When do you need to apply for a Study Permit to get it in time?
With current students only returning to school after the summer break in the next few weeks, it might seem too early to be thinking about your study plans for next year. However, 2023 is fast approaching and with it is the winter academic term here in Canada, which commences in January. If you want to ensure you have your study permit in time for the January 2023 intake, it is important that you start your study permit application now, or you risk not having it approved in time.
When should you apply for my study permit?
We recommend applying for your study permit at least 5 months before your anticipated start date. Ideally, you should apply for your study permit as soon as you receive your letter of acceptance from your Designated Learning Institute (DLI).
If you have been accepted to a DLI for the January 2023 intake, you will need to submit your application now. If you submit it later than September 2022, you should have a backup plan in place should your study permit not be approved in time for January.
Why should you apply for your study permit so early?
Study permit processing times for applications made outside Canada are currently 12 weeks, whereas applications submitted from inside Canada are currently 4 weeks. Even though applications made inside Canada do not have long processing times, it is still important to plan ahead in case of any delays or issues that could arise with your application.
The processing times provided by Immigration Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) are measured based on how long it has taken IRCC to process 80% of recent applications. You can monitor the processing times by checking them periodically here. The processing time starts on the date IRCC receives your application and finishes on the date a decision is reached. This does not include the time it takes following a decision is made, when you receive your passport request, so the entire process is usually even longer.
The passport request requires applicants from visa-required countries to submit their original passport and applicants from visa-exempt countries to submit a photocopy of their passport to their closest Visa Application Centre (VAC). The normal timeframe to expect your passport to be processed by the relevant VAC is about 2 weeks. However, depending on how busy the VAC is it could be much quicker or much longer. We have heard of applicants waiting for up to 2 months before their passport is returned to them! Therefore, it is important to factor this process into your timeframe for obtaining your study permit.
Additionally, as submitting a strong application with a detailed study plan is essential to being approved for a study permit to Canada, it is also important to factor in time to prepare this. Preparing your application and gathering all the required documents can take several weeks. When adding up the time to prepare your application, having IRCC process it, and waiting on your passport to be returned to you, the 12 weeks for applications outside of Canada can easily turn into 4 to 6 months.
Finally, you should always also factor in the time you need to prepare for your move and travel to Canada! This is a big transition and is not something that can be done overnight. You want to ensure you have time to book suitable flights, pack, say goodbye to family and friends, find accommodation in Canada, and settle in before your course starts.
What to do if your study permit isn’t approved in time?
If your study permit isn’t approved in time for your intake, you will need to defer your course to a later intake. DLIs usually have multiple intakes in the year, although this really will depend on your school and the course you will be taking. The different intakes to plan for are winter (January), Spring/Summer (May), and Fall (September). Your DLI will be able to provide you with the relevant deferral deadline for your course and the alternative intakes. If you are worried your study permit might not be approved in time, you should speak to your DLI early on about these options to understand the relevant deadlines and plan accordingly.
If you defer your application, you must obtain a new letter of acceptance from your DLI and provide a copy to IRCC, letting them know about your new course start date as soon as possible. You can do this by submitting a Webform request to IRCC.
Alternatively, if you decide you no longer want to pursue your studies, you can instead choose to withdraw from your course, however, you should also speak to your DLI early on about this option, so you understand the process and deadlines for you to be entitled to a refund of any applicable tuition fees you have paid upfront. If you choose to withdraw from your course, you should also withdraw your study permit application, which you can also do by submitting a Webform request to IRCC.
How to get started?
If you have been admitted to the January intake, you should start your study permit application now. You can find out more about the study permit application process on the IRCC website. It is important to note that IRCC does not provide much information on the requirement to provide a study plan or how to write it. It is therefore important for you to spend additional time researching and writing this, as a weak study permit can often lead to a refusal.
Getting your study permit application right the first time is essential, as IRCC does not hesitate to refuse applications (click here to see the study permit approval rate for your country). Although once a refusal is received, you can apply again, the refusal becomes part of your immigration record permanently and from what we have been seeing, the rate of subsequent study permit applications being refused is much higher than initial applications. If you are looking to get your application right the first time, or are trying to overcome a prior refusal, we highly recommend booking a consultation to discuss your situation further and ensure you set yourself up with the strongest possible application.
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About the author:
Mark Holthe
Canadian Immigration Lawyer, CEO
