Study permit is a document that is issued to foreign nationals to study at an educational institution in Canada before they arrive. It is normally valid for the length of their studies and gives an extra 90 days during which students can prepare to leave the country or apply for an extension.

Study permit applicants can include their spouses/partners and children on their application so they can come to Canada with them. Applicants' spouses may be eligible for an open work permit which allows them to work and minor children may be able to study at Canadian primary or secondary schools. 

The study permit is not a visa, hence applicants will need either a Visitor Visa or an Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) that will be issued with the study permit.

Requirements

Enrolment at a Designated Learning Institution (DLI)

You must receive a letter of acceptance from a DLI (college, university etc). If your study program requires you to take any pre-requisite courses like English or French as a second language before being accepted into the main program, you will be issued a study permit for the duration of those pre-requisite courses + 1 year and then you will need to apply for an extension.

Proof of funds

You must prove you have enough money to pay for at least the first year of tuition fees + the cost of living during your stay in Canada + transportation back to your home country. 

In order to prove those funds, there are multiple options like your bank statements for the past 4 months or a Canadian account if you have already acquired one, proof of a student loan from a bank, proof that you already paid tuition and housing fees, proof of funding paid from within Canada if you have a scholarship or are in a Canadian-funded educational program. 

• If you are planning on studying outside of Quebec, these are the amounts required.

# of People	Yearly required funds (Tuition not included) in $CAN	Monthly required funds Additional to tuition
1 (The student)	$ 10.000	$ 833
1st Family member	$ 4.000	$ 333
Every additional family member	$ 3.000	$ 255

 

• If you are planning on studying in Quebec, these are the amounts required.

# of People	Yearly required funds (Tuition not included) in $CAN	Monthly required funds Additional to tuition
1 (under 18 years old)	$ 6.559	$ 547
1 (18 or older)	$ 13.134	$ 1.095
2 (Both 18 or older)	$ 19.264	$1.605
2 (18 or over) + 1 (under 18)	$ 21.579	$ 1.798
2 (18 or over) + 2 (under the 18)	$ 23.290	$ 1.941

 

Letter of explanation

You need to explain to the visa officer, why you want to study in Canada and state that you understand your responsibilities as a student, which are

• Making progress towards completing your program
• Respect conditions on your study permit (I.e If you are allowed to work, departure date, etc)
• Stop studying if you no longer meet the requirements.

Police Records

You must get a police certificate with no criminal records.

Health Certificate

You must prove that you are in good health,  for which you will need to take a medical test and provide proof of being fully vaccinated against COVID 19.