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Studying in Canada

How to Study in Canada as an International Student

To study in Canada for more than six months, a foreign national needs a letter of acceptance from a designated learning institution and a study permit. Most applicants also need an attestation letter from the province or territory. A student must show enough money for tuition, living costs and travel. An IRCC officer decides each application.

See the funds a student must showRead the study permits page

Checked against official sources:

  • $150

    IRCC’s fee for a study permit

  • $23,448

    One student’s first-year living costs outside Quebec, before tuition and travel

  • about 6 weeks

    Median of IRCC’s country waits for a study permit applied for outside Canada

  • 24 hours

    Weekly limit on off-campus work in a regular session (IRPR s.186(v))

IRCC’s fee list was checked on November 11, 2026, its funds table on November 11, 2026 and its wait tool on November 11, 2026. See every fee, the funds table and the wait for each country.

Which case is yours?

Each card states one rule and opens the page that explains it.

  • A college or university accepted you

    An officer can issue a study permit only to a person a designated learning institution has accepted. Most applicants also need a provincial or territorial attestation letter.

    IRPR s.216(1)(e)

    Who needs an attestation letter

  • Your course lasts six months or less

    A course of six months or less needs no study permit if it ends within the stay authorized at entry. Study without a permit carries no right to work.

    IRPR s.188(1)(c)

    Studying as a visitor

  • You are already in Canada

    The Regulations require a study permit application before entry to Canada. Set groups may apply from inside, including study and work permit holders, their family members and children in primary or secondary school.

    IRPR s.213, s.215

    Study permits

  • Your child will attend school

    A minor child in Canada may attend preschool, primary or secondary school without a study permit, unless the parent is a temporary resident not authorized to work or study. A child coming from abroad to study applies for a permit before entry.

    IRPA s.30(2)

    Schools for newcomer children

  • You want to work while you study

    A full-time student at a designated learning institution may work off campus up to 24 hours a week in a regular session, and full time in scheduled breaks. The program must be post-secondary and run six months or more.

    IRPR s.186(v)

    Working while studying

  • You are about to graduate

    A graduate of an eligible program of at least eight months may apply for a post-graduation work permit within 180 days of finishing. IRCC also sets language and field-of-study rules by kind of program.

    IRPR s.205(c)(ii)

    The post-graduation work permit

What happens between choosing a school and arriving?

These steps are for a post-secondary student applying from outside Canada.

  1. Choose a designated school

    A province or territory designates the schools that may host international students. IRCC publishes the list of post-secondary ones.

    Choosing a school

  2. The school and the province issue their letters

    The school issues a letter of acceptance, and IRCC asks the school to confirm it. The province or territory issues the attestation letter.

    Build a document list

  3. The student shows the funds

    The Regulations require enough money, without working in Canada, for tuition, living costs and travel. IRCC sets the living-cost amount by family size.

    $23,448 for one person

    See the amount by family size

  4. The student applies online

    The student pays the study permit fee with the application. Biometrics cost $85 where IRCC requires them.

    Permit fee $150

    See every fee

  5. An officer decides

    An officer issues the permit if the application meets IRPR s.216. One test is that the student will leave Canada at the end of the authorized stay.

    about 6 weeks outside Canada

    Check current waits

  6. The permit is issued at the border

    IRCC sends an approved student a port of entry letter of introduction. The student shows it to a border services officer on arrival, where the permit is issued.

    The first 30 days in Canada

Which tool answers your next question?

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What can study in Canada lead to?

Post-graduation work permit
An open work permit for graduates of eligible programs, issued once. It can last as long as a program of under two years, and three years after a longer program or a master’s degree (IRPR s.205(c)(ii)).
Canadian Experience Class
The class needs at least one year of skilled work in Canada, in TEER 0, 1, 2 or 3, within the three years before applying. Work done during full-time study does not count (IRPR s.87.1).

Go to Working in CanadaGo to Immigrating permanently

Which guide covers your question?

How do I get the permit?, guides: 6

How much money must I show?, guides: 3

Can I work while I study?, guides: 2

What if the permit is refused?, guides: 2

What comes after graduation?, guides: 3

What do people ask about studying in Canada?

What are the requirements to study in Canada as an international student?

A program longer than six months needs a study permit. The application needs a letter of acceptance from a designated learning institution and, for most applicants, an attestation letter. A single student shows $23,448 for a year of living costs outside Quebec, plus tuition and travel. An officer decides.

The guide: How to get a study permit in Canada

How much does it cost to study in Canada?

IRCC charges $150 for a study permit, and biometrics cost $85 where required. The proof of funds is larger: $23,448 for one student’s first-year living costs outside Quebec. Tuition and travel come on top. Quebec sets its own amounts.

The guide: Student budget and cost of living

Do I need a study permit for courses under 6 months?

Generally no. Under IRPR s.188, a foreign national may study without a permit if the course lasts six months or less and ends within the authorized stay. Study without a permit carries no right to work.

The guide: Study in Canada guide

What is a DLI and does my school need to be one?

A designated learning institution (DLI) is a school that a province or territory has approved to host international students. An officer can issue a study permit only to a person a DLI has accepted (IRPR s.216). Every primary and secondary school in Canada is a DLI, and IRCC lists the post-secondary ones.

The guide: How to choose a DLI

Can I work while studying in Canada?

Yes, as a full-time student with a study permit at a DLI. Work on campus has no hour limit (IRPR s.186(f)). Work off campus is capped at 24 hours a week during a regular session and can be full time during scheduled breaks (IRPR s.186(v)).

The guide: Working while studying in Canada

What are the PGWP requirements?

A graduate must finish an eligible program of at least eight months and apply within 180 days of confirmation that it is complete. IRCC asks for CLB 7 after a university program and CLB 5 after a college program. Outside bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees, a graduate also needs an eligible field of study, unless the study permit application came before that rule began.

The guide: The post-graduation work permit

How long does a PGWP take to process?

IRCC’s estimate is 16 weeks, its one figure for every work permit applied for inside Canada. A graduate who applied before the study permit expired may work while waiting, on the conditions in IRPR s.186(w). The fee is $255.

The guide: Current IRCC processing times

How do I get PR after studying in Canada?

One route is to work on a post-graduation work permit, then apply through the Canadian Experience Class. The class needs one year of skilled work in Canada (IRPR s.87.1), and work during full-time study does not count. A province can also nominate a graduate.

The guide: From study permit to PR

Where is the full explanation?

This page is the short version. The textbook explains the subject in full.

The chapters on this subject

  • Study Permits and the Post-Graduation Work Permit
  • Express Entry: The System as Published
  • The Comprehensive Ranking System: Reading the Published Grid
  • Provincial Nominee Programs: The Two-Stage Process
Cover: Volume 2: Immigrating to Canada

The textbook on this subject

Volume 2: Immigrating to Canada $79

The economic and family pathways to permanent residence, explained from the published criteria.

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Where do these rules come from?

Is another situation closer to yours?