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Tips on communicating with IRCC
As of Jan 22, 2024, study permit applications outside Canada require a Provincial Attestation Letter (PAL) from the province of British Columbia. Some students are exempt from the PAL.
On Jan 17, 2025, IRCC indicated Master’s degree and doctoral degree students can apply for a study permit without a PAL until 11:59 pm EST on Jan 21, 2025. PALs will be required for all graduate students submitting a study permit application through the outside Canada process as of Jan 22, 2025.
Find out how to get a PAL, if you need one, and Letter of Admission for your study permit application.
Plan ahead if your documents expire soon and you have travel plans. You will need to get a PAL if you apply for a study permit from outside Canada.
As of Jan 1, 2024, the minimum cost-of-living financial requirement has increased from $10,000 to $20,635 for 2024. The cost-of-living amount will be adjusted each year based on Statistics Canada’s low-income cut-off.
As of Nov 8, 2024, you must be enrolled at the Designated Learning Institution (DLI) named on your study permit. If you change institutions, you must apply for a study permit extension for your new institution and most students need to receive the new study permit before beginning studies at your new institution. If you are coming to UBC from a Canadian high school or from another post-secondary institution, be sure to apply for a study permit extension with your UBC letter of acceptance as soon as you receive it. If you previously applied for your study permit with a UBC letter of acceptance then you change programs at UBC, you do not need to update your study permit. On Dec 11, 2024, IRCC announced a temporary policy allowing students to begin studies in Winter Term 2 (Jan-Apr, 2025) while your study permit extension is being processed if you meet the requirements.
Get timely updates on immigration, work eligibility, and health insurance for international students.
If you’re planning to study in Canada past your study permit’s expiry date, you must extend it before it expires.
As of January 1, 2024, the minimum cost-of-living financial requirement will increase from $10,000 to $20,635 for 2024, in addition to tuition fees for the first year and travel costs. The cost-of-living amount will be adjusted each year based on Statistics Canada’s low-income cut-off.
Get timely updates on immigration, work eligibility, and health insurance for international students.
It’s recommended that you apply 3 to 4 months before your current study permit expires.
To maintain status in Canada, you must submit your application before 11:59 pm Coordinated Universal Time (UTC), not local time, on the day your study permit expires, or change or extend your status within 90 days after your letter of completion becomes available if you’ve finished your program—whichever comes first.
Important: you can only extend your study permit if you are in Canada
Visit our tutorial for step-by-step instructions, a list of required documents, and other important info that will help you complete your application.
Tutorial: Extend your study permit from within Canada
All students extending their study permit will need all of the following documents.
When possible, documents should be issued within 30 days of submitting your application to be considered recent. If you must provide several documents in a section, combine them into one file (such as a PDF) before uploading. The size limit is 4MB per file; you may need to reduce the file size.
If your documents are not in English or French, they must be accompanied by both of the following:
Below are Certified Translators in British Columbia:
Visit our guidance to find the list of required documents for Study Permit Extension Application.
Tutorial: Gather required documents
If you and your family members’ immigration documents (e.g. study permit, or work permit, visitor record, etc.) expires after Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has received your application to extend your current documents, you will still be considered a temporary resident of Canada until a decision about your application is made. This is known as “maintained status” (formerly ‘implied status’).
It is very important that you submit your application online before 11:59pm Coordinated Universal Time (UTC), not midnight your local time, the day your status expires to have maintained status.
With maintained status, you may continue studying (and working, if eligible) under the same conditions as long as you remain in Canada. You must take action on your health insurance and request a temporary extension of your Medical Services Plan.
You cannot resume studies or work until you have received your new study permit.
See travelling outside Canada for more information and contact International Student Advising for support.
If your permit expires before Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) receives your extension application, you will be “out of status”.
You must stop studying and working immediately.
You must apply for restoration within 90 days of having lost your status.
See an International Student Advisor in Global Engagement Office (UNC 227).
Get a new study permit. You have two options, both of which are expensive and will disrupt your studies:
Option one:
See our FAQ on the differences between applying for a study permit from inside or outside of Canada.
Be sure to review our Travelling to Canada Guide before making travel plans.
Find everything you need to know about life as an international student at UBC’s Okanagan Campus
International Student Advisors are available to help.
The immigration information on this page has been reviewed and endorsed by Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultants (RCICs) or Regulated International Student Immigration Advisors (RISIAs) in compliance with the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act and Regulations. However, this is not a legal document and information may change without notice. Always refer to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) for the most up-to-date information.
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