CanadaStudy permit

Study permit in Canada

The document under which a foreign national studies full time at a Canadian institution on the official list. The visa or electronic travel authorisation is obtained separately and shown with it at the border. The prospective student proves that they have enough money for themselves and their relatives, and satisfies the officer that they will return home after their studies. The permit opens up part-time work during term and full-time work during breaks.

Source: canada.ca — Study permit: Get the right documents — Proof of financial support

How the permit is arranged according to the level of the programme

The general procedure applies to most applicants, but from 2026 a simplified set of documents applies to master's and doctoral students at public universities.

Most applicants to bachelor's, college and short master's programmes

A letter of acceptance from an institution on the DLI list
A provincial or territorial attestation letter (PAL/TAL) from the institution — for Quebec a CAQ is needed instead
Proof of funds for the first year of study where the programme is longer than a year, or for the whole period where it is shorter

Master's students (from 16 months) and doctoral students at public universities

A letter of acceptance for a master's or doctoral programme at a public institution on the DLI list
No PAL/TAL is needed — from 1 January 2026 an explanatory letter about the level of the programme is enough
The same proof of funds for the applicant and accompanying family as for other applicants

When this programme is not suitable

The course lasts six months or less

no permit is needed at all — visitor status (a visa or an electronic travel authorisation) is enough for a short programme

A child of pre-school, primary or secondary school age has come with a parent who holds a work or study permit

no separate study permit is required for the child

The applicant is a member of staff or a family member of an accredited foreign mission

the matter is handled by Global Affairs Canada directly with the mission, and a study permit may not be needed at all

The aim is to obtain permanent status in Canada straight away rather than to study

the economic immigration programmes (for example through Express Entry), rather than the student route

What it costs

Study permit fee (including a renewal) — per person	150 CAD
Biometrics — per applicant	85 CAD
Biometrics — for a family of two or more applicants (maximum for all of them together)	170 CAD
Restoration of student status together with a new permit, where the previous one has already expiredIncludes the restoration procedure itself and the fee for the new permit	+396,25 CAD
Total government feesThe sum of the mandatory rows in the table. “Restoration of student status together with a new permit, where the previous one has already expired” adds 396,25 CAD; the “Biometrics — for a family of two or more applicants (maximum for all of them together)” branch replaces the “Biometrics — per applicant” line — 320 CAD. Charges with no official price list are in the list below.	235–631,25 CAD

Paid separately

Tuition fees at the institution — Paid directly to the institution and not part of the government permit fee
The return ticket and other travel costs — Their existence is proved separately; they are not included in the IRCC fee
Living costs for the first year of study — For applications from 1 September 2025 — from CAD 22,895 a year for one person outside Quebec, with the amount rising for each additional family member; this is a requirement as to the funds held in an account, not a government fee

Documents to gather

The exact list is generated for the applicant's particular situation in the IRCC account — below is the core that almost everyone needs.

A letter of acceptance from an institution on the DLI list
A provincial or territorial attestation letter (PAL/TAL) — for Quebec a CAQ is needed instead
A copy of a valid passport or other travel document
Two recent passport-format photographs with the name and date of birth on the back
Proof of funds for the applicant and for accompanying family members
An explanatory letter about the purpose of the studies and an understanding of the conditions of the permit (recommended)
The results of a medical examination, where one is required because of the country of origin or the length of the studies
A police certificate, where the officer requests one
Custody documents — for minors travelling without a parent

How the process runs

The route from filing the documents to receiving the permit at the border takes several stages.

1
Obtaining the letter of acceptance and the provincial attestation
The institution on the DLI list sends the letter of acceptance and, once the tuition has been paid in full or in part, issues a provincial or territorial attestation letter (PAL/TAL). For Quebec a CAQ is obtained instead, and from 2026 master's and doctoral students at public universities submit an explanatory letter about the level of the programme in place of a PAL/TAL.
2
Filing the application online and paying the fees
An IRCC account is created, the questions on the form are answered, a personalised list of documents is generated, scans are uploaded and the processing fee and the biometrics fee are paid.
3
Giving biometrics
within 30 days of the request letter
Most applicants aged 14 to 79 give fingerprints and a photograph. Biometrics are valid for 10 years and are not taken again for further applications within that period.
4
Waiting for the decision on the application
The processing time depends on the office and its workload; the status is tracked in the account, and where necessary the officer requests further documents.
5
Receiving the approval and the documents for entry
Where the decision is positive, IRCC sends a letter of introduction and, where needed, a visa for entry; where it is negative, a letter setting out the reasons.
6
Clearing the border check and receiving the document itself
The border services officer checks identity and documents on entry and issues the paper study permit — until that moment the applicant holds only the letter of introduction.

