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Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations

r. 220 Financial resources

  • PART 12 Students
  • DIVISION 4 Restrictions on Studying in Canada
  • Study Permits

Last verified: June 2026 · Source: justice.gc.ca

The law says

IRPR r. 220
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220 An officer shall not issue a study permit to a foreign national, other than one described in paragraph 215(1)(d) or (e), unless they have sufficient and available financial resources, without working in Canada, to

  • (a)pay the tuition fees for the course or program of studies that they intend to pursue;
  • (b)maintain themself and any family members who are accompanying them during their proposed period of study; and
  • (c)pay the costs of transporting themself and the family members referred to in paragraph (b) to and from Canada.

Provisions this one cites

Justice Laws is the authoritative version. If this copy and it ever differ, Justice Laws wins.

Sections numbered under r. 220

Each of these is its own section of the Regulations, numbered after section 220.

IRPR r. 220.1

Conditions — study permit holder

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What that means

A study permit comes with conditions. You have to enrol at the school named on your permit, stay enrolled until you finish, and actively pursue your program. If your school loses its designated status after your permit was issued, the rule keeps treating it as designated for the rest of your permit. An officer can ask you to prove you are complying when there is reason to think you are not. An officer can also ask as part of a random check. Some people are exempt from these conditions, such as refugee claimants and certain family members of workers or students (r.220.1(3)).

The law says

(1)The holder of a study permit in Canada is subject to the following conditions:

  • (a)they shall enroll at the designated learning institution that is named in their permit and remain enrolled there until they complete their studies; and
  • (b)they shall actively pursue their course or program of study.

Loss of designation

(2)In the event that the learning institution at which the holder of a study permit is enrolled loses its designated status after the issuance of the permit by virtue of any of the following events, subsection (1) shall apply to that holder for the duration of their permit as if the learning institution at which they are enrolled continues to be a designated learning institution:

  • (a)termination of an agreement or arrangement between the province and the Minister in respect of learning institutions that host international students under which the learning institution had been designated;
  • (b)the coming into force of an agreement or arrangement between the province and the Minister in respect of learning institutions that host international students under which the learning institution no longer qualifies for designation; or
  • (c)revocation of the designation by the province.

Exception

(3)Subsection (1) does not apply to

  • (a)a person described in any of paragraphs 300(2)(a) to (i); or
  • (b)a family member of a foreign national who resides in Canada and is described in any of paragraphs 215(2)(a) to (i).

Evidence of compliance with conditions

(4)The holder of a study permit must provide evidence to an officer of their compliance with the conditions set out in subsection (1) if

  • (a)the officer requests the evidence because the officer has reason to believe that the permit holder is not complying or has not complied with one or more of the conditions; or
  • (b)the officer requests the evidence as part of a random assessment of the overall level of compliance with those conditions by permit holders who are or were subject to them.