STUDY PERMITS & VISAS

You must apply for a study permit if you are coming to Canada for elementary or secondary school, language school, college or university studies that last longer than 6 months.

• Before you can apply for a study permit, you need to have a letter of acceptance from a school, university or college in Canada.
• This means you need to find a school or program, apply to your program(s) of choice and receive an acceptance letter from a school, college or university in Canada.

As an international student with a study permit, you must:

• Always be enrolled at a designated learning institution
• Make progress toward finishing your study program
• Respect the conditions listed on your study permit
• Stop studying if you no longer meet the requirements
• Leave Canada when your permit expires

Most foreign nationals need to study permit to study in Canada except in some cases such as:

• your course or program lasts 6 months or less
• your studies aren’t part of a longer program and
• you’ll complete all your studies within the time we approved you to stay in Canada (usually 6 months after you enter)
• if you’re a family or staff member of a foreign representative to Canada that has been accredited by Global Affairs Canada 
• If you’re a member of a foreign armed force on official duties in Canada
• Minor children don’t need a study permit if: they’re in kindergarten; they’re refugees or refugee claimants
  • their parents are refugees or refugee claimants or they’re in pre-school, primary or secondary school, and they’re already in Canada with a parent who has a work or study permit.