Study Permits & PGWP

You need a study permit if your program in Canada lasts more than six months. IRCC says you do not need one for a program of six months or less. Most international students at colleges and universities need a permit, and you usually apply before you travel, through IRCC's online application.

A few groups can study without a permit. IRCC lists, among others, people with Registered Indian status in Canada, some family members of accredited foreign representatives, members of foreign armed forces on official duties, and certain minor children, such as children of Canadian citizens or permanent residents, and children at primary or secondary school whose authorized parent is in Canada with them.

Your school must be on the DLI list, and you enter its DLI number in your application. Our guide to the DLI list in Canada explains how to check a school before you pay a deposit.

A provincial or territorial attestation letter (PAL or TAL) is a letter from the province or territory where you plan to study confirming there is space for you. Your DLI gives it to you. IRCC says it is usually required, and most post-secondary students outside Quebec need it before they submit a study permit application.

According to IRCC, you do not need a PAL or TAL if, for example, you are:

• going to primary or secondary school (up to grade 12)
• applying for a master's or doctoral program at a public institution (from January 1, 2026)
• an exchange student who does not pay tuition fees to the Canadian school
• already in Canada and extending your permit at the same school and level of study

Quebec works differently. Instead of a PAL, you need a Certificat d'acceptation du Québec (CAQ) from the province. IRCC also states that attestation letters issued in 2026 are valid until December 31, 2026, so a letter from a previous year will not carry over. Read our full guide to the provincial attestation letter for how schools allocate them.

As of September 2026, for applications submitted on or after September 1, 2026 outside Quebec, IRCC requires proof of $23,448 for a single student, plus $6,318 for each family member who comes with you. These amounts cover living costs only. You must show tuition and travel costs on top of them.

The legal rule sits in section 220 of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations. An officer cannot issue a study permit unless you have enough money available, without working in Canada, to pay your tuition, support yourself and your accompanying family, and pay transport to and from Canada. That phrase, without working in Canada, matters: your plan to work part time does not count as a source of funds.

IRCC accepts several kinds of proof, including:

• receipts showing you have paid tuition
• a student or education loan
• bank statements for the past 6 months
• a guaranteed investment certificate (GIC)
• proof of a scholarship
• a support letter from the person funding you, with proof of their employment

For Quebec, the amounts are set by the Ministère de l'Immigration, de la Francisation et de l'Intégration as part of the CAQ, and they differ from the federal figures. For a realistic budget that includes rent and daily costs by city, see our cost of studying in Canada guide.

Every application needs a letter of acceptance from a DLI, a valid passport or travel document, and proof of funds. Most also need a PAL or TAL, or a CAQ for Quebec. Depending on your situation, you may also need a medical exam, a police certificate, and documents your local visa office asks for.

IRCC's document list also covers:

• a letter of explanation, which IRCC recommends even though it is not mandatory
• a medical exam if you will stay more than six months and have recently lived or travelled in certain countries, or plan to work in certain public health roles
• proof of custodianship or care arrangements for minors who come without a parent or guardian

You must apply online, whether you are outside Canada or already in Canada, unless you are exempt for a disability or certain travel documents. If you are 14 to 79 years old, you normally give biometrics (fingerprints and a photo). As of September 2026, IRCC lists the biometrics fee as $85 per person, or $170 for a family applying together, paid when you submit.

Yes, if you meet IRCC's conditions. As of September 2026, eligible full-time students can work off campus up to 24 hours per week during regular academic sessions, and unlimited hours during scheduled breaks such as summer and winter holidays. You cannot start working until your program has started.

To work off campus without a separate work permit, IRCC says you must:

• be a full-time student at a DLI and have started your program
• be in an academic, vocational or professional training program of at least six months that leads to a degree, diploma or certificate
• hold a valid study permit, or have applied to extend it before it expired
• have a condition printed on your study permit that allows off-campus work
• have a social insurance number

Working more hours than allowed breaks your study permit conditions. IRCC warns that this can cost you your student status and lead to future permits being refused. Keep your own record of hours if you hold more than one job, because the limit applies to your total.

IRCC sets three basic responsibilities: make progress towards completing your program, respect the conditions listed on your study permit, and stop studying if you no longer meet the requirements. Your permit is tied to being a genuine, active student, so long gaps or dropped courses can create problems later.

When you arrive, a border officer checks your passport, your port of entry letter of introduction, your letter of acceptance, your funds and, if required, your medical exam results. The port of entry letter holds your permit reference number, and the officer uses it to issue the actual study permit. If you change schools before you arrive, IRCC says you need to submit a new application with updated documents and pay the fees again.

Check the permit you receive at the border before you leave the counter. The conditions printed on it, such as whether you can work off campus, are what you will be held to.

After graduating, you can apply for a Post-Graduation Work Permit if you completed an eligible program of at least eight months at a PGWP-eligible DLI while studying full time. You must apply within 180 days of confirmation that you completed your program. Skilled work on that permit can then support a permanent residence application.

Several PGWP rules catch people out:

• Language: IRCC requires CLB 7 for bachelor's, master's and doctoral graduates who apply on or after November 1, 2024, and CLB 5 for college and other non-university programs.
• Field of study: for non-degree college and university programs where the study permit application was submitted on or after November 1, 2024, the program must be in a field linked to occupations in long-term shortage.
• You cannot get a PGWP if you have already received one.

For permanent residence, the Canadian Experience Class requires at least one year of skilled work in Canada (1,560 hours) in the 3 years before you apply, in a TEER 0, 1, 2 or 3 occupation. IRCC is clear that work you did while studying full time, including co-op terms, does not count. That makes the PGWP period the time to build your qualifying experience.

Check the program you are considering against these rules before you enrol. Our PGWP overview and study permit to PR guide walk through each step.

Most refusals come back to the conditions in section 216 of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations. An officer must be satisfied that you will leave Canada at the end of your authorized stay, that you meet the requirements, including funds and any medical exam, and that a DLI has accepted you. A gap on any of these can lead to a refusal.

Based on those rules, an application is exposed when:

• the funds do not meet the section 220 test, or their source is unclear
• the application does not show why you would return home after your studies
• a required document, such as the PAL, is missing or expired

IRCC says that if your application is refused, it sends you a letter explaining why. Read it closely before you reapply, and deal with each reason it gives in your new application. Our study permit refusal guide covers your options, and our university finder can help you compare schools and programs that fit your background.