Study Permits

Anyone who has been accepted to study at the University of Calgary in a designated program of study*, that will take longer than 6 months to complete.

• Scenarios Requiring a Study Permit:
  • You have been admitted to UCalgary for an Undergraduate program or a Graduate program and will receive an UCalgary Degree upon the programs completion.
  • You have been admitted to UCalgary as an Exchange student and will be studying for 2 terms (8 months)
  • You have been admitted to UCalgary as a Visiting Student and will be studying for longer than 6 months.
  • You have been admitted to UCalgary in an English Language Program and intend to study for longer than 6 months.
  • You have been admitted into the Visiting Student Researcher Program, regardless of length of study.
  • You are in Canada as a visitor, and will not complete your program before your visitor status expires (6 months from entry).

There are certain advantages to applying for a Study Permit even if you will be entering UCalgary for a program that will take less than 6 months to complete.

• Benefits:
  • If you are a full-time student, you may be eligible to work on-campus
  • If you want to extend your stay in Canada to remain studying, you can apply for an extension of your Study Permit from within Canada

*non-designated programs are: Continuing Education (except for ESL) and Open Studies.

• Canadian Consulates Overseas:
  • Most consulates around the world allow you to apply online for your Study Permit. You will need to create an account on the Government of Canada's Immigration website to do so. If you are not able to do an online application, you may also apply by paper.
  • Find out how to apply on the IRCC Website.

• Required documents may differ depending on what country you are applying from. However, we have listed here for you the basic documents that will be required for all initial Study Permit applications. We highly encourage you to check your specific Visa Office Instructions prior to applying. These can be found online when you indicate what country you are applying from: http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/information/applications/student.asp
• UCalgary’s Designated Learning Institution (DLI) Number: O18886830282. You will need to enter this number on your study permit application form.
• Basic documents needed:
  • Letter of Acceptance from the University of Calgary – this must state your anticipated start date. If you decide to start at a later date, you will need to obtain a new letter of admission. Please talk to your department and/or Enrolment Services.
  • Proof of Financial Support
    • You must be able to provide proof that you can cover the cost of your tuition plus have an additional $10,000 CAD (or $833/month) available to you for a 12 month period. This amount will increase if you are bringing family members with you.
  • Passport
  • Photograph of yourself – must meet the photograph specifications.

• Biometrics include your fingerprints and a photograph, and are used by IRCC to confirm your identity (Click here to determine if you need to provide them).
• If you are already inside of Canada and are able to apply for a new immigration document from within Canada (example: extending a study permit), you will now need to provide biometrics if you have not given your biometrics in the last 10 years.
• If you are required to provide biometrics, you must do so within 30 days of submitting your immigration application. IRCC may provide you with a Biometric Instruction Letter that will have barcodes on it, you would need to bring this letter with you when you go to provide your biometrics at a local visa application centre (VAC), application support centre (ASC) or designated Service Canada location. (Where to give your Biometrics)
• There is an additional $85 CAD per person fee for biometrics. If you are applying with your family, there is a maximum fee of $170 CAD.

• You can apply to extend your study permit either online or by paper within Canada starting 120 days prior to it expiring.
  • Example: If your study permit expires August 30th, you may apply to extend it starting on May 30th
• You must apply online through your account on the Government of Canada's Immigration website. If you do not have an online account, this is a free service that allows you to submit immigration applications online. If you already have an account and do not remember your log-in information, you will be able to link a new account and link this account to your old account.
  • Steps to Apply Online

1. Log onto your account
2. Click on "Apply to come to Canada"
3. Go to "I do not have a Personal Reference Code" and click on "apply online for a visitor visa, study and/or work permit"
4. Answer the questionnaire (stating you are currently inside of Canada as a student). You should be given the option to extend your Study Permit. Continue with the questionnaire.
5. Once you have submitted all requested documents online and your application has been received and processed, IRCC will email you (make sure you put the correct email address on your application form!) with a Study Permit approval letter, followed shortly by your Study Permit in the mail. Please put this in a safe place or staple it into your passport. Take a photocopy for your records should you ever misplace it.

• THESE MAY CHANGE. PLEASE ALWAYS FOLLOW INSTRUCTIONS GIVEN DIRECTLY FROM IRCC. Additional documents may be requested based on your individual circumstances.
• UCalgary’s Designated Learning Institution (DLI) Number: O18886830282. You will need to enter this number on your study permit application form.
• Basic documents needed:
  • Application to Change Conditions, Extend My Stay or Remain in Canada as a Student [IMM 5709] – please make sure you are completing the correct application form! Fill out the application form [IMM 5709] and click the blue "validate" button to check for errors, then upload it. This must be validated before you upload it. Do not print and sign this form, you will not be able to upload a scanned IMM 5709 application form.
  • Enrolment Verification Letter from UCalgary showing you are currently enrolled full-time and that you are enrolled in the next upcoming term (if you are continuing your studies). DO NOT provide your original admission offer!
    • Please follow these directions to download and print your confirmation of registration letter, choose “Permit letter.”
  • Proof of Financial Support
    • You must be able to provide proof that you can cover the cost of your tuition plus have an additional $833/month available to you for every month you would like to extend your study for.
  • Passport
  • Photograph of yourself  – must meet the photograph specifications
• Client Information – this is a space to upload optional documents that may strengthen your application. Some students will provide a Letter of Explanation (Word document) to explain some sort of exceptional circumstance.

• If you have already applied for a new Study Permit before your current study permit has expired, you have what is called maintained status. You may continue studying until a decision on your Study Permit has been made.
• If you HAVE NOT applied for a new Study Permit, you must apply to RESTORE your status within 90 days of the expiry date on your Study Permit.
• There is an additional fee of $200 for restoring your status and YOU MUST STOP STUDYING IMMEDIATELY.
• Contact an International Student Advisor for more clarification

If your study permit is lost or stolen, you must complete the steps outlined on the IRCC website located here. These steps include:

• Completing an Application for Verification of Status (VOS) or Replacement of an Immigration Document form (IMM 5009).
• It is highly recommended that you also file a police report. You can submit an online police report for lost property to Calgary Police Service here. If you file a police report, make sure to include the report number on your IMM 5009 form.
• Further instructions on how to submit your completed form as well as pay the required fee can be found on the IRCC website here. Please note that this application must be sent by mail; you are not able to submit this form online.