Caribbean countries, and some students hold a second citizenship. If that is you, do not assume you qualify either. Even within the region, not every country is necessarily on the list, and the program guidance itself advises checking whether your specific home country is eligible. Read the current rules on the official EduCanada page and confirm eligibility for your nationality and situation before you contact anyone.
If you are looking for Canadian options that actually fit a student from Pakistan, the list of all Canada scholarships is a better starting point.
The student cannot apply, and that changes everything
This is the part applicants get wrong most often, even those from eligible countries. International students, researchers and faculty cannot apply directly for scholarships offered by Global Affairs Canada. There is no student form to fill in. Instead, a Canadian host institution creates a My EduCanada account using Single Sign On Services and submits the application on behalf of the candidate.
The eligibility list reflects this. Beyond being from an eligible country and pursuing short-term study or research in Canada, you must be nominated by a Canadian post-secondary institution, and that institution must submit the application through the My EduCanada portal. In practice your real task is to convince a Canadian institution to put you forward.
That usually works best where there is already a link or partnership between your home institution and the Canadian one. ELAP is designed around those partnerships. A cold email to a Canadian university you have no connection with is a much weaker route.
How the process runs in order
- Identify a Canadian post-secondary institution that has an active link or partnership with your home institution.
- Coordinate with that Canadian host institution on admission and on its decision to nominate you.
- The Canadian host institution signs into the My EduCanada portal with its institution account.
- The host institution submits the online scholarship application for you before the deadline.
Notice that you control only the first two steps. After that, you depend on staff at the host institution doing their part correctly and on time.
Funding is listed as full or partial, with no breakdown
The available information describes the funding as full or partial. It does not give amounts, a list of covered costs, or a duration for the stay. We are not going to guess at stipends or travel allowances. If you are eligible, read the current program guidelines on the official site and ask the Canadian host institution what the award would cover in your case, because that will shape whether the stay is affordable.
What to prepare when there is no fixed document list
No formal document checklist is published for students in the information we have. That makes sense, since the institution files the application, but it does not mean you will be asked for nothing. The host institution will need material from you to admit and nominate you, and the program tips point to one item in particular: a study or research proposal, prepared well in advance of the March deadline.
Ask the host institution early exactly what it wants from you and in what format. If you want a general sense of the paperwork scholarship applications tend to involve, our documents checklist for international scholarships is a reasonable reference, but treat the host institution's instructions as the final word.
The real deadline is earlier than March 31
For the 2026-2027 academic year, the call for applications opens in January, and Canadian postsecondary institutions have until March 31, 2026, to submit applications. That date has now passed for this cycle. The listing shows the program as opening soon, with the next call expected to open in January, so confirm the exact dates for the next cycle on the official portal.
Here is the timing trap. March 31 is the deadline for the institution, not for you. Institutions usually set their own internal deadlines before the official EduCanada one, so they have time to review candidates and file. If you only start talking to a Canadian institution in March, you have almost certainly missed it. Start contacting host institutions well before the January opening.
Where eligible applicants slip up
If you are from an eligible country, these are the mistakes worth avoiding.
- Searching for a student application portal that does not exist, and losing weeks before realising the institution must apply.
- Contacting a Canadian institution with no existing partnership with your home university, when the program runs on those links.
- Working to the March 31 date instead of the host institution's earlier internal deadline.
- Leaving the study or research proposal until the last minute.
- Assuming your country is eligible because it is in the region, without checking the program guidelines.
- Not confirming that your Canadian contact actually has a My EduCanada institution account and knows how to use it.
For Pakistani students, the honest advice is simpler: unless you hold citizenship of an eligible Latin American or Caribbean country, put your energy into scholarships that are open to Pakistan. Our scholarships guide for Pakistani students is a good place to look.
Frequently asked questions
Can Pakistani students apply for ELAP?
The program is for students from eligible countries in Latin America and the Caribbean. A student who is only a Pakistani citizen does not fit that group. If you hold another nationality, check the official guidelines to see whether your country is eligible.
Can I apply for ELAP directly as a student?
No. International students, researchers and faculty cannot apply directly. A Canadian host institution must submit the application on your behalf.
Who runs the Emerging Leaders in the Americas Program?
Global Affairs Canada administers it, under the EduCanada initiative.
Is ELAP for a full degree in Canada?
No. It supports short-term study or research at Canadian post-secondary institutions, at undergraduate and graduate level.
Which portal is used to submit applications?
The Canadian host institution submits applications through the My EduCanada portal, using an institution account set up with Single Sign On Services.
What was the deadline for the 2026-2027 academic year?
Canadian postsecondary institutions had until March 31, 2026, to submit applications. Check the official portal for the next cycle's dates, and remember that host institutions set earlier internal deadlines.
For current rules and dates, go to the official EduCanada scholarships website, and see the ELAP scholarship page for a summary of the program.