New IRCC Update: Before you change your school or program, you must meet all the conditions of your study permit. This means you must be:
- enrolled at a DESIGNATED LEARNING INSTITUTION (DLI) and
- actively studying while you’re in Canada
You need to contact IRCC if you:
- are a post-secondary student changing schools
- have a co-op work permit and you have changed post-secondary schools to another co-op program or
- need to change conditions on your study permit
IRCC may ask you to confirm your student status
If you have a study permit, you may receive an e-mail form IRCC. The email address will end in “@cic.gc.ca.” You must follow the instructions in that email, by the date indicated, to confirm you’re enrolled and actively studying in Canada.
WHAT IS DESIGNATED LEARNING INSTITUTION (DLI)?
To apply for a study permit in Canada, you need an acceptance letter from a designated learning institution (DLI). A DLI is a school approved by the government to host international students.
All primary and secondary schools in Canada are automatically DLIs and aren’t listed separately.
If you’re going to a post-secondary school, check that it’s on the DLI list.
If your school loses its DLI status while you’re studying, you can continue your studies until your current study permit expires.
AVOID EMAIL SCAMS: (IF YOU CHANGED YOUR SCHOOLS OR PROGRAMS)
To avoid email scams, remember that IRCC NEVER:
- Emails applicants to confirm basic personal information provided on application forms.
- Asks for banking or credit card information to collect payments by email.
- Sends visas, permits, certificates, or immigration documents by email.
- Offers special, time-limited promotions or cash deals to get visas, permits, or citizenship status.
Signs of a scam or phishing email:
- You didn’t expect the email.
- It’s from a private or free web mail address (e.g., Yahoo, Hotmail, Gmail) instead of a government “gc.ca” email account.
- It uses a generic greeting like “Dear customer/client” instead of your name.
- The sender asks you to “update”, “validate” or “confirm” your personal information.
- You are warned that quick action is required to avoid negative consequences.
- The email promises special immigration or citizenship offers that seem too good to be true.
- Links in the email redirect you to a non-IRCC or non-Government of Canada website.
- It contains an unexpected attachment.
- The message is an image instead of text.
Common IRCC email practices:
- The email address ends with @cic.gc.ca, @canada.ca, or @international.gc.ca.
- Emails are usually from a do-not-reply account.
- Reply instructions are included in the email, such as submitting documents via specified instructions, not by replying directly.
- IRCC encourages using the IRCC Web form for tracking application correspondence.
- For online applications, IRCC sends emails through applicants’ accounts.
- After contacting the IRCC Call Centre, an agent might send you an email with more information. This will be from “Citizenship_And_Immigration_Canada” and will have the subject “Request for information,” signed by the agent you spoke with. You cannot reply to this email.
If you receive a suspicious email, do not reply. Report it to:
- Your local police
- The Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre
If you transfer schools without informing IRCC, your previous school will report that you are no longer registered as a student. This action has consequences:
- It violates the conditions of your study permit.
- You may be required to leave the country.
- It could affect your ability to return to Canada in the future, potentially impacting future study or work permit applications.
Changing Your Designated Learning Institution (DLI) from Outside Canada
If you’re outside Canada and your study permit application is still being processed:
- You can inform IRCC about changing your designated learning institution (DLI) by submitting a new acceptance letter through the IRCC web form.
If your study permit application has already been approved:
- Changing your DLI requires submitting a new study permit application with a new acceptance letter and paying all associated fees.
You don’t need a representative to make these changes in your online account, even if one helped you with your initial study permit application. You just need your study permit application details.
Moving to a different education level:
- If your current study permit is still valid, you don’t need to change or apply for a new permit when moving between school levels, such as from primary to high school or from high school to post-secondary.
If your study permit is expiring soon:
- You must apply to extend it before it expires.
- If your permit has already expired, you must apply to restore your status as a student within 90 days of losing it. You cannot continue or restart your studies until your student status is restored and your study permit is extended.
Changing Post-Secondary Schools: What You Need to Know
If you’re switching post-secondary schools, ensure your new school is a Designated Learning Institution (DLI) by checking the DLI list beforehand.
Inform IRCC each time you change post-secondary schools, which is a free service.
You do not need to apply for a new study permit when changing schools.
Post-secondary studies encompass:
- University
- Community college, CEGEP, institute
- Private university, career college, academy, school, or training institution
- ESL/FSL and other language training
When to extend your study permit: Important Information related to extending your Study Permit
To continue studying, apply to extend your permit at least 30 days before it expires.
Ensure your passport doesn’t expire at the same time, as your study permit cannot be extended beyond your passport’s expiry date.
If you apply before your permit expires, you can continue studying under the same conditions until a decision is made, as long as you remain in Canada.
If you complete your studies earlier than expected, your study permit will expire on the earlier of:
Point to be noted:
- The date marked on the permit, or
- 90 days after receiving notification from your school of program completion, such as through an email, letter, transcript, etc., or when you receive your degree, diploma, or certificate.
If the exact notification date isn’t clear, we’ll use the earliest issue date on your document, potentially verifying it with your school.
If you finish your studies later than planned, apply to extend your study permit at least 30 days before the original expiry date.