Canada is one of the top destinations for international students as it has some of the best educational institutions in the world. For an international student to travel to Canada for the purpose of studying, he or she would need a study permit to have the legal rights to study in any Designated Learning Institution in Canada.

Unlike countries like the United States and United Kingdom that issues student visas for the purpose of studying, Canada does not issue visas for studying, rather what Canada issues is a study permit along side a temporary visa which grants an international student access to the Canadian Port of Entry (usually an airport).

In this article, we will explain the requirements for applying for a Canadian study permit. We will also give a step by step process for applying for a Canadian study permit. If you need an assistance with your application, kindly contact us and one of our expert consultants will be more than happy to assist you.

What is a Canadian study permit?

A Canadian study permit is a legal document that grants international students the right to study in a Designated Learning Institution in Canada for a period of time. It is very important to note that a Canadian study permit is different from a Canadian visa. A Canadian visa allows you to travel to the Canadian Port of Entry while the study permit grants you the legal right to study in Canada.

Requirements for a Canadian study permit

In order to get your Canadian study permit application approved, you have to meet certain requirements. Below we have outlined the requirements that you must meet to successfully apply for a Canadian study permit.

• You must have applied and gained admission into a Canadian Designated Learning Institution

• You must have received a letter of acceptance from the Designated Learning Institution that offered you a provisional admission to study a course for a period of time

• Get a Cerificat d’acceptation du Quebec if your Designated Learning Institution (DLI) is in the province of Quebec

• You must have sufficient funds in your account to be able to pay for your tuition fees, accommodation fee, transportation fare, and any other personal expenses during your study period in Canada.

• You must have an affidavit of support from your sponsor, if a family member or a close friend is sponsoring you

• You must have knowledge of English Language

Required documents to apply for a Canadian study permit

Below are the documents needed to successfully apply for a Canadian study permit.

• International Passport: You must have ready a valid international passport with a validity period of at least 6 months beyond your intended period of stay in Canada

• Acceptance Letter: You must have ready the acceptance letter from the Designated Learning Institution that offered you admission in Canada

• Certificat d’acceptation du Quebec: You must have ready your Certificat d’acceptation du Quebec if you are studying in the province of Quebec

• Bank Account Statement: You must have ready your bank account statement which is a way of proving that you are financially capable of paying for your school and personal expenses in Canada

• Affidavit of Support: If your family member or close friend is sponsoring you, then you have to provide an affidavit of support from the person sponsoring you.

• Medical Report Certificate: The Canadian government requires that all international students coming to Canada for study should undergo a medical examination, so you have to make available your completed medical report certificate from an authorized physician.

• Police Report Certificate: You also need to provide a police report certificate from the police department in your home country or your country of residence

• Provincial Attestation Letter or Territorial Attestation Letter: You have to provide a provincial attestation or a territorial attestation letter from the provincial or territorial government in Canada where you will be studying.

Additional documents

• Marriage Certificate: If your spouse is accompanying you to Canada, you must make available your marriage certificate to prove your relationship with your spouse

• Children’s Birth Certificate: If your children will also be accompanying you to Canada, you have to provide the birth certificate of each of your child to prove your relationship with them

Canadian study permit application process

There are two ways of applying for a Canadian study permit. You can either apply online or apply offline.

Canadian study permit online application

Below we have outlined a step by step process to apply for a Canadian study permit online. If you would love us to assist you with your study permit application, kindly get in touch with us and one of our expert consultant will be more than happy to assist you.

• Gather your required and supporting documents in an electronic format

• Apply Online: After gathering your documents in an electronic format, you must submit your application online using the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) portal.

• Identity Verification: After submitting your application online, you have to send your biometrics (photo and fingerprint) to the Canadian Visa Application Center closest to you.

Canadian study permit offline application

Canadian government made it compulsory for international students to apply for a study permit online but there are a few exception to this rule. You can apply for a Canadian study permit offline if any of the following applies to you.

• If you have a disability that prevents you from applying online

• If you hold an identity or travel document for non-national residents, refugees or stateless persons

Offline application procedure

• Gather all your required and supporting documents in hard copies

• After gathering all your required and supporting documents, proceed with mailing your documents to the Canadian Visa Application Center close to you via the post office.

• Identity Verification: After mailing your documents to the Canadian Visa Application Center, you have to submit your biometrics information to the Visa Application Center that you mailed your documents to

What is a Provincial Attestation Letter

The Canadian government recently made a lot of changes to the rules and requirements for international students to get a study permit to study in a Designated Learning Institution in Canada. As of January 22, 2024, a new rule was introduced which made it compulsory for all international students seeking to study in Canada to get a Provincial Attestation letter from the government in charge of the province where they will be studying in Canada.

As part of the new rule on Canadian study permit, each province have been allotted a number of study permit that should be issued to international students on yearly basis, so the purpose of getting a Provincial Attestation Letter from the government of a province is to confirm that there is still space from the annual number of study permits allocated to the province for the new study permit to be issued.

