Most refused or delayed applications are not weak students. They are late documents, funds shown in the wrong form, or a program that turned out not to qualify. This is the order the work actually happens in.
Figures and eligibility rules change, sometimes mid-year. Every number on this page should be confirmed against canada.ca for your intake before you commit money. We do that check on every file we handle.
Counted backwards from the first day of class. A September intake means starting in roughly March of the previous year. It can be done faster, and it is more expensive and more fragile when it is.
This is the stage that determines everything downstream, and the one most students rush.
Results take weeks and institutions want them with the application, not after it.
Apply to more than one. A single application is a single point of failure.
The letter of acceptance unlocks the permit application, and the funds must be visible and in the right form.
Processing times vary widely by country and season. Apply as early as the documents allow.
Approval arrives as a letter of introduction. The permit itself is issued at the border.
Doing these in the first weeks avoids most of the problems students write to us about later.
Exact requirements depend on your country, your province and your program. This is the set that covers most applications.
Valid well past your intended stay. The permit will not be issued beyond passport expiry, which quietly shortens some study permits.
From a designated learning institution, naming your program and start date.
Provincial or territorial. Required for most applicants since 2024. The institution requests it, so ask early rather than waiting.
Tuition plus living costs plus travel, with a visible history. A Guaranteed Investment Certificate is the cleanest form for most applicants.
Official copies, with certified translations where the original is not in English or French.
Accepted tests and minimum scores are set by the institution, not by us. Results expire, usually after two years.
Why this program, why Canada, and what you intend afterwards. It is assessed, and it is where a weak application shows.
Required depending on your country of residence and the length of your stay. Book the medical with a panel physician only.
Given at a collection point after you apply, and generally reusable for ten years.
Minors need a custodian declaration. Accompanying family members have their own applications and requirements.
Never send original documents to anyone who is not the institution or the visa office, and never pay a fee to a person rather than an organisation. If someone guarantees a visa, that is not a service, it is a warning.
Work rules attached to a study permit have changed more than once in the last two years, in both directions. The rules that apply are the ones in force for your permit and your term, not the ones a forum post describes.
Three that catch people out:
Hours during term. Off-campus work during an academic session is capped, and the cap has been revised recently. Full-time work is generally allowed during scheduled breaks only.
Placements need their own permit. If your program requires a co-op or internship, that placement usually needs a separate co-op work permit applied for alongside the study permit.
Family work permits narrowed. Eligibility for a spouse or partner to hold an open work permit is now limited to certain program levels. Confirm before planning around two incomes.
Working more than your permit allows can end your status in Canada and your eligibility for a post-graduation work permit. It is the single most expensive mistake a student can make here.
Send us your qualifications, budget and target intake. We will tell you which programs are realistic, which ones carry a work permit risk, and what your timeline actually looks like from today.