{"id":28117,"date":"2025-08-09T08:46:41","date_gmt":"2025-08-09T05:16:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/avalvisa.com\/blog\/canada-study-permit-guide\/"},"modified":"2026-09-25T15:25:31","modified_gmt":"2026-09-25T11:55:31","slug":"canada-study-permit-guide","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/avalvisa.com\/en\/blog\/canada-study-permit-guide\/","title":{"rendered":"The Canadian study permit: who needs one, what it costs, and the conditions attached"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>If you are planning to study in Canada, the <a href=\"https:\/\/avalvisa.com\/en\/canadian-student-visa\/\">study permit<\/a> is the document the whole plan rests on. It is what lets you study legally, and it is what defines your status while you are there. The process has enough moving parts that going in unprepared causes real problems. Below: who needs one, what it requires, what it costs, and the conditions attached.<\/p>\n<h2>What a Canadian study permit is<\/h2>\n<p>A <a href=\"https:\/\/www.canada.ca\/en\/immigration-refugees-citizenship\/services\/study-canada\/study-permit.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">study permit<\/a> is the document IRCC issues to an international student allowing them to study legally in Canada. In practice it sets your immigration status as a student.<\/p>\n<p>If your programme runs for <strong>less than six months<\/strong> \u2014 a single-term exchange, say \u2014 you do not need one. In most cases you must apply from outside Canada before you travel, with the documents complete. Applying from inside Canada or at the border is possible only in specific circumstances.<\/p>\n<h2>Who needs one<\/h2>\n<p>If you are not a Canadian citizen or permanent resident and intend to study for more than six months, you need a study permit. It is issued for academic, professional and vocational programmes.<\/p>\n<p>Non-Canadian children already living in Canada can attend kindergarten, primary or secondary school without a permit, but only in limited circumstances. Generally that means a parent holds a valid work or study permit, or is a citizen or permanent resident. The exemption is not automatic &mdash; check your own position rather than assuming it.<\/p>\n<p>Some people are exempt:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Anyone taking a short course or programme of less than six months.<\/li>\n<li>Family members and private staff of foreign representatives accredited by Global Affairs Canada.<\/li>\n<li>Members of foreign armed forces present in Canada under the Visiting Forces Act.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>If you do not fall into one of those groups, apply before you travel.<\/p>\n<h2>The conditions attached to it<\/h2>\n<p>A study permit is conditional, and the conditions run for the whole time you hold it.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>You must study at a government-approved institution.<\/li>\n<li>You must remain enrolled and actively pursuing your studies.<\/li>\n<li>If you change university or college, you must apply to update the permit.<\/li>\n<li>Before the permit expires you must extend it, change your status, or leave Canada.<\/li>\n<li>If you are <a href=\"https:\/\/avalvisa.com\/en\/blog\/study-permit-to-work-permit-canada\/\">permitted to work<\/a>, you must work only within the terms set out, and respect any restriction on your permit.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>These are not formalities. Failing to remain enrolled is one of the more common ways students lose status without realising it.<\/p>\n<h2>Documents<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>A completed form <strong>IMM 1294<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<li>Your Letter of Acceptance from the institution.<\/li>\n<li>A <a href=\"https:\/\/www.canada.ca\/en\/immigration-refugees-citizenship\/services\/study-canada\/study-permit\/get-documents.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>Provincial Attestation Letter (PAL)<\/strong><\/a>.<\/li>\n<li>Your passport, with the relevant pages scanned.<\/li>\n<li>Financial documents showing you can cover tuition and living costs.<\/li>\n<li>A passport photograph.<\/li>\n<li>A study plan explaining why you are studying and what you intend \u2014 upload it under optional documents if there is no dedicated field.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>When to apply<\/h2>\n<p>Apply as soon as your place is confirmed and the deposit is paid. That sequence matters, because the institution&#8217;s admissions office issues the Provincial Attestation Letter, and you cannot file a complete application without it.<\/p>\n<p>IRCC publishes estimated processing times on its own site. They are estimates, and nothing guarantees a decision by a particular date.<\/p>\n<h2>How to apply, step by step<\/h2>\n<p><strong>One: confirm you actually need a permit.<\/strong> If you are not a Canadian citizen and will study for more than six months at a Designated Learning Institution, you do. Check also that:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>You hold a letter of acceptance from an approved institution.<\/li>\n<li>You can cover tuition and living costs.<\/li>\n<li>You are in good health, and can complete a medical examination if one is required.<\/li>\n<li>Your purpose is temporary, and you intend to leave at the end of the programme.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Two: assemble the documents<\/strong> listed above.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Three: apply online.<\/strong> Create an account on IRCC&#8217;s site, complete the forms carefully and upload what is asked for. Check everything before submitting.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Four: pay.<\/strong> The study permit application fee is CAD 150, and biometrics are usually a further CAD 85. Both are paid at submission.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Five: give biometrics.<\/strong> You will receive a letter telling you to attend a collection point within 30 days for fingerprints and a photograph.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Six: wait for the decision.<\/strong> IRCC may ask for more documents. If the application succeeds, you receive a <strong>Letter of Introduction<\/strong>, which you carry when you travel.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Seven: allow for processing time.<\/strong> This varies by country and by volume. The <strong>Student Direct Stream<\/strong> gave faster processing to applicants from certain countries. It <strong>closed on 8 November 2024<\/strong>, and every study permit application now goes through the standard route. Check the current estimate in IRCC&#8217;s processing-times tool.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Eight: travel.<\/strong> Once the permit is issued you can plan the trip. A border officer checks your documents on arrival and decides whether to admit you.<\/p>\n<h2>What it costs<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>Study permit application: around CAD 150.<\/li>\n<li>Biometrics \u2014 fingerprints and photograph: around CAD 85.