Study in Canada FAQ for International Students

You need a study permit if your programme at a designated learning institution (DLI) lasts more than six months. A DLI is a school approved by a province or territory to host international students, and you must hold a letter of acceptance from one before you apply. Programmes of six months or less do not require a permit. Applying for one anyway can still be sensible, because it makes it easier to extend your stay or move into a longer programme without leaving Canada. Students planning to study in Quebec also need a Quebec Acceptance Certificate (CAQ) from the provincial government before IRCC will finalise a study permit.

IRCC caps the number of study permit applications it will accept for processing each year. For 2026, a total of 309,670 application spaces are available for applicants who need a provincial or territorial attestation letter, and each province and territory distributes its share among its own institutions. IRCC expects to issue up to 408,000 study permits in 2026 in total, including 155,000 to newly arriving students and 253,000 extensions. That total is 7 per cent below the 2025 target of 437,000 and 16 per cent below the 2024 target of 485,000. Provincial allocations for 2026 are weighted by population and by recent approval rates: Ontario has the largest allocation at 104,780 application spaces, followed by Quebec at 93,069, British Columbia at 32,596 and Alberta at 32,271. Nunavut has no allocation because it has no designated post-secondary institutions.

A provincial attestation letter (PAL) or territorial attestation letter (TAL) confirms that you have been counted against a province’s allocation under the cap. Most study permit applications submitted from outside Canada must include one, and IRCC will return applications that arrive without it. The exemptions changed on 1 January 2026. Four groups do not need a PAL or TAL in 2026: master’s and doctoral degree students enrolled at a public DLI (new for 2026); primary and secondary (kindergarten to grade 12) students; certain Government of Canada priority groups and vulnerable cohorts; and existing study permit holders extending at the same DLI and the same level of study. Your school, not IRCC, issues the PAL or TAL, and Quebec issues its attestation through the CAQ process.

For applications submitted on or after 1 September 2026, a single applicant outside Quebec must show $23,448 for living expenses for the first year, on top of tuition and travel costs. The figure was $22,895 for applications made between 1 September 2025 and 31 August 2026, and $20,635 before that. The amount rises with family size: $29,192 for two people, $35,888 for three, $43,572 for four and $6,318 for each additional person beyond seven. IRCC adjusts these figures every 1 September in line with Statistics Canada’s low income cut-off, so check the amount that applies on the day you submit. Accepted proof includes a guaranteed investment certificate from a participating Canadian bank, six months of bank statements, proof of a paid first year of tuition and housing, an education loan, or a scholarship letter. Quebec applicants must meet the thresholds set by the Ministère de l’Immigration, de la Francisation et de l’Intégration. Our guide to financial requirements for international students goes through the documents in more detail.

No. IRCC ended the Student Direct Stream (SDS) and the Nigeria Student Express on 8 November 2024. Applications received before 2 p.m. ET that day were processed under the old streams; everything after is processed under the regular study permit stream. There is no replacement fast-track. Applicants from the 14 countries formerly served by SDS apply the same way as everyone else, and a GIC is now one proof-of-funds option rather than a shortcut to faster processing.

Eligible full-time students at a DLI can work off campus without a separate work permit for up to 24 hours per week during academic terms. The old 20-hour limit no longer applies, and permits still printed with the 20-hour condition are read as allowing 24 hours provided you meet the eligibility rules. During scheduled breaks such as summer, winter holidays and reading week, you can work unlimited hours; if your programme has no scheduled breaks, the 24-hour weekly cap applies year-round. To work off campus you must have started your programme, hold a valid study permit with work conditions printed on it, be enrolled in a post-secondary academic, vocational or professional programme of at least six months leading to a credential, and have a social insurance number. Students taking only English or French as a second language, general interest or prerequisite courses cannot work off campus. Exceeding 24 hours is a breach of your permit conditions and can cost you your status. Our page on working while you study covers on-campus and co-op work as well.

The PGWP lets eligible graduates gain Canadian work experience. General eligibility requires a completed programme of at least eight months (or 900 hours in Quebec) at a PGWP-eligible DLI, full-time enrolment in each semester, and an application within 180 days of confirmation that you finished; your study permit must have been valid at some point during those 180 days. Two requirements introduced in November 2024 now apply to most applicants. On language, university graduates must prove Canadian Language Benchmarks (CLB) 7 in English or NCLC 7 in French across all four abilities, while college, polytechnic and other non-university graduates must reach CLB or NCLC 5. On field of study, graduates with a bachelor’s, master’s or doctoral degree face no field of study requirement, but all other university, college and polytechnic graduates who applied for a study permit on or after 1 November 2024 must graduate from a programme linked to an occupation in long-term shortage — and IRCC has confirmed it will not add or remove eligible fields of study in 2026. Permit length follows programme length: up to the length of the programme for those between eight months and two years, and up to three years for programmes of two years or more. Master’s graduates can receive a three-year permit even from a shorter degree. Programmes delivered by a private college under a curriculum licensing agreement with a public institution are not PGWP-eligible if you started after 15 May 2024. Our PGWP guide sets out the exceptions in full.

Since 8 November 2024 you cannot change DLIs on the same study permit. You must apply for a new permit, and since 22 January 2025 that application normally requires a new PAL or TAL unless you are exempt. You may take an authorised leave of up to 150 days if your institution approves it for medical, family or academic reasons. You cannot work off campus during a leave, and unauthorised leave can make you ineligible for a PGWP. IRCC monitors compliance through DLI reporting and can ask for transcripts or enrolment letters; failing to actively pursue studies can end your status and affect future applications.

Since 21 January 2025, open work permits for spouses of international students are limited to partners of students in doctoral programmes, master’s programmes of 16 months or longer, and certain professional and select programmes. Other spouses must qualify for a work permit on their own merits. Accompanying children may need their own study permits depending on their age and level of study, and you must show funds for every family member who travels with you. Most graduates move to permanent residence by first using a PGWP to build skilled Canadian work experience, then applying through the Canadian Experience Class under Express Entry or through a Provincial Nominee Program stream for graduates. The Canada study portal explains how the study-to-PR route fits together.