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U of T Resource Finder

Extend your Study Permit

If you have a study permit already, and are applying within Canada for a new one, your application is considered to be an extension. If you will not be applying while you are in Canada, it will not be considered an extension. In that case, please review our information about applying for a study permit outside Canada.

Changes in 2024 and 2025

Provincial Attestation Letter (PAL) Tool

PALs are now required for many in-Canada study permit applications. Please review the PAL tool below to confirm whether your application will require you to have one.

The official exemption list is available from IRCC. In case of a conflict between the two, the list should be given priority.

Changing Schools requires a new Study Permit

As of November 8, 2024, changing Designated Learning Institutions (DLI) requires a new study permit. The process for applying from within Canada is still described on this page (it is still considered an extension by IRCC). It is extremely important to plan ahead as you will require your new study permit to start at your new institution and processing times are quite long.

See the While at U of T page for more details.

Important note for students coming from Canadian high schools in September 2025

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has announced that students with a study permit for secondary school studies in Canada who applied within Canada for their U of T study permit before their secondary-level study permit expired can begin studies while they wait for a decision. If the U of T study permit application is refused, you must stop studying immediately.

It is a good idea to apply far enough in advance that your application will be processed before your current permit expires. Usually, applying 2-3 months in advance is enough, but current processing times mean applying 5-8 months in advance might be a good idea. If processing times are longer or you will need to travel in the near future, you can apply earlier with a letter of explanation and supporting documentation.

Check the estimated in-Canada study permit extension processing times. 

If your application is submitted, but not processed, before your current permit expires, you can remain in Canada under maintained status. 

If your status expired before you could submit a study permit extension application, you have the option of requesting restoration of your status if you are applying within Canada and within 90 days of losing your status.

Important: Your answers on the online eligibility questionnaire determine which documents you must submit. These are standard requirements, but be prepared to provide other documents if requested by IRCC.

  • Application Form to Change Conditions, Extend my Stay or Remain in Canada as a Student (IMM5709)
    • The title is at the top of the application, and the code is at the bottom-left corner of each page.
    • You must use the most recent version of the form (available at the link above). Out-of-date versions may cause an error when uploading to the application system.
  • Confirmation of enrollment (for current students)
    • Letter available on ACORN or from your Registrar’s Office.
      • Should include your:
        • Name,  
        • student number,  
        • enrollment status, and;  
        • expected graduation date.  
    • If this letter does not include U of T’s DLI number, it is O19332746152. Copy this number into your application (unless a different DLI number was indicated on your letter of acceptance).
    • Students returning from a leave of absence should have confirmation of eligibility to re-enrol. 
  • Letter of acceptance (for new students)
    • Should include your:
      • Name,  
      • student number,
      • expected start and end dates of program, and;
      • Designated Learning Institution (DLI) number (copy this number into the DLI field on your application form).
    • U of T’s DLI number is O19332746152. Copy this number into your application (unless a different DLI number was indicated on your letter of acceptance).
  • Provincial Attestation Letter (PAL) (see the PAL tool near the top of this page to check if you need one)
    • Study permit extension applications made within Canada require a PAL except when the student will remain at their same school and at the same level of study. (see the full list of exemptions here)
      • If you are applying for a study permit so that you can continue studying at U of T and at the same level of study, you must include proof that you qualify for the PAL exemption: attach a letter, written by you, in which you explain that the extension is to cover an academic program at the same level of study and at the same institution where you’ve been studying with your existing study permit. You can also add a copy of your study permit and a current confirmation of enrolment.
      • IFP students who are transitioning into their U of T degree program are continuing at the same level of study and are therefore exempt from the PAL requirement.
      • If you are applying to restore your legal status (within Canada and within 90 days of losing your status), a PAL is required.
    • For all newly-admitted students and students changing institutions or level of study.
      • Undergraduate students: find information about how to get the attestation letter through the University Registrar’s Office.
      • Master’s and PhD degree students: Please accept your offer of and monitor the email address you used when you applied to U of T for information about how to request a PAL.
    • Students who are applying outside Canada for a new study permit so that they can return to their studies in Canada need a PAL.
      • All continuing students (ie. current undergraduate and graduate) that require a PAL can email the Immigration Advising team at isa.cie@utoronto.ca to begin the request process.
    • If you qualify for an exemption, you must include proof of why you are exempt in your application (even if proof is not specifically requested).
  • Proof of financial support
    • IRCC expects you to prove access to funds to cover a minimum of one year’s tuition plus at least $20,635 CAD ($22,895 for applications submitted on or after September 1, 2025) for living expenses. Additional funds are required if you are bringing a spouse/partner and/or children. Learn more on our Bring Your Dependants page. 
    • Details about more realistic living costs can be found on the U of T Financial Planning Calculator.  
    • Immigration officers expect you to be able to show access to enough to pay for one year of studies, and to be convinced you will still have access to funds for any further studies. How you prove access to funds depends on where they come from:
      • If funds are in your account, bank statement(s) with your name. Four to six months of bank statements are recommended.  
      • If funds are coming from the University or other institutional source, a letter detailing funding.  
      • If funds are coming from family or other individuals, a letter confirming their willingness to support you and documentation showing they have enough money to do so. This should include bank statements and income statements (or a letter of employment stating position and salary).  
      • If you have already paid tuition, you can provide proof of payment from by accessing your invoice on ACORN.
  • Copies from your passport or travel document
    • Including the biographical data page and all pages with visas, stamps or markings (your passport should be valid for at least 6 months beyond the expected date of your arrival to Canada).  
    • If you’ve got a brand-new passport, you can provide copies from both your new and old passports, but put the new passport first, and mark it as ‘New Passport’ if possible. 
  • Passport-style photograph
    • Taken within the last six months following IRCC recommendations, noting that the frame size specifications do not apply for digital photos. 
  • $150 CAD processing fee 
    • Applications for restoration of status (submitted within Canada during the 90 days after the existing study permit expired) have an additional $239.75 CAD restoration fee.

