Study permits in Canada: school, funds, status, and work

Verify the DLI and program, secure the right PAL/TAL or exemption evidence, prove full study funding, protect status, and check PGWP fit before paying tuition.

Updated August 12, 2026

Build your application plan

Off-campus work: Up to 24 h/week
Funds: Tuition + living + travel
PAL/TAL: 2026 cycle
School: DLI

Cost-and-status planner before tuition is paid

A study permit authorizes study under listed conditions; it is not a visa, guaranteed entry, work permit, or promise of post-graduation work. The application must connect a genuine study plan to a designated learning institution, provincial or territorial attestation where required, tuition and living funds without relying on Canadian work, admissibility, and a temporary-residence plan.

Study permit cost and status planner
Decision	Verify	Money or status consequence
School and campus	Exact institution appears on the DLI list	A DLI can admit international students, but not every DLI program supports a PGWP
Program outcome	Credential, licensing recognition, employment evidence, PGWP eligibility	Paying tuition does not guarantee work authorization or permanent residence
PAL/TAL	Valid 2026 PAL/TAL or documentary proof of an exception	An expired or prior-cap-year attestation can make the application incomplete
Proof of financial support	First-year tuition, living amount for family size, transportation, and full-program plan	IRCC requires proof without relying on work in Canada
Work during study	Permit wording and every on-campus or off-campus eligibility rule	Eligible students can work up to 24 hours weekly off campus during regular academic sessions
Post-graduation	Exact DLI program, length, study history, language, field, location, and application timing	PGWP rules must be checked before the study-permit application and again before graduation

Build the budget without Canadian wages

Add tuition, mandatory fees, books, health insurance, housing deposit, twelve months of rent, food, transit, phone, winter clothing, travel, currency movement, and an emergency reserve. The work allowance is useful experience and income after eligible study begins, not the proof that makes an underfunded application viable.

Application path from eligibility to status

Follow the legal stages in order. A profile, nomination, invitation, approval letter, visa, permit, and permanent resident status are different milestones.

01
Program
Verify the school, campus, and credential
Use the official DLI list. Confirm tuition, refunds, delivery, admission, licensing value, and whether the exact program is PGWP-eligible before paying a non-refundable deposit.
02
Attestation
Obtain a PAL/TAL or prove an exception
The 2026 document must be valid when the study-permit application is submitted. Quebec applicants generally use the provincial CAQ process and applicable attestation rules.
03
Budget
Prove tuition, living, and transportation funds
Show enough accessible money for the first year without working in Canada and explain credible funding for the rest of a longer program.
04
Application
Connect the study plan to your background
Explain program choice, academic and career logic, funding, family, immigration history, and compliance. Upload the acceptance letter and every local visa-office requirement.
05
Arrival
Bring the approval and supporting evidence
A port-of-entry letter is not a permit. The border officer makes the final entry decision and issues the study permit if satisfied.
06
Study
Remain enrolled and actively pursue the program
Follow the DLI, work, leave, medical, and expiry conditions. Post-secondary school changes can require a new permit under current IRCC instructions.
07
Finish
Check PGWP rules before the last term
PGWP eligibility can depend on DLI, program, application timing, language, field of study, full-time history, completion evidence, and physical location.

Maintain student status and work lawfully

During regular academic sessions

Eligible students may work off campus up to 24 hours per week. Count all off-campus jobs together, including self-employment hours. The permit must contain the work condition, the program must have started, and every IRCC eligibility rule must continue to be met.

During scheduled breaks and completion

Full-time work during a scheduled break depends on eligible full-time study before and after the break. After the school confirms completion, the student work rule changes. Check whether a timely PGWP application authorizes work and preserve completion evidence.

As of April 1, 2026, IRCC says eligible post-secondary student work placements no longer require a separate co-op work permit. Use the current student-placement page for the exact eligibility and do not assume every internship is covered.

Documents to build before the deadline

Core evidence file

Letter of acceptance from the exact DLI and campus
Valid PAL/TAL or evidence of the applicable exception
Tuition payment, bank statements, GIC, loan, scholarship, sponsor, and income evidence
Study plan or letter of explanation
Passport, photos, forms, and family records
Academic transcripts, diplomas, language or admission evidence
Police certificate and immigration medical examination when required
Certified translations and country-specific visa-office documents

Use the current official checklist for the exact program, country, family composition, and submission method. Scan full documents in colour, include both sides, preserve original-language records, add certified translations where required, and name files so the officer can understand them without guessing. Never alter a record to make it fit a claim.