The study permit is a document we issue that allows foreign nationals to study at designated learning institutions (DLIs) in Canada. Most foreign nationals need a study permit to study in Canada. Make sure you have all the documents you need before you apply. You should apply before you travel to Canada.
Your study permit is not a visa. It doesn’t let you enter Canada. You may also need a visitor visa or an electronic travel authorization (eTA). If we approve your study permit, we’ll issue one to you with your study permit.
Note: You need a provincial attestation letter to apply for a study permit
As of 8:30 am ET on January 22, 2024, most students must include a provincial attestation letter (PAL) from the province or territory where they plan to study with their study permit application.
In most cases, if you apply without a PAL, your application will be returned with fees.
From January 1, 2026, master’s and doctoral students at a public DLI no longer need a PAL/TAL. Applications to preschool, primary, or secondary school (up to grade 12) — the situation for most minor children — are also exempt. (Source: IRCC, canada.ca — current as of September 18, 2026.)
Learn more about the provincial attestation letter.
Designated learning institutions
To apply for a study permit, you need an acceptance letter from a designated learning institution. A designated learning institution is a school approved by a provincial or territorial government to host international students.
All primary and secondary schools in Canada are designated learning institutions. They aren’t included in this list. If you plan to attend a post-secondary school, make sure it is on this list.
Is There a Faster Way? The Student Direct Stream Has Ended
The Student Direct Stream (SDS) — which offered faster study permit processing to applicants from a specific list of countries — ended on November 8, 2024, with no replacement — every application, from every country, now goes through the same standard process. (Source: IRCC, canada.ca — current as of September 18, 2026.)
A Guaranteed Investment Certificate (GIC) can still count as acceptable proof of funds, but it no longer buys faster processing on its own.
What genuinely affects your timeline: a complete application, biometrics done promptly once requested, your PAL/TAL in hand before you apply where one is required, and which visa office handles your region. Check IRCC’s live processing times tool for a current estimate rather than a fixed number. We can’t guarantee a timeline or outcome, but we make sure your application is complete and submitted the right way.
School Enrollment
If you wish to enroll in one of Canadian School/College/University, we are here to help! Apply to study in Canada as an international student, extend your study permit and find out about working while you study or after you graduate.
Choosing a program and school
In Canada, each province and territory is in charge of their own education system.
Get more information about schools and the education system:
EduCanada – information for international students about education in Canada, with study program search, costs, and more
Schools that teach students up to the grade 12 level are known as primary and secondary schools. Primary usually means grades 1-8 and secondary usually means grades 9-12.
All primary and secondary schools in Canada can enrol international students.
As a study permit consultant in Kelowna, we work with international students at every stage, including those heading to UBC Okanagan or Okanagan College:
– students applying for their first study permit
– students already in Canada extending their permit or changing schools
– parents arranging study in Canada for a minor child
– graduates moving toward a PGWP or permanent residence
– applicants who’ve been refused before and want a stronger second application
How We Help With Your Study Permit
Every application comes down to the same questions: are you eligible, is your program the right fit, and can you show you’ll leave Canada when your permit expires? We help with:
– eligibility, and how your program choice can affect your PGWP later — non-degree programs generally need to lead to an in-demand occupation and a minimum language-test result
– assembling proof of funds that meets the current cost-of-living requirement
– sequencing your acceptance letter and PAL/TAL, and confirming whether your program actually needs one
– letters of explanation for gaps or unusual circumstances in your file
– reviewing a refusal letter and building a stronger reapplication
We can’t guarantee approval — that decision belongs to IRCC — but we make sure nothing in your application is incomplete or unclear. (PGWP rules verified via canada.ca, retrieved September 18, 2026.)
What You Need to Show Financially
For applications submitted on or after September 1, 2026, a single applicant studying outside Quebec must show at least $23,448 in living expenses for the first year — up from $22,895 — on top of tuition and return transportation. (Source: IRCC, canada.ca — current as of September 18, 2026.)
The amount rises with each accompanying family member — a family of three currently needs $35,888 in living expenses alone. Programs longer than a year also need a credible plan for how you’ll pay for the later years, not just the first one.
We help you work out the right number and put together documentation — bank statements, GICs, sponsor letters — that an officer can actually follow.
Extending, Changing Schools, or Staying Legal
Staying at the same school? Apply to extend at least 30 days before your permit expires. Apply on time and you can generally keep studying under your current conditions while you wait, as long as you stay in Canada. (Source: IRCC, canada.ca — current as of September 18, 2026.)
Changing schools or level of study is treated differently: you generally need a new study permit approved — and, unless exempt, a new PAL/TAL — before starting at the new school, with limited exceptions if you haven’t left Canada and still meet your current permit’s conditions.
Missed the deadline? Options narrow quickly and restoration is never guaranteed — the sooner you talk to us, the more options you usually have.
Why Study Permit Applications Get Refused
The most common reasons we see applications refused:
– proof of funds that’s insufficient, unclear, or hard to verify
– a study plan that doesn’t clearly connect the program to your background and goals
– doubts about whether you’ll leave Canada when your permit expires
– missing or incomplete documents
– a previous refusal not properly addressed in the new application
No consultant — including an RCIC — can guarantee approval. The decision is entirely IRCC’s. What we can do is make sure your application is complete, consistent, and clearly presented.
Which Guide Fits You?