You may need other documents, including (but not limited to): 

  • Biometrics (digital fingerprints and photographs)
  • Immigration medical exam results
    • Only required if you’ve been in a designated country for at least 6 out of the past 12 months or you intend to work in a field where protection of public health is required.
    • Some in-Canada applicants may be able to avoid completing an immigration medical exam (if otherwise required), due to a temporary public policy.
    • IRCC provides detailed information.
  • Co-op letter (if a work placement is a requirement of your program of study);
    • Can be its own letter or included in letter of acceptance for new students. 
    • Co-op letters are issued by representatives of the program that requires you to complete a work placement.
  • Letter of explanation providing more details about your situation
    • For example, if there was a gap in your previous studies (not including scheduled breaks), or you are restoring your status, you should provide an explanation about the reasons for the gap, whether you remained in Canada during the gap, and what you were doing if you did remain here during the gap. Failing to explain about gaps can lead to refusal of the study permit extension.
    • This, and other additional documents can be uploaded in the “Client Information” field of the Optional Documents section.
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Watch our guide on Study Permit Extension Part I: Introduction & Required Documents (Requires logging-in with UTORid)

IRCC Secure Account.

Important: You cannot use the IRCC Portal for study permit applications. Students must use the IRCC Secure Account for all in-Canada study permit extensions.

Tips

    • Start by reviewing IRCC’s instruction guide for this application and for the form itself.
    • U of T’s DLI number is: O19332746152
    • A successful in-Canada permit application will not result in a Temporary Resident Visa (TRV) (required by citizens of some countries to be able to enter Canada) being issued. That means you’ll need to make a separate application if you want to request one. This should only be done after the study permit is approved. Find more information about Entry Visas/TRVs & eTAs.
    • Biometrics (digital fingerprints and photos) are required for most applicants at least once every 10 years. The expiry date of your biometrics could limit the length of your study permit extension.
    • Some in-Canada applicants may be able to avoid completing an immigration medical exam (if otherwise required), due to a temporary public policy. IRCC provides detailed information.

Provincial Attestation Letters (PALs)

  • Please review the PAL tool near the top of this page to confirm whether you must include one with your application.
  • The address on your PAL does not matter.
  • Your PAL number should begin with ON25 (indicating it was issued by the province of Ontario for 2025).
    • The PAL number includes hyphens/dashes (-) on the PAL itself. They must be removed when adding to your application form.
  • If you are PAL-exempt, you must provide proof of how you qualify for the exemption.
    • What proof you provide depends on why you’re exempt, but is usually a letter, written by you, that explains why you are exempt, along with a copy of your existing study permit and confirmation of enrolment.
      • eg. If you are exempt because you’re applying for a study permit to continue at the same institution and same ‘level of study’, you can write a letter that states that. You can then add proof in the form of your existing study permit and confirmation of enrolment.
    • Documents can be uploaded in the ‘Client Information’ field of the Optional Documents section of your checklist (if there is not a specific field in your checklist).
  • If IRCC refuses your study permit application, you will need a new PAL in order to re-apply (the original PAL is no longer valid).
      • In that situation, please contact the our office (isa.cie@utoronto.ca) to request a new PAL. We will need to know details about the refusal and may want to discuss what changes you plan to make to increase your chances of success.
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Study Permit Extension: Create an IRCC account to apply online (Requires logging-in with UTORid)

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Study Permit Extension Part II: Answering the Eligibility Questionnaire (Requires logging-in with UTORid) NOTE: please see the “PAL-specific tips” above.