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Those are the two main fees for most applicants. There may be more on top: a <a href=\"https:\/\/avalvisa.com\/en\/blog\/studying-medicine-in-canada\/\">medical examination<\/a>, document translation, a police certificate, visa application centre charges. It depends on your circumstances.<\/p>\n<p>Separately, you have to prove you can cover living costs. For applicants outside Quebec, a single applicant must show <strong>CAD 23,448<\/strong> for a year. That figure applies to applications submitted <strong>on or after 1 September 2026<\/strong>; before that it was CAD 22,895. This is on top of tuition and travel. IRCC updates the figure every 1 September, and Quebec sets its own, so check the current amount when you apply.<\/p>\n<p>Fees are generally non-refundable, including where the application is refused. Make sure the file is complete before you submit it.<\/p>\n<h2>After approval<\/h2>\n<p>If you are from a country that needs a visa to enter Canada, you will be asked to send your passport to the visa office. Once the visa is issued you receive a Letter of Introduction. Do not book a flight until the passport is back in your hands with the visa in it.<\/p>\n<p>If you are from a visa-exempt country, the Letter of Introduction comes with an <strong>eTA<\/strong> linked to your passport. Nothing needs to be sent anywhere.<\/p>\n<h2>Study permit or student visa?<\/h2>\n<p>The distinction matters, and the phrase &#8220;student visa&#8221; causes most of the confusion. What people mean by it is a temporary resident visa (TRV) or an eTA.<\/p>\n<div class=\"av-tscroll\">\n<table>\n<thead>\n<tr>\n<th>&nbsp;<\/th>\n<th>Study permit<\/th>\n<th>TRV or eTA<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td>Purpose<\/td>\n<td>Permission to study at a Canadian institution<\/td>\n<td>Permission to enter Canada<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Issued by<\/td>\n<td>IRCC<\/td>\n<td>A Canadian embassy or consulate, or the eTA system<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>When it is needed<\/td>\n<td>Required for programmes longer than six months<\/td>\n<td>Required to enter, for nationals of countries that need a visa<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Work rights<\/td>\n<td>Limited work permitted \u2014 up to 24 hours a week during a term, and full-time during scheduled breaks<\/td>\n<td>Carries no work rights<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Validity<\/td>\n<td>The length of the programme plus 90 days<\/td>\n<td>Usually shorter, and tied to entry<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>How you get it<\/td>\n<td>Apply online or on paper after being accepted<\/td>\n<td>Applied for alongside, or separately from, the study permit<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n<h2>The points worth remembering<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>International students need both a study permit and a Provincial Attestation Letter.<\/li>\n<li>The requirements are identity documents, the letter of acceptance, proof of funds, and compliance with immigration rules.<\/li>\n<li>The application fee is non-refundable, so accuracy in the forms and documents matters.<\/li>\n<li>A permit is required for any non-citizen studying longer than six months.<\/li>\n<li>You must show that you intend to leave Canada at the end of your studies.<\/li>\n<li>Gather the documents and meet the prerequisites before applying, and budget for the processing and incidental costs.<\/li>\n<li>Applying online is the simplest route, though other methods exist in particular circumstances.<\/li>\n<li>After submitting, track the application, prepare for an interview if asked, book biometrics and plan the trip.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Common questions<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>What if my programme is under six months?<\/strong> You can study without a permit, but you must finish within your authorised stay, normally six months. If you are from a visa-exempt country you still need an eTA; otherwise you need a TRV.<\/li>\n<li><strong>What if the permit or visa is not issued before my programme starts?<\/strong> Contact the institution about deferring. If it cannot be deferred you will need to apply for a later intake. You can check your application status through IRCC&#8217;s online enquiry form.<\/li>\n<li><strong>What if my study permit is refused?<\/strong> There is <strong>no right of appeal<\/strong> against a study permit refusal. Your options are a fresh application answering the reasons in the refusal letter directly, a request for reconsideration to IRCC, or judicial review in the Federal Court &mdash; which is a lawyer&#8217;s work. To find out what the officer actually objected to, request the officer&#8217;s notes through an <strong>ATIP<\/strong> request. Defer your start date if you need to.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A study permit is what lets an international student study legally in Canada and what defines their status there. It is required for any programme longer than six months, and the application needs a Letter of Acceptance, a Provincial Attestation Letter and proof of funds. This guide covers who is exempt, the conditions attached to the permit, the documents, the eight steps of the application, the CAD 150 fee and CAD 85 biometrics, the CAD 23,448 a single applicant outside Quebec must show for applications submitted on or after 1 September 2026, what happens after approval, and the difference between a study permit and what people call a student visa. It also covers the closure of the Student Direct Stream on 8 November 2024, and what options remain after a refusal.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":28118,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[67],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-28117","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-immigration-to-canada-en"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/avalvisa.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28117","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/avalvisa.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/avalvisa.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/avalvisa.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/avalvisa.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=28117"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/avalvisa.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28117\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":28122,"href":"https:\/\/avalvisa.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28117\/revisions\/28122"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/avalvisa.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/28118"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/avalvisa.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=28117"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/avalvisa.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=28117"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/avalvisa.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=28117"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}