Studying in Canada: Study permits—After applying
The status of your application
Processing times vary depending on the Canadian visa office where you submitted
your application. You can check processing times in the I Need To… section
on the right-hand side of this page.
The visa office will review your application to make sure you have completed
it correctly and have included all the required documents. If
your application is incomplete, it will not be processed—it will be
returned to you.
If your application is complete, the visa office will review it and decide
if an interview is necessary. If so, the officer will inform you of the
time and place.
Change of address
If you move or change your address, telephone number or any other contact
information after you submit your application, you must notify the visa
office where you submitted your application.
If your application is approved
If your application is approved, you will receive the following:
- A letter of introduction will be sent to you confirming the approval. This letter is
not your study permit. Bring the letter of introduction with you to
show to immigration officials at the point of entry when you arrive
in Canada.
- A temporary resident visa (TRV) will be issued if you are from a designated country
for which Canada requires a visa. (You can find a list of designated countries
in the Related Links section at the bottom of this page.) The
TRV will be in your passport. The expiry date on this visa indicates the
date by which you must enter Canada. You must enter Canada before your
TRV expires. The TRV will also indicate if you can enter Canada only once
(a single-entry visa) or if you can enter Canada multiple times (a multiple-entry
visa).
If your application is not approved
If your application is not approved, the visa office will send you a letter
explaining why your application has been refused. An application might be refused for several reasons:
- You have not shown proof that you have enough money to support yourself
while studying in Canada.
- You have not passed the medical examination if one was required.
- You have not satisfied the visa officer that your primary intention
in Canada is to study.
- You have not satisfied the visa officer that you will leave Canada at
the end of your period of study.
If you have questions about your refusal, contact the visa office that
issued the refusal letter.