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Study Permit Extension Part III: Completing a Study Permit Extension Form IMM5709 (Requires logging-in with UTORid)

Biometrics

If you are not an American citizen and have not provided biometrics as part of a Canadian immigration application in the past 10 years, you will be required to do so. You can also choose to re-submit biometrics if your current biometrics will expire before the end of your studies. Your answers in the online eligibility questionnaire will show that you are required (or want) to submit biometrics. As a result, you will be required to pay an $85CAD biometric collection fee. After submitting the application, you will be sent a Biometric Instruction Letter that will guide you through booking a biometric collection appointment.

Additional Documents

Immigration officers may ask you for additional documentation to make a decision about your application. If they ask you to attach the documents to your online application, you will login to your account where you must upload the documents and re-submit the application. IRCC provides specific details about how to do so. Failure to do so will likely result in a refusal of your application.

Changes

If you need to notify IRCC about a change, you can use their web form.

IRCC will notify you through your IRCC account that the application was approved. The study permit will be mailed to the Canadian mailing address provided in the application. This process could take as long as 6 weeks.

Important next steps

A successful in-Canada permit application will not result in a Temporary Resident Visa (TRV) (required by citizens of some countries to be able to enter Canada) being issued. That means you’ll need to make a separate application if you want to request one. This should only be done after the study permit is approved. Find more information about Entry Visas/TRVs & eTAs. 

After receiving your new permit, you can use it to apply for/extend your Social Insurance Number (SIN) through Service Canada.

The information on this page should help you prepare as strong an application as possible, but applications can still be refused.are as strong an application as possible, but applications can still be refused.

If your application is refused, you will receive a letter from IRCC noting specific reasons why the immigration officer decided to do so.

Impact on current status in Canada

If you are in Canada when the application is refused, the decision does not impact any existing permit or visitor record. If your previous permit expired before the decision was made, the refusal means you are out of status in Canada (though it may be possible to request restoration of your status while remaining in Canada), but the first step should be to:

  • Review your IRCC refusal letter and carefully consider the reasons noted there. Read the IRCC webpages where they explain how they assess each aspect of an application. 

Reconsideration

If it appears that an error was made by immigration officials, it may be possible to request “reconsideration” of the original application. This is only worth trying if the officer overlooked clear information you included in your application.

Re-application/Restoration

Otherwise, if you believe that you can prepare supporting documents that more clearly prove that the officer’s concerns are not applicable, you may choose to re-apply. If your existing permit has expired, you have up to 90 days to request “restoration” of your status within Canada. In preparing a new application you should:

  • Write a new Letter of Explanation which directly addresses the refusal reasons in the IRCC letter.
    • Include a “Study Plan” document which covers topics such as “Reasons for wanting to study this program at U of T”, “Intended plans for after you complete your studies”, “Your ties to your home country”, and “Your travel and employment history”.

New Provincial Attestation Letter (PAL)

A study permit re-application will require a new PAL unless your application was an in-Canada application to extend your study permit to complete your current program of study (see the PAL tool near the top of this page to see if you are exempt from the PAL requirement). You can request a new PAL by emailing our team (isa.cie@utoronto.ca) and including the following:

  • That your initial application was refused and you need a new PAL;
  • Your student number; and,
  • Your name as it appears on your passport.

Get Support

Please contact our advising team when preparing your response to a study permit refusal so that we can help ensure you have the best chance of success. You can email us (isa.cie@utoronto.ca), register for a live Question and Answer (Q&A) session, or book an individual appointment.

When you are applying for an extension of your status in Canada, you can also include your dependants. Find more information about extending the status of your dependants. 

Register for a live Question and Answer session  (Requires logging-in with JOINid/UTORid)

Frequently Asked Questions

Every refusal is accompanied by a letter that gives some information about the reason(s) for the decision. If you need help understanding it, and your next steps, you can book an appointment with an International Student Immigration Advisor.

Check out our Resources page for more support.