Extending Your Study Permit

On the document checklist, where the Letter of Acceptance (LoA) is requested, you should upload your Confirmation of Enrollment.

Your original Letter of Acceptance expired the day you started your studies.

On the Confirmation of Enrollment, you can include the updated date of completion of your studies, which will help the immigration officer when extending your study permit.

In certain situations, you might need a customized Confirmation of Enrollment. For this kind of letter, please see an International Student Advisor.

In a study permit application, it is crucial to clearly demonstrate you can financially support yourself during your studies and stay in Canada.

For the proof of funds, you should show sufficient funds to cover the remainder of your program. You should add the amount of tuition you are responsible for paying and the amount to cover your living expenses. The total is what you should prepare to have in your proof of funds.

A few documents you can use in your proof of funds include:

• the last four months of bank statements in your Canadian accounts
• the bank statement of your GIC account if you have one
• the last four months of bank statements of your parents or your sponsor.

For more information on proof of funds, please refer to the IRCC website.

You will need to scan and upload a copy of your passport on the bio-data page. This page contains your photo, all other personal information, and any other pages with stamps, visas, or markings from any county.

If you have a new passport, you need to provide copies of both your new and old passports.

Your study permit will not be issued beyond your passport expiry date. Thus, if your passport will be expiring soon, you should extend it first before you apply for the study permit.

Your passport photo should be less than six months old.

You must include an up-to-date photograph of yourself that meets specific requirements outlined by IRCC.

Visit the IRCC website to find specific requirements for this photo. 

A letter of explanation is a self-written document providing additional information to support your application.

You should only provide a letter of explanation if you want to explain something about your application—for instance, a leave of absence or time off that you took.

Please see an International Student Advisor for additional support with this letter.

Depending on the nationality, this form might be required. You should only provide it if it's included in your document checklist.

This form needs to be printed out and signed by hand. Please note you might need to sign multiple places on this form:

• if you indicate that you don't have a spouse or common-law partner, sign, and date Section A
• if you indicate that you don't have children, sign and date Section B
• finally, sign and date Section C.

This form is usually included in your checklist's "Optional Documents" section, and most students do not need to include it in the application.

This form doesn't need to be signed but needs to be validated.

If you have provided biometrics in a previous application, you don’t need to provide them again. Your biometrics will be valid for 10 years. You can use the online tool to find out if your biometrics are still valid.

Biometrics (fingerprints and a photo) are collected to confirm your identity and will facilitate your entry to Canada. While exemptions can be granted, most study permit applicants will be required to provide biometrics.

Once you have paid your biometrics collection fee ($85 CAD) and submitted your online application, you will receive a biometric instruction letter in your account. Then, you can go to the nearest biometrics collection center with the letter.

You may be required to complete an immigration medical exam if:

1. you have lived in a designated country or territory for more than six months in the past year, or,
2. you will participate in a workplacement, co-op or practicum that will bring you close to patients, children, the elderly, etc. This includes public health, health sciences, or agriculture-related fields (for example, healthcare workers, and primary and secondary school teachers.) Please refer to your program page for specific practicum information.

If you need a medical exam, you can choose either:

• submit your application first, and wait for the medical exam instruction letter from IRCC, or,
• do an upfront medical exam first and include the exam confirmation receipt in your application.

In general, it can save some processing time when you provide an upfront medical exam.

Your medical exam result will be valid for 12 months from the date of the exam and should be valid at the time when you travel. The exam is taken during the initial study permit application period; therefore, if you have been studying outside Canada since recieving your study permit approval, you will need to make sure your results are still valid when traveling to Canada.

You may need a new IME result if you are a continuing student who has left Canada for six months or more in the past year.

Find a panel physician that can conduct your medical exam.