Know your real expiry date
The expiry date is printed in the "additional information" part of your study permit. It is usually the length of your program plus 90 days, which gives you time to leave Canada or apply to extend your stay. But your permit actually expires on whichever of these comes first:
- the date printed on the permit, or
- 90 days after you complete your studies. The 90 days start on the date your school first notifies you that you completed your program, or the date you receive your degree, diploma or certificate.
If you cannot prove when your school notified you, IRCC uses the earliest issue date on your completion document and may check with the school. Finishing early can therefore end your permit long before the printed date.
Extending before expiry
- Apply at least 30 days before expiryIRCC asks students to apply at least 30 days before the permit expires, including when studies are taking longer than planned. Legally, a complete application must be submitted before your status ends.
- Check your passportAn extension cannot be issued beyond your passport's expiry date. Renew the passport first if needed.
- Apply onlineUse your IRCC secure account, even if your first permit was issued through a different account. Read instruction guide 5552 and use the online checklist.
- Include the right documentsPost-secondary students upload a letter of acceptance or enrolment from their DLI in the field made for it. If the DLI does not verify the letter by IRCC's deadline, IRCC returns the application and refunds the fee, so confirm with your DLI first. Also include a PAL/TAL if required (see below), proof of funds (amounts are in our application guide) and any document the checklist asks for. The officer assesses whether you can still support yourself.
- Pay the fee$150 for the study permit extension, plus $85 for biometrics if you must give them.
Maintained status while you wait
If you apply to extend before your permit expires, you have maintained status: you can keep studying under your current conditions until IRCC decides, but only while you remain in Canada.
If you leave Canada
Maintained status ends when you leave. To re-enter you need a valid study permit or a letter of introduction showing approval, plus a valid passport and visa or eTA. If you re-enter while the extension is still pending, you cannot study until it is approved.
If the extension is refused
Your status ends on the date of the refusal. You may then apply for restoration within 90 days, or leave Canada.
Work while waiting
If you were eligible to work on or off campus and applied before expiry, you can continue under the same work conditions while the extension is pending.
A visa for travel
A study permit is not a visa. Students who need a visitor visa can apply for a new one from inside Canada before travelling.
Do you need a new PAL/TAL?
| Situation | New PAL/TAL? |
|---|---|
| Extension at the same DLI and level of study | No. |
| Extension at a different DLI or level | Yes, unless you move from post-secondary to a degree-granting master's or doctoral program at a public DLI, or another exemption applies. |
| Changing schools | Yes, since January 22, 2025, unless exempt. |
| Restoring student status | Yes, even at the same DLI and level. |
A PAL/TAL issued in 2026 is valid until December 31, 2026, and must be valid on the day you apply. In Quebec, renew the CAQ early enough to support the federal extension.
Restoring your status after expiry
- Apply within 90 daysYou must apply within 90 days of losing status, and stay in Canada until a decision. Leaving Canada ends the application.
- Choose both optionsIn the online application, select both the study permit option and the restoration option.
- Pay both fees$396.25 in total: $246.25 for restoration and $150 for the new study permit.
- Include a new PAL/TALA new PAL/TAL is required for restoration, even at the same school and level, unless you are exempt.
- ExplainExplain why your status expired and show that you still meet the requirements and have complied with your other conditions.
Restoration is discretionary and is refused if, for example, you studied or worked without authorization. After 90 days, restoration is no longer possible and you must leave Canada.
Conditions to keep in mind
Enrolment and progress
Stay enrolled at a DLI and make progress in each semester. Keep enrolment letters and transcripts.
Authorized leave
Up to 150 days if authorized by your DLI, for example for medical reasons or pregnancy, a family emergency, a school closure or strike, changing schools or a deferred start. You need not report it, but you must be able to prove it if asked. A deferred start must be to the next semester, even if that is sooner than 150 days, with an updated letter of acceptance. No work on or off campus during the leave.
Permit conditions
Level of study, work, medical reporting, travel within Canada and the date to stop studying.
If your school loses its designation
If your DLI loses its designated status before you start, you cannot start there. If you are in Canada with a valid permit, get accepted by a new DLI and apply to extend. If you already study there, you can keep studying until your permit expires or transfer to another DLI; to extend, you must be enrolled at a school with DLI status.
Breaking conditions
You may be asked to leave Canada and may have to wait 6 months before applying for a new study permit, visitor visa or work permit in Canada. Future applications can also suffer.
After graduation
If you plan to work, apply for a PGWP while your study permit is still valid. If you only need more time as a visitor, apply for a visitor record.
Fees
| Item | Federal fee (CAD) |
|---|---|
| Study permit extension | $150 |
| Restore student status with a new study permit | $396.25 ($246.25 + $150) |
| Biometrics | $85 per person; $170 maximum for a family applying together |
Official sources
- IRCC: Extend your study permit or restore your status
- IRCC: When to apply to extend
- IRCC: How to apply to extend
- IRCC: Provincial or territorial attestation letter
- IRCC: Travelling outside Canada as a student
- IRCC: Maintained status during processing
- IRCC: Restoration of temporary resident status
- IRPR section 182 (restoration)
- IRCC: Fee list
This page is general information about Canadian immigration law and policy as of the date above. It is not legal advice for your situation. Programs, forms and fees change often; check the official sources before you apply.