Start by choosing a program and a designated learning institution (DLI), confirm you meet its admission requirements, and secure your acceptance letter. Next, apply for a study permit through IRCC with proof of funds, a provincial attestation letter (PAL) where required, and biometrics. Beginning about a year before your intake leaves room for scholarships, medical exams, and processing delays.

A study permit is the official document IRCC issues that allows a foreign national to study at a designated learning institution in Canada for the length of their program. It is not a travel visa — depending on your citizenship, you may also need a visitor visa or an eTA to enter the country. You must stay enrolled and make reasonable progress toward completing your program to keep it valid.

Get an acceptance letter from a DLI first, then apply online through the IRCC portal with your PAL, proof of funds, academic documents, and a clear statement of purpose. After submitting, you'll provide biometrics, and some applicants are also asked for a medical exam. Note that Canada officially calls this a "study permit," so that's the term used throughout the application.

You need an acceptance letter from a DLI, a provincial attestation letter (required for most applicants), a valid passport, and proof of funds covering tuition plus roughly CAD 20,000 per year in living costs for a single applicant outside Quebec. Biometrics are mandatory, a medical exam may be requested, and your file should show a logical program choice backed by a clear study plan. Weak finances or an unconvincing purpose are the most common refusal reasons.

It varies widely depending on your country of application, the season, and application volumes — from a few weeks to several months. IRCC publishes current processing times by visa office, so check the latest figure for your country instead of relying on older posts online. Applying early and submitting a complete file is the best way to avoid delays.

The study permit fee is around CAD 150, plus CAD 85 for biometrics, so confirm the current schedule before paying since fees are updated from time to time. Keep in mind this is only the application cost — tuition, health insurance, flights, and living expenses are separate and far larger parts of your budget.

You must show you can cover tuition, living costs of roughly CAD 20,000 or more per year for a single applicant outside Quebec (higher for family members, and the amount is updated annually), plus travel. Recent bank statements, a GIC, an approved education loan, or a sponsor's documents with proof of their finances and relationship to you are typically accepted. Large unexplained deposits are a frequent refusal trigger, so keep your funds traceable.

There is no single figure — approval rates differ significantly by country, change year to year, and are published by IRCC. Most refusals come down to insufficient or poorly documented funds, an unclear study plan, or doubts about whether conditions will be followed. A well-documented file with a logical program choice usually matters more than the headline approval rate.

International students can work off campus up to 24 hours per week during academic sessions — increased from 20 in late 2024 — and full-time during scheduled breaks, with no set cap for on-campus work. Your work eligibility is tied to active full-time enrollment, so dropping below full-time status to work more can put your status at risk.

Choose a DLI and program, secure your acceptance letter and PAL, arrange proof of funds, then apply online for the study permit and complete biometrics at a Visa Application Centre in the Philippines. Build in extra lead time for documents like transcripts and clearances, and put real effort into your financial file and study plan, since these decide most outcomes.

Get your acceptance letter and PAL first, then apply through the IRCC portal with proof of funds — many Indian applicants use a GIC for this — along with academics, English test scores, and a strong statement of purpose. The earlier SDS fast-track was discontinued in late 2024, so all applications now go through the regular stream, which makes a complete, well-documented file even more important.

Fully free tuition is rare for international students, but you can cut costs dramatically through scholarships to study in Canada: university entrance and merit awards, graduate assistantships and funding packages, and government or external scholarship programs. Apply early, since some awards are automatic with admission while competitive ones need separate applications, and consider lower-tuition provinces to stretch your budget further.

In most cases, yes. Courses of six months or less never require a study permit, and IRCC currently allows holders of valid work permits to study in Canada while their permit remains in effect. One caveat: to qualify for a post-graduation work permit later, you generally need to have studied on a study permit, so switch early if a longer credential is your goal.

Yes. A Canadian post-secondary credential can add up to 30 extra CRS points under Express Entry, depending on the length and level of your program, and Canadian work experience gained after graduation through a PGWP can add significantly more under the Canadian Experience Class. That combination is why studying in Canada is often planned as part of a longer-term PR pathway.

Use the IRCC webform for case-specific questions, call the client support centre for general information, or check messages in your IRCC online account. Make sure you're dealing with the official Canada immigration website — the Government of Canada's IRCC pages — because lookalike sites and fake "agents" charge for forms and information that are free.