Canada is an amazing place to study. There are schools across the country that provide a first-class education. Both domestic and international students can develop the skills they need for any career they choose. The Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (IRPA) and the regulations (IRPR) set out the Canada study permit requirements.
Canada study permit requirements
The Canada study permit requirements include:
- A copy of your passport
- Two Passport-size photographs
- Unconditional letter of acceptance from a Designated Learning Institution (DLI). Study permits usually list the educational institution. If you decide to transfer to another post-secondary educational institution, a new study permit is not required. But you must notify IRCC through your MyCIC account. Also, make sure the new school is on the DLI list.
- Payment Fees receipt (recommended). The cost of a study permit is $150.
- Scholarship letter (if applicable)
- Any relevant correspondence with the institution
- Financial documents proving that you have enough money (approximately $10,000 per year) for:
- Tuition fees
- Living expenses for you and any family members who will accompany you to Canada
- Travel costs to and from Canada for you and accompanying family
- Work experience certificates (if applicable)
- Medical report (if already undertaken).
When you receive your permit, you have to stay enrolled at the school you chose until you finish your studies and actively pursue your course or program. You can’t drop out or fail (you may be asked to prove this).
If you come from a country that requires a visa for entry to Canada, the visa office may require additional documentation, including proof of having stronger ties to the country of nationality than to Canada. This may make it more difficult for some nationalities to secure a study permit.
What countries require a visa for entry to Canada?
Travellers from the following countries need a visa to come to Canada:
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| Afghanistan | Guatemala | Palau |
| Albania | Guinea | Palestinian Authority |
| Algeria | Guinea-Bissau | Panama |
| Angola | Guyana | Paraguay |
| Antigua and Barbuda | Haiti | Peru |
| Argentina | Honduras | Philippines |
| Armenia | India | Qatar |
| Azerbaijan | Indonesia | Russia |
| Bahrain | Iran | Rwanda |
| Bangladesh | Iraq | Sao Tomé e Principe |
| Belarus | Israel, must have a valid Israeli “Travel Document in lieu of National Passport” | Saudi Arabia, Kingdom of |
| Belize | Ivory Coast | Serbia |
| Benin | Jamaica | Seychelles |
| Bhutan | Jordan | Sierra Leone |
| Bolivia | Kazakhstan | Somalia |
| Bosnia-Herzegovina | Kenya | South Africa |
| Botswana | Kiribati | South Sudan |
| Brazil (note: some Brazilian citizens may be eligible for an eTA if they meet certain requirements) | Korea, North | Sri Lanka |
| British subjects, subject to control | Kosovo | St. Kitts and Nevis |
| Burkina Faso | Kuwait | St. Lucia |
| Burma (Myanmar) | Kyrgyzstan | St. Vincent and the Grenadines (St. Vincent) |
| Burundi | Laos | Sudan |
| Cambodia | Lebanon | Surinam |
| Cameroon, Republic of | Lesotho | Swaziland |
| Cape Verde | Liberia | Surinam |
| Central African Republic | Libya | Syria |
| Chad | Macao Special Administrative Region | Taiwan, must have a passports other than ordinary passports issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Taiwan that include their personal identification number |
| China, People’s Republic of | Macedonia | Tajikistan |
| Colombia | Madagascar | Tanzania |
| Comoros | Malawi | Thailand |
| Congo, Democratic Republic of | Malaysia | Togo |
| Congo, Republic of | Maldives Islands | Tonga |
| Costa Rica, Republic of | Mali | Trinidad and Tobago |
| Cuba | Marshall Islands | Tunisia |
| Djibouti | Mauritania | Turkey |
| Dominica | Mauritius | Turkmenistan |
| Dominican Republic | Micronesia, Fed. States | Tuvalu |
| East Timor | Moldova | Uganda |
| Ecuador | Mongolia | Ukraine |
| Egypt | Montenegro | United Arab Emirates |
| El Salvador | Morocco | Uruguay |
| Equatorial Guinea | Mozambique | Uzbekistan |
| Eritrea | Namibia | Vanuatu |
| Ethiopia | Nauru | Venezuela |
| Fiji | Nepal | Vietnam |
| Gabon | Nicaragua | Yemen |
| Gambia | Niger | Zambia |
| Georgia | Nigeria | Zimbabwe |
| Ghana | Oman | |
| Grenada | Pakistan |
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When is a study permit not required?
You don’t need a study permit if:
- Your course or program is six months or less and will be completed within the period for your stay authorized upon entry into Canada; or
- You submitted an extension application prior to the current study permit expiring and have remained in Canada since the expiration.