Studying in Canada
What is a study permit?
A study permit is a document issued by the Canadian government that allows you to be in Canada and to study. It may also allow you to work on and/or off-campus as long as you meet the requirements. See our Working in Canada information for details.
New Students Admitted to U of T for 2024:
Please see the “Specific Situations” subsection at the bottom of this page for information about recent changes to study permit application procedures in 2024, including about attestation letters for undergraduate-level students.
Do I need a study permit?
All international students studying in Canada for more than 6 months need a valid study permit. You must have a valid permit throughout your studies in Canada.
Specific Situations
As of January 22, 2024, every new undergraduate student’s study permit application requires a Provincial Attestation Letter (PAL). There is information about how to request a PAL inside your Join U of T Portal account.
A small number of undergraduate students might be exempt from the PAL requirement. This page of our website provides a tool in the “New in 2024” box that you can use to determine whether you are exempt (along with lots of useful information about applying for the study permit).
Students admitted into a graduate degree program do not currently require a Provincial Attestation Letter (PAL) with their study permit application, but IRCC has announced that study permit applications for graduate programs will require one in the future. Applications submitted before the requirement comes into effect should be processed without a PAL.
Open work permits remain available to the spouses/partners of international students in master’s, doctoral and professional degree-granting programs. The spouses of international students in other levels of study, including undergraduate programs, are no longer be eligible. IRCC has announced that spouses/partners of master’s students will only remain eligible for the open work permit if the program is at least 16 months in length but this rule has not yet come into effect.
As of February, 15 2024, graduates of master’s degree programs are eligible for a 3-year post-graduation work permit, regardless of the duration of their studies, provided they meet the other PGWP eligibility criteria.
You might not require a study permit. This is because a person who already has valid visitor status in Canada (for example, as a worker or as a tourist/visitor) is authorized to study in Canada up to a maximum of six months during their visit. They must be able to complete the six months of study before the expiry of their pre-existing visitor status.
Please note that visiting and exchange students who apply for a study permit from outside Canada ARE NOT exempt from the provincial attestation letter (PAL) requirement. This is even true for visiting/exchange students who plan to study at the graduate level, because they are enrolled as non-degree students at U of T.
Exchange students who wish to study at U of T for a single term (4 months) should apply for either a Temporary Resident Visa (TRV) or an Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA), depending on their country of citizenship. You should indicate on the application that your intention is to go to Canada to VISIT. You will be considered exempt from the PAL requirement.
Visiting students cannot get a PAL at this time and therefore a study permit application is usually not possible for them. However, in some cases, we advise other types of short-term students to consider applying for a study permit for the following reasons, even if they do not require one:
- If you apply for a study permit outside of Canada you will automatically get a Temporary Resident Visa (TRV, also known as an entry visa or visitor visa) or an electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) (whichever is required to travel to Canada, based on your citizenship) along with the study permit approval. Since most visitors to Canada need either an eTA or TRV for travel to Canada anyway, it is good to know that an eTA/TRV is automatically included as part of a study permit application (with no additional application or fees required).
- A study permit allows a full-time visiting or exchange student to work on and/or off campus.
- Extending your stay and studies in Canada, in case you decide to study for another term, is much easier if you already have a study permit. Visiting students cannot start a second term of study unless they have a valid study permit in-hand.
- A study permit helps you get a Social Insurance Number (SIN) which is required to start a job, and may be requested to open a bank account, get a phone plan or apply for a credit card.
Find more information and learn how to apply for a study permit.
If you choose not to apply for a study permit, you may still be required to get a Temporary Resident Visa (TRV) or an Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA), depending on your country of citizenship.
If you are coming to Canada to conduct research or complete an internship related to undergraduate studies, you may need to apply for an LMIA-exempt work permit. If your application is successful, you will automatically be issued a TRV “entry visa” or electronic Travel Authorization (eTA), depending on your nationality. Many visiting undergraduate student researchers have come to Canada through the International Experience Canada or Research Award Recipients pathways.
As each LMIA-exempt work permit pathway has specific eligibility criteria and documentation, every undergraduate international student who wants to visit Canada for research will be managed on a case-by-case basis.
For more information, please email placements@utoronto.ca.
Visit for Less than Six Months:
Canadian immigration officials may allow visiting students/researchers to study for up to 6 months or conduct research for up to 120 days with VISITOR status in Canada.
