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Study Permit

International students enrolled at a Designated Learning Institution (external link)  (DLI), a school approved by the provincial or territorial government to host international students, for programs that are more than six months in length are required to obtain a study permit. International students are responsible for ensuring that their study permits are valid at all times.

Toronto Metropolitan University’s DLI number: O19395677651

Updates to study permit requirements for international students

As of January 22, 2025, the Government of Canada amended study permit application requirements (external link)  for most new international students applying for an undergraduate degree, graduate degree or English language pathway program. These amendments require students interested in studying at TMU to submit a Provincial Attestation Letter (PAL) (external link, opens in new window)  with their study permit application. TMU will request a PAL for students once they have accepted their TMU Offer of Admission and paid their tuition deposit.

Students who are extending their study permit within Canada AND changing between levels of study, OR changing their Designation Learning Institution (DLI) are also required to submit a PAL.

Students who have already entered Canada and are applying for a study permit extension at the same Designated Learning Institution (DLI) and level of study as their current study permit DO NOT require a PAL.

In order to apply for a study permit, you must first receive your Offer of Admission and Letter of Acceptance (LOA). Your application must be approved before coming to Canada and you must apply for your initial study permit outside of Canada. 

Please note that as of January 22, 2024, the Government of Canada has amended its requirements for a study permit application (external link, opens in new window)  for undergraduate degree and English language pathway programs. These changes remain in place based on the January 22, 2025, update (external link, opens in new window)  and now also include graduate degree students.

When can I apply for my study permit?

Undergraduate degree and English language pathway program students:

  • Please do not submit your study permit application until you have received the required Provincial Attestation Letter (PAL).
  • Once you have received your Offer of Admission, you will be required to accept your offer and submit your tuition deposit. Upon receiving your acceptance and tuition deposit, TMU will request a PAL on your behalf if it is determined that you require one.
  • You will be able to check your ChooseTMU Applicant Portal to see if we have requested a PAL on your behalf and when it is ready. When we receive your PAL, we will notify you via your ChooseTMU Applicant Portal so that you can download it from MyServiceHub
  • Please continue to prepare your study permit application and gather relevant documents while you wait for your PAL.
  • It is important that you do not submit your study permit application without the PAL as this will result in the return of your study permit application. The resubmission of your application will delay its processing.
  • You can apply for an initial study permit (external link, opens in new window)  from outside of Canada either online or on paper. Where possible, we recommend applying online as processing times are quicker.
  • US citizens, permanent residents of the United States, residents of Greenland and residents of St. Pierre and Miquelon may choose to apply for a study permit at the Port of Entry (POE) upon entering Canada. Make sure you have the right documents (external link, opens in new window)  with you when crossing the border.  

Graduate degree students: 

  • Effective January 22, 2025, graduate students applying for an initial study permit outside of Canada are required to submit a PAL with their application. 
  • Please continue to prepare your study permit application and gather relevant documents while you wait for your PAL to be issued. The process for graduate students to obtain a PAL will be shared shortly.
  • It is important that you do not submit your study permit application without the PAL as this will result in the return of your study permit application. The resubmission of your application will delay its processing.
  • We strongly recommend that you apply for a study permit as soon as you receive your PAL and an offer of admission or confirmation of enrolment from the university in order to receive your study permit on time.
  • You can apply for an initial study permit (external link, opens in new window)  from outside of Canada either online or on paper. Where possible, we recommend applying online as processing times are quicker.
  • US citizens, permanent residents of the United States, residents of Greenland and residents of St. Pierre and Miquelon may choose to apply for a study permit at the Port of Entry (POE) upon entering Canada. Make sure you have the right documents (external link, opens in new window)  with you when crossing the border.

 What documents do I need?

Minor children under the age of 18 will need to appoint a custodian, a responsible, adult Canadian citizen or permanent resident, in order to study in Canada. Please refer to studying in Canada as a minor (external link, opens in new window)  for more information.

You must apply to extend your study permit before it expires if you plan to continue studying in Canada past your study permit date of expiration. Study permit extension applications must be done from inside Canada. We recommend extending your study permit approximately 6 months before it expires.

You can extend your study permit online (external link, opens in new window)  or on paper (external link, opens in new window)  (in certain situations). Where possible, we recommend applying online as processing times are quicker.

What documents do I need?

Document requirements may vary depending on your individual situation and are outlined in your GCKey/Sign In-Partner Account (external link, opens in new window)  (for online applications) after completing the questionnaire or Document Checklist IMM 5555 (external link)  (for paper applications).

Confirmation of enrolment letters are provided by ISS. Learn more about requesting a status letter

Please note that you may be required to obtain a medical examination (external link, opens in new window)  and/or biometrics (external link, opens in new window)  as part of your study permit extension application.

