Study permit conditions

As a study permit holder, there are a number of conditions you must meet. If you don’t meet the conditions, you may lose your student status and study permit. You may also have to leave Canada. Please see more information here on how IRCC assesses study permit conditions. 

As a study permit holder, you must:

• be enrolled at a designated learning institution (DLI)
• show you’re actively pursuing your studies by:
  • being enrolled full-time or part-time during each academic semester (excluding regularly scheduled breaks)
  • making progress towards completing your program’s courses, and
  • not taking authorized leaves longer than 150 days from your study program
• apply to extend your study permit to change post-secondary schools
• end your studies if you no longer meet the requirements of being a student, and
• leave Canada when your permit expires

You must also follow the other specific conditions listed on your study permit, which could include:

• the level of studies you can attend
• if you’re allowed to work as a student in Canada, including:
  • if you can work on or off campus, and
  • if you can complete a co-op work term or internship
• if you need to report for medical procedures
• if you’re allowed to travel within Canada, and
• the date you must stop studying.

Changing your DLI

Starting November 8, 2024, students must be enrolled in the designated learning institution (DLI) named on their study permit. This means that students can no longer change DLIs by letting IRCC know through their online account. To change DLIs, students need to get a new study permit by applying to extend the current one. To find out more information about your specific situation, please see here.

Please talk to ISSAC about the timing of your application(s) - you may be in a situation where you must apply to extend your USask study permit to complete your USask program, while also at the same time apply for a new study permit for your new DLI. 

Actively pursue your studies

At minimum, you must be a part-time student as defined by your program of study. Your program of study course calendar will specify when you are expected to be registered in classes and when you are on a scheduled academic break.

You can change your program of study but frequent changes of your program of study may cause the refusal of a future study permit application if the processing immigration officer finds you are not meeting the requirement of reasonable progress toward the completion of your program.

IRCC allows a study permit holder to take an authorized leave of up to 150 days and be considered actively pursuing their studies.

Non-compliance

An immigration officer may request evidence of compliance with your study permit. If you receive a request, you must respond. If you receive a request and require assistance, please contact ISSAC.

Be aware of your eligibility to work on and off campus as working when you are ineligible is in non-compliance of your study permit.

Non-compliance of study permit conditions may negatively impact future applications for immigration documents.It also may result in enforcement action such as your removal from Canada.

Study permit validity

Your study permit becomes invalid in one of three ways, whichever comes first:

• The expiry date on the study permit, OR
• 90 days after written confirmation of program completion first becomes available, OR
• As of Nov 8, 2024, the day you are no longer enrolled at the Designated Learning Institution that is named on your study permit (other than as a result of completing your studies)

If you do not submit an application to extend your study permit before it becomes invalid, you must stop studying and working immediately.

Change of status

After changing their status to visitor or worker, students may resume their studies, using their previous study permit, as long as the study permit is valid.

If the study permit is about to expire when the student resumes their studies, the student must apply to extend their study permit in Canada, using the application to change conditions, extend your stay or remain in Canada as a student, before the expiry date.

• ISSAC Advising