One of our detailed guides may fit your situation better:
Study permit rules change often, and getting the sequencing right — program choice, PAL/TAL, proof of funds, timing — matters. Book a free assessment with Luning Chen, RCIC, at our Kelowna office, and we’ll go through your situation together.
Book your free assessment — no outcome is ever guaranteed, but you’ll leave the conversation knowing exactly where you stand.
What is a study permit?
The study permit is a document we issue that allows foreign nationals to study at designated learning institutions (DLIs) in Canada. Most foreign nationals need a study permit to study in Canada. Make sure you have all the documents you need before you apply. You should apply before you travel to Canada.
Your study permit is not a visa. It doesn’t let you enter Canada. You may also need a visitor visa or an electronic travel authorization (eTA). If we approve your study permit, we’ll issue one to you with your study permit.
Note: You need a provincial attestation letter to apply for a study permit
As of 8:30 am ET on January 22, 2024, most students must include a provincial attestation letter (PAL) from the province or territory where they plan to study with their study permit application.
In most cases, if you apply without a PAL, your application will be returned with fees.
From January 1, 2026, master’s and doctoral students at a public DLI no longer need a PAL/TAL. Applications to preschool, primary, or secondary school (up to grade 12) — the situation for most minor children — are also exempt. (Source: IRCC, canada.ca — current as of September 18, 2026.)
Learn more about the provincial attestation letter.
Designated learning institutions
To apply for a study permit, you need an acceptance letter from a designated learning institution. A designated learning institution is a school approved by a provincial or territorial government to host international students.
All primary and secondary schools in Canada are designated learning institutions. They aren’t included in this list. If you plan to attend a post-secondary school, make sure it is on this list.
Is There a Faster Way? The Student Direct Stream Has Ended
The Student Direct Stream (SDS) — which offered faster study permit processing to applicants from a specific list of countries — ended on November 8, 2024, with no replacement — every application, from every country, now goes through the same standard process. (Source: IRCC, canada.ca — current as of September 18, 2026.)
A Guaranteed Investment Certificate (GIC) can still count as acceptable proof of funds, but it no longer buys faster processing on its own.
What genuinely affects your timeline: a complete application, biometrics done promptly once requested, your PAL/TAL in hand before you apply where one is required, and which visa office handles your region. Check IRCC’s live processing times tool for a current estimate rather than a fixed number. We can’t guarantee a timeline or outcome, but we make sure your application is complete and submitted the right way.
School Enrollment
If you wish to enroll in one of Canadian School/College/University, we are here to help! Apply to study in Canada as an international student, extend your study permit and find out about working while you study or after you graduate.
Choosing a program and school
In Canada, each province and territory is in charge of their own education system.
Get more information about schools and the education system:
Primary and secondary schools
Schools that teach students up to the grade 12 level are known as primary and secondary schools. Primary usually means grades 1-8 and secondary usually means grades 9-12.
All primary and secondary schools in Canada can enrol international students.
There are special rules for minor children studying in Canada.
Post-secondary schools
Post-secondary schools are:
Each post-secondary school has its own set of rules on how to apply, including the level of English or French you need to be accepted.
Get more information on post-secondary schools:
Who We Help
As a study permit consultant in Kelowna, we work with international students at every stage, including those heading to UBC Okanagan or Okanagan College:
How We Help With Your Study Permit
Every application comes down to the same questions: are you eligible, is your program the right fit, and can you show you’ll leave Canada when your permit expires? We help with:
We can’t guarantee approval — that decision belongs to IRCC — but we make sure nothing in your application is incomplete or unclear. (PGWP rules verified via canada.ca, retrieved September 18, 2026.)
What You Need to Show Financially
For applications submitted on or after September 1, 2026, a single applicant studying outside Quebec must show at least $23,448 in living expenses for the first year — up from $22,895 — on top of tuition and return transportation. (Source: IRCC, canada.ca — current as of September 18, 2026.)
The amount rises with each accompanying family member — a family of three currently needs $35,888 in living expenses alone. Programs longer than a year also need a credible plan for how you’ll pay for the later years, not just the first one.
We help you work out the right number and put together documentation — bank statements, GICs, sponsor letters — that an officer can actually follow.
Extending, Changing Schools, or Staying Legal
Staying at the same school? Apply to extend at least 30 days before your permit expires. Apply on time and you can generally keep studying under your current conditions while you wait, as long as you stay in Canada. (Source: IRCC, canada.ca — current as of September 18, 2026.)
Changing schools or level of study is treated differently: you generally need a new study permit approved — and, unless exempt, a new PAL/TAL — before starting at the new school, with limited exceptions if you haven’t left Canada and still meet your current permit’s conditions.
Missed the deadline? Options narrow quickly and restoration is never guaranteed — the sooner you talk to us, the more options you usually have.
Why Study Permit Applications Get Refused
The most common reasons we see applications refused:
No consultant — including an RCIC — can guarantee approval. The decision is entirely IRCC’s. What we can do is make sure your application is complete, consistent, and clearly presented.
Which Guide Fits You?
One of our detailed guides may fit your situation better:
Book a Free Assessment
Study permit rules change often, and getting the sequencing right — program choice, PAL/TAL, proof of funds, timing — matters. Book a free assessment with Luning Chen, RCIC, at our Kelowna office, and we’ll go through your situation together.
Book your free assessment — no outcome is ever guaranteed, but you’ll leave the conversation knowing exactly where you stand.