If you are extending your study permit because you are about to transfer to Toronto Metropolitan University from another Designated Learning Institution (DLI) in Canada OR because you are changing your level of study (i.e., undergraduate to graduate, college level to university level, Canadian high school to university), you will require a Provincial Attestation Letter (PAL). Please ensure to obtain a PAL from TMU prior to submitting your study permit extension application. More information on how to request a PAL is coming soon.

Students who have already entered Canada and are applying for a study permit extension at the same Designated Learning Institution (DLI) and level of study as their current study permit DO NOT require a PAL.

When setting up a study permit extension application, the system will ask if you have a PAL or meet an exception from submitting a PAL. If you are applying to extend your study permit at the same level of study as your current study permit (e.g., when you applied for your current study permit, it was for undergraduate studies and you are still in undergraduate studies), you must select:

  • Yes, I meet an exception from submitting a provincial or territorial attestation letter

You will be required to upload Proof of Provincial or Territorial Attestation (PAL or TAL) Exception with your application. If this option is missing from your document checklist, you must upload proof of your PAL/TAL exception to the Client information box. We recommend that you upload:

  • A copy of your current study permit
    AND
  • A brief explanation letter stating that you hold a valid study permit and you are applying for a study permit extension at the same Designated Learning Institution (DLI) and level of study as your current study permit

You can amend your study permit (external link, opens in new window)  if there was a mistake made by IRCC when the study permit was issued.

If you are eligible to work in Canada, but the wording on your study permit states you "may not work" or "may not accept employment", you will need to amend your study permit to get the right wording to apply for a SIN.

When and how can I apply for a study permit amendment?

What if I'm transferring post-secondary institutions at the same level of study?

Starting November 8, 2024 (external link) , students who are currently studying at another post-secondary Designated Learning Institution (DLI) in Canada are required to apply to extend and obtain a new study permit before starting studies at a new post-secondary institution. Please ensure you include a letter in your application outlining why you are changing schools, as well as your Letter of Acceptance (LOA) from Toronto Metropolitan University. You will also require a Provincial Attestation Letter (PAL) to submit with your study permit extension application.

Exception: If you are beginning your program in the Winter 2025 or Spring 2025 semester (before May 1, 2025), you can start studying at TMU if you are transferring from another DLI as long as you:

  • have applied for a study permit extension
    AND
  • have a study permit that remains valid and that doesn’t have the DLI name printed on it
    AND
  • meet all your existing study permit conditions.

If you meet these criteria, you can attend the new DLI you wanted to transfer to (TMU) while your study permit extension is being processed. Please note that you are required to submit a PAL with your study permit extension application.

What if I'm changing my level of study?

If you're a student transferring from a different level of study (e.g., secondary to post-secondary), you will need to get a new study permit by applying to extend your current study permit (external link, opens in new window)  in order to attend a post-secondary institution. You will also require a Provincial Attestation Letter (PAL) to submit with your study permit extension application. More information on how to request a PAL is coming soon. 

In some cases, students are exempt from obtaining a study permit. Students who are pursuing short-term courses (external link, opens in new window) , meaning a course or program that is six months or less in duration, are not required to obtain a study permit.

For a full list of exemptions from obtaining a study permit, please refer to Who needs a study permit (external link, opens in new window)  on the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) website.

Did you know?

If you are exempt from obtaining a study permit, you may still be required to obtain a temporary resident visa (TRV) (external link, opens in new window)  or electronic travel authorization (eTA) (external link, opens in new window)  in order to travel to Canada.

Exchange students studying under an exchange arrangement between their home institution and Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) do not pay tuition fees to TMU and are therefore exempt from obtaining a Provincial Attestation Letter (PAL) (external link, opens in new window) . This applies for both one semester and year-long inbound exchange students. 

Exchange students who will study at TMU for less than 6 months can apply for an electronic travel authorization (eTA (external link) ) or temporary resident visa (TRV) (external link)  depending on their country of citizenship. Exchange students who will study at TMU for more than 6 months are required to obtain a study permit.

International students intending to study in Canada are typically required to apply for a study permit. It is recommended that students have a valid study permit at least two weeks ahead of their program start date. If you intend to begin your studies at TMU but have not yet applied for your study permit, please do so as soon as possible.

Please share the status of your study permit application with TMU:

 (google doc) How-to guide: Accessing the TMU Study Permit Tracker (external link) 

IMPORTANT! We strongly recommend that you input your study permit expiration date in the tracker so we can remind you when your study permit is set to expire. Up to six months prior to your study permit expiration date, we will send you a monthly reminder advising you to get started on your study permit extension process.

Currently, the TMU Study Permit Tracker is only available to undergraduate students, however, we hope to include graduate students very soon.