Extend your study permit

For all study permit holders from visa-exempt countries:

A study permit is not a visa. It does not give you the right to board your flight to Canada. Along with your permit, you will need an Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) to fly to Canada.

If you are from a visa-exempt country and received your study permit before August 1, 2015, you will need to apply for eTA if you leave Canada and return by air.

If you received your initial permit on or after August 1, 2015, you were automatically issued an eTA along with your permit.

If you renew a study permit, an eTA is not automatically renewed or issued to you. You need to apply for one separately. See Extend your study permit.

If you want to extend your stay in Canada as a student, you must apply before the expiry date on your study permit. Complete the Application to Change Conditions or Extend Your Stay in Canada. You should apply for renewal at least 30 days before your current permit expires.

If you are from a visa-exempt country and you received your initial study permit:

before August 1, 2015 you will need to apply for an eTA.
on or after August 1, 2015, you already have an eTA. It was automatically issued to you when your initial study permit was issued, and is valid for 5 years or until your passport expires. If your eTA is still valid, you do not need to apply for another eTA. If it is not, you will need to apply separately for an eTA. Use the eTA Check Status Tool to find out if your eTA is still valid.

If you renewed your study permit after August 1, 2015, you will need to apply for an eTA, if you do not already have one.

If you are from a visa-required country, make sure that your visa is valid to cover the period of your extension. If not, you will need to apply for a new visa.

Children who are less than 17 years of age and studying in Canada without a parent or legal guardian must complete and include the Custodianship declaration (IMM 5646) with their study permit application. See the Instructions Guide (IMM 5552) for more information.

Find out how you will extend your study permit

There are two ways you can apply:

Apply online

To apply online you must have access to a scanner or camera to create electronic copies of your documents for uploading and have a valid credit card for payment. Apply online.

If you provide an email address on your application, please ensure you check it regularly for automated emails from IRCC regarding your case. Some spam filters block these emails, and clients are requested to ensure emails from IRCC are not blocked. If you are unsure whether emails from IRCC are being sent, please check your account on a regular basis.

Apply on paper

The package includes the application guide and all the forms you need to fill out. Download the application package.

If you apply for a renewal of your study permit, and the permit expires before you receive an answer, you can continue to study in Canada under the same conditions until you receive a decision.

You should apply to renew your study permit if you intend to travel outside Canada and your permit will expire while you are travelling.

You cannot extend your study permit beyond the expiry date on your passport.

If your study permit has expired, and you have not applied for an extension, you must leave Canada.

Restoring your status

In some cases, you may apply to restore your status as a student within 90 days of losing it. You may only apply if you have continued to meet the requirements under which you were allowed to enter and stay in Canada and you have met all the conditions imposed on your permit.

After you apply to restore your status, you may stay in Canada until a decision is made on your application but you are not allowed to study until your status has been restored.

There is no guarantee that your application to restore your status will be accepted. On your application, you must provide full details of all the facts and circumstances that caused you to lose your status.

In addition to a fee for renewing your study permit, there is also a fee for restoring your status. The fee is required for each family member who has lost status. To find out about application fees, go to Pay my application fees.

An officer will evaluate your request for restoration of status and will process an application for a study permit. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada will advise you of any further action to be taken.