Under certain circumstances, you can apply to extend your Study Permit to be allowed to keep studying in Canada. This article will go through all the eligibility requirements, but also through the application procedure.
Study Permit Extension – When to Apply
If you have finished your study program, and have been accepted to another program, you can extend your current Study Permit. It is recommended, for ease of mind, to apply for the extension 3 to 4 months before the expiration of your current Study Permit.
However, as long as your Study Permit is not expired, you can still apply for the extension. If you apply for an extension before the expiration of the permit and the permit subsequently expires, you will be on “maintained status” or “implied status” until Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) makes a decision on the extension request. This maintained or implied status will allow you to continue studying with the expired Study Permit (or working if your Study Permit allowed you to work), as long as you do not leave Canada.
Study Permit Extension – Leaving Canada after submission of an application
If you leave Canada while on maintained or implied status, you will lose your authorization to continue studying with the expired Study Permit (or working if your Study Permit allowed you to work). It is advisable to stay in Canada until the extension application has been processed and a decision has been made by IRCC.
If you decide to leave Canada during the maintained or implied status period, you will still be able to re-enter Canada as long as you have valid appropriate travel authorization (eTA for visa-exempt countries or TRV for visa-required countries) and that you satisfy the border services officer that you have the sufficient means of support and that you will not study or work without authorization since you lost your authorization to study under the maintained or implied status.
If (i) you visit the U.S. or St. Pierre and Miquelon during the maintained or implied status period, by bus, car, train or boat, and (ii) are from a TRV-required country, you will not need a valid TRV to re-enter Canada. Make sure to travel with copies of your permit extension application documents (proof of payment, confirmation of receipt of your application by IRCC, etc.).
Study Permit Extension – Applying after expiration of current Study Permit
If your Study Permit has expired, you cannot study or work anymore under any circumstances. You will still have 90 days after expiration to apply for a “restoration of status”. It is the same process as for an extension, but there additional fees of $200. This fee is applicable for each member of your family that lost his/her status.
You will need to explain why you had to stay after expiration and why you did not apply before expiration of you current Study Permit. It is of course implied for this restoration of status application that you have been accepted in a Designated Learning Institution.
If you stay in Canada beyond the 90-day period following the expiration of your Study Permit, you will most probably barred from re-entering Canada for a while. You should therefore return to your home country before the 90-day period ends, and re-apply again if you have an acceptance letter to pursue your studies in Canada.
Study Permit Extension – How to Apply
In most cases, if you want to Extend your Study Permit, you need to apply online.
You must have a debit/credit card to pay the fees and a camera/scanner to make electronic copies of your documents.
The two exceptions to applying online are the following:
- You have a disability that makes it difficult to apply online.
- There is a barrier that prevents you from applying online or makes applying online unreliable.
In those exceptional cases, you can apply on paper.
Study Permit Extension – Application Fees
When applying for an extension of your Study Permit, you must pay a $150 fee.
Study Permit Extension – Processing Times
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has a target service standard of processing 80% of study permit applications submitted inside Canada (initial and extension) within 120 days.
According to the annual data published on December 31, 2024 – From April 2023 to March 2024, IRCC processed 83% of study permit applications submitted inside Canada within the 120-day standard.
The current average processing times for a study permit extension can be found here. Select “Temporary residence (visiting, studying, working)”, then “Study permit extension”.