If you have been accepted to the University of Toronto through our School of Graduate Studies International Visiting Graduate Student (IVGS) program for a period of fewer than 6 months, and you will not receive payment from your U of T host supervisor/department, we recommend that you plan to come to Canada as a visitor.
Information about coming to Canada as a visitor is available in the Entering Canada section of this site. Most students will be able to use their IVGS admission letter to apply for either a TRV or an eTA – please see that page for additional details.
Visit for More than Six Months:
Students who are admitted for 6 months or more and/or will receive payment from their U of T host supervisor/department will require either a study permit or a work permit – the University will provide advice about which one best suits your situation. For a study permit, the application would require a Provincial Attestation Letter (PAL) which can be provided by the School of Graduate Studies.
IVGS students are considered to be “visiting students” in Canada because they are not enrolled in a Canadian full degree program. As a result, IVGS students should expect that they will NOT be authorized to WORK in Canada at OFF-CAMPUS locations.
Note: Sometimes immigration officers refuse the study permit application and, instead, direct visiting students/researchers to apply for a work permit. If IRCC directs you to apply for a work permit after we recommended a study permit, please contact our School of Graduate Studies at sgs.international@utoronto.ca. Different documents are needed to apply for a work permit.
Students 16 and under will require proof of a legal custodian/guardian. Students between 17 and 18 may be asked for proof.
A custodian must be a Canadian citizen or permanent resident. You might consider an extended family member, family friend, or business associate living in Ontario. If you do not have access to someone that can do so, there are a number of private agencies in Toronto that provide custodianship services for a fee. The University of Toronto cannot act as your custodian/guardian.
If you are turning 18 soon, the online application may not request proof of a custodian. If you are unsure whether to provide it, we recommend you contact the visa office serving your country of residence, to confirm.
Find more information and learn how to apply for a study permit.
It is now necessary to apply for a new study permit when changing designated learning institutions (DLIs). It is important to plan ahead as you may not be able to start at U of T until your new study permit is issued.
Please review this Immigration Canada webpage which provides details about what is required when you switch from one DLI to another.
If you are applying from within Canada for your new study permit, you can find helpful resources on the Extend your Study Permit page of our site.
If you have been studying under status as a visitor (ie. without a study permit), you will need to apply for a first study permit and have the study permit issued before you start your studies at U of T. Find more information and support on the apply for a study permit.
Your study permit application might require a Provincial Attestation Letter (PAL). Please refer to the PAL tool in the “New in 2024” box on this page of our website to determine whether you are exempt from the PAL requirement.
It is now necessary to apply for a new study permit when changing designated learning institutions (DLIs). It is important to plan ahead as you may not be able to start at U of T until your new study permit is issued.
Please review this Immigration Canada webpage which provides details about what is required when you switch from one DLI to another.
If you are applying from within Canada for your new study permit, you can find helpful resources on the Extend your Study Permit page of our site.
Your study permit application might require a Provincial Attestation Letter (PAL). Please refer to the PAL tool in the “New in 2024” box on this page of our website to determine whether you are exempt from the PAL requirement.
You can apply in person for a study permit at a “port of entry” to Canada (land border crossing or airport). However, we recommend instead that you apply online in your country of residence as soon as you have the necessary documents to do so.
Because of the requirement that all admission letters must first be verified by the University, we cannot guarantee that a study permit application can be fully processed at a Canadian port of entry.
Find more information about how to apply for a study permit.
A temporary public policy was announced in June 2023. It exempts eligible work permit holders from the requirement to have a study permit.
To be eligible, you must:
- have a work permit and the application associated with that permit was originally received by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) on or before June 7, 2023; or,
- have submitted an application to extend an existing work permit on or before June 7, 2023.
The exemption will apply until the work permit (or extension submitted on or before June 7, 2023) expires or June 27, 2026, whichever comes first.
Important: Though you may be exempt from the requirement for a study permit, you can still apply for one. There are multiple reasons why you might consider doing so, including:
- Studies completed without a study permit will not be considered towards eligibility for the Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP).
- Any work you do during your studies would be limited by the conditions on your existing work permit (eg. your work permit may only allow work with one employer or have conditions limiting areas of work if you did not complete an immigration medical exam).
- Some employers may want student interns to have a co-op work permit for government funding programs.
Please note that work permit holders applying for a study permit inside Canada ARE exempt from the provincial attestation letter (PAL) requirement.
Questions about the special “study with a work permit” policy can be directed to the International Student Immigration Advising team.