Timelines and rights

Work

Off campus, 24 hours a week are allowed while classes are running, and unlimited hours during scheduled breaks. The right to work must be recorded in the permit itself.

Who you can bring with you

The rules for relatives who travel with the student or join them later.

A spouse or common-law partner

May obtain an open work permit if the student is studying full time on a doctoral programme, on a master's programme of 16 months or more, or on one of the listed professional programmes (medicine, dentistry, law, optometry, veterinary medicine, pharmacy, nursing, education, engineering). The permit is valid for the length of the student's study permit.

Children of pre-school, primary and secondary school age

May study in Canada with a parent who holds a work or study permit, without a separate study permit.

Other accompanying family members

They file for a visa, study permit or work permit together with the student's application; additional proof of living costs is required for each of them.

Trips, renewal and the grace period

There is no mandatory number of days in the country. The only condition is to continue studying at your institution.

The permit must be renewed at least 30 days before it expires — the student then keeps their status on the previous terms until a decision is made on the application, but must remain in Canada: leaving the country cancels that temporary status. If the permit has already expired there are 90 days in which to apply for restoration of status, and study is not allowed until it is approved. The permit itself is valid until the end of the programme plus a further 90 days — that margin is given so that the holder can pack up and leave or file a new application.

How it differs from the routes next to it

The comparison is built from the official terms of the routes themselves — the source links sit on their own pages.

	Study permit	Asylum and refugee status	Refugees referred by the UN
Visa term	The permit is issued for the length of the programme plus 90 days	Not a status that is renewed; if the claim is accepted the person becomes a protected person	Arrivals come straight in as permanent residents (PR)
Work	Off campus, 24 hours a week are allowed while classes are running, and unlimited hours during scheduled breaks	The 2026 reforms speed up the issue of a work permit	As a PR — the right to work immediately, with no permit
Residence	There is no mandatory number of days in the country	The claim is made from inside Canada or at a port of entry	The PR obligation: 730 days in every 5 years

What comes next: permanent residence and citizenship

Route to permanent residence

After graduation a post-graduation work permit (PGWP) is obtained. Graduates of bachelor's, master's and doctoral programmes face no restriction on their field of study, while for college graduates only the fields on the IRCC list count. Since 1 November 2024 a language test is required for the PGWP: CLB 7 after university, CLB 5 after college.

Route to citizenship

Days on a study permit count as half, up to a maximum of 365 days. The full 1,095 days of presence are accumulated with permanent residence.

Frequently asked questions about Study permit

Is it possible to work while studying on this permit?

Yes. Off campus, up to 24 hours a week are allowed while classes are running, and unlimited hours during scheduled breaks between terms. The right to such work must be stated expressly in the permit itself — without that note work is not allowed.

Is it necessary to be in Canada for a certain number of days in order not to lose status?

There is no mandatory number of days of presence in the country. The only condition is to continue studying at your institution and to observe the conditions stated in the permit.

What happens after graduation — is it possible to stay and work?

Most graduates are entitled to apply for a post-graduation work permit (PGWP) where the programme lasted at least 8 months (or 900 hours for programmes in Quebec). For applications filed from 1 November 2024, language must also be proved: CLB 7 for university graduates and CLB 5 for college graduates. The application must be made within 180 days of the confirmation that the programme has been completed.

Do years on a study permit count towards citizenship?

Yes, but not in full. Each day spent in Canada on a study permit before permanent residence counts as half a day, and no more than 365 days can be accumulated in that way. The rest of the requirement for citizenship (1,095 days of physical presence within 5 years in total) is accumulated with permanent resident status, where a day counts as a day.

Is an additional document needed to study in Quebec?

Yes. Alongside the federal study permit, a certificate of acceptance (CAQ) from the Quebec immigration ministry is required in order to study in Quebec. The province sets its own financial requirements for the CAQ, and these should be checked separately from the federal conditions.

Other ways to move to Canada

Every route in one list — migration programmes: Canada.

The terms and the amounts are checked against official sources — the link sits under each section.Last checked on: 7 August 2026.