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Students living in the UAE, including children of expat families, apply under the Abu Dhabi visa office study permit checklist. The study plan must address ties to your country of residence or citizenship.
Written by NextMovePath editorial teamLast updated:
| IRCC processing time from UAE | 6 weeks (Study permit (applying from outside Canada))IRCC's current estimate, as of September 28, 2026. Source: IRCC processing times |
|---|---|
| Living costs you must show (1 person, outside Quebec) | CAN$23,448 per year plus tuition and travel, about AED 60,900 at September 2026 ratesSource: IRCC: Study permit proof of financial support |
| Residence proof | Copy of your latest Gulf residence visa if it is not in your current passportSource: IRCC Abu Dhabi visa office: Additional document checklist, study permit (IMM 5814) |
| Funds must be | From a reliable source and convertible to Canadian dollarsSource: IRCC Abu Dhabi visa office: Additional document checklist, study permit (IMM 5814) |
| Visa application centres | Dubai and Abu DhabiSource: IRCC: Find a visa application centre |
For applications from September 1, 2026, a single student outside Quebec must show CAN$23,448 for one year of living costs, plus first-year tuition and travel. At about AED 2.60 per Canadian dollar, living costs alone come to roughly AED 60,900. Each family member who comes adds more.
Documents showing a reliable source of money convertible to Canadian dollars: a parent’s or sponsor’s letter of undertaking with their financial documents, a scholarship letter, investments, rental income or bank statements covering several months. IRCC’s current rule asks for six months of statements with the source of income shown.
Why this program in Canada, your education goal, why not a similar program in your country of residence or citizenship, what local options you researched, how it helps your career there, and your ties. Also list every school attended with dates, addresses and qualifications.
Explain how your studies will be funded, your relationship to the person or institution paying, why they are supporting you, and give evidence of their ability to pay. The Abu Dhabi checklist asks for all four. An uncle working in Dubai can sponsor you, but the reason must be credible.
These are the grounds IRCC officers most often write in refusal letters for this kind of application. They are typical grounds, not statistics. Fix them before you apply, not after.
Tell us where you are in the process. A member of our team will tell you what is missing or weak in your UAE application, before IRCC does.
This page is general information, not legal advice. Immigration rules, fees and document lists change often. Confirm current requirements on canada.ca or with a licensed Canadian immigration representative (RCIC or lawyer) before you apply.