This is a very important requirement that have to be met, because without the Provincial Attestation Letter, a Canadian study permit cannot be granted to an international student.

How much does a Canadian study permit Cost?

• Canadian study permit application fee is 150 Canadian dollars

• The biometric fee is 85 Canadian dollars

What happens after my study permit application is approved?

After the approval of your study permit application by the visa officer in your home country, you will be issued a temporary visa which you will use to travel to the Canadian Port of Entry. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada will send you the Port of Entry Introduction Letter which states that your study permit application have been approved and that you are allowed to study in Canada.

You have to keep your Port of Entry Introduction Letter safely because you will present it to the Canadian Border Services Agency officer, after which you will be issued a study permit upon entry.

Can I travel to the Canadian Port of Entry visa free?

As we earlier explained, a Canadian study permit is different from a Canadian visa. A Canadian visa allows you travel to Canadian Port of Entry (POE) for admission into Canada while a study permit grants you the legal right to study in a Designated Learning Institution in Canada.

You can travel to Canadian Port of Entry for admission into Canada visa free if you are from a visa exempt country but you must have a valid Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA), and you must still meet the requirements put in place by the Canadian government.

Canadian study permit exemption

The Canadian government has made some exemptions to the study permit requirement for studying in a Designated Learning Institution in Canada. If you fall under any of the following categories below, you might be eligible to study in Canada without a Canadian study permit.

Short term study

If you have enrolled in a Designated Learning Institution to engage in a short term study in Canada not more than 6 months, you generally don’t need a Canadian study permit. If your course extends beyond the original length of six months, then you have to apply for a study permit before the end of the 6 months.

Minors in Canada

Minors in Canada can study without a study permit if any of the following below applies to them:

• If they are dependents of a parent on a study permit in Canada

• If they or their parents are Refugees or Refugees claimants

It is important to note that this exemption is not applicable for post-secondary education. If a minor that meets any of the above requirements gains admission into a higher education, he or she must apply for a study permit.

Members of foreign armed forces

A member of foreign armed force currently in Canada on active duty does not require a study permit to study in a Designated Learning Institution in Canada. Nevertheless accompanying dependents will need a study permit to be able to study in Canada.

Can I work in Canada while studying?

Your Canadian study permit gives you the legal right to work on part-time jobs while studying in Canada. This right to works ends on the expiration of your study permit.

What is the validity period for a Canadian study permit?

A Canadian study permit is valid for the total length of the program that you want to study in Canada as at the time of application. If for some reasons the length of the program prolongs further, then you have to apply for an extension of your Canadian study permit.

Do I need to pass a Standardized English test to study In Canada?

If you are from a non-English speaking country, you will need to prove your proficiency in English Language. In order to prove your English proficiency, you have to write and pass a Standardized English test. Some of the most popular Standardized English test are IELTS, TOEFL, TOEIC, etc.

International students from English speaking countries do not need to prove their English proficiency to be able to study in a Designated Learning Institution in Canada.

Do I need to apply for a new study permit when I change course or school?

If you’re changing to another course or institution different from the course or institution you applied for when your study permit was approved, you are not required to apply for a different study permit if your study permit does not explicitly specify your course or institution.

If your study permit specifies your course or school, then you must modify your study permit to carry your new course or institution that you want to switch to.

Can my family members accompany me to Canada on a study permit?

Your dependents can accompany you to Canada on a study permit if they meet the eligibility requirements set by the Canadian government. You have to prove that you have the financial capability to cover all your expenses and that of your dependents during your stay in Canada.

What can my family members do in Canada as my dependents?

If your family members are accompanying you to Canada as your dependents on your study permit, they are allowed to engage in any of the activities below:

• Spouse: Your spouse can apply for an open work permit which grants him or her the right to work for any employer in Canada.

• Children: Your children can study in Canada without a Canadian study permit. If any of your child gains admission into a post-secondary institution, he or she must apply for a study permit to be able to study in Canada.

Is there any possibility that my study permit application can be denied?

The Canadian visa application officer in your home country reserves the right to approve or reject your study permit application. The visa application officers have the professional skills to determine if an applicant is qualified for a Canadian study permit or not.

After the visa application officer reviews your application and discovers that you don’t meet the requirements set by the Canadian government for a Canadian study permit, then your application will be denied.

Possible reasons for a Canadian study permit application denial

As we earlier mentioned, the visa application officer has the right to deny or approve a visa application. Below you will find some of the possible reasons for a Canadian study permit application denial.

• Unable to prove financial capacity to the visa application officer

• Not having strong ties with your home country

• improper or incomplete application

• Having an immigration intent

• Having a criminal record

• Having a deadly infectious disease

• Having a bad travel history

• Overstaying your previous stay in Canada

Here at Schmick Travel, we have expert consultants that have many years of experience in the travel industry. If you would love us to assist you with your application process, kindly contact us and one of our consultants will be happy to assist you with your application.