Study Permit Extension in Canada: 2026 Guide

Your study permit shows an expiry date under Additional information. It is usually the length of your program plus 90 days. If your studies will take longer, or you plan a new program, you must apply for an extension. Inside Canada, an extension is technically a new study permit, applied for on the Application to Change Conditions, Extend my Stay or Remain in Canada as a Student (IMM 5709).

The legal basis is section 181 of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations (IRPR): you may apply to extend your stay if you apply before your authorized period ends and you have complied with all your conditions. Under section 183(5), if IRCC has not decided by the time your permit expires, your stay is extended until the decision. This is called maintained status.

Apply at least this long before your permit expires

30 days

Time to apply for restoration after losing status

90 days

IRCC processing commitment for students changing post-secondary schools

60 days

Study permit extension refusal rate, as of January 31, 2026

10%

• Valid permit when you applyYou must apply before your current permit expires or becomes invalid. Otherwise you need restoration, explained below.
• Compliance with your conditionsYou stayed enrolled at your DLI, actively pursued your studies, did not take authorized leaves longer than 150 days, and did not work more than allowed.
• Letter from your schoolA post-secondary DLI sends a letter of acceptance (new students) or a letter of enrolment (current students). Upload it in the space for the letter of acceptance. The school must confirm it to IRCC, or the application is returned and the fee refunded.
• PAL/TAL if neededNeeded if you change schools, change your level of study in most cases, or restore your status. Not needed for the same school and the same level of study.
• Proof of academic standingTranscripts from your last two periods of study, or a letter from the registrar confirming your standing.
• Proof of fundsIRCC assesses whether you have enough money to keep supporting yourself while you study, for tuition, living costs and return travel.
• Valid passportYour permit cannot be extended beyond your passport's expiry date, so renew your passport first if needed.

Biometrics: IRCC's guide says you may need to give biometrics for this permit. Biometrics are valid for 10 years, so many students do not need to give them again. Use IRCC's biometrics tool, and if you need them, pay the biometrics fee when you apply.

The change of school rule is section 217.1 of the IRPR, in force since November 8, 2024. Section 189.1 lets you study at the new school while you wait only if you have stayed in Canada since receiving the new letter of acceptance, still meet your other conditions, and your old school closed, discontinued your program, was placed on the suspension list or lost its designation before you finished.

Faster processing: IRCC aims to process extension applications from students changing to a new post-secondary DLI in 60 days. To get it, answer Yes to the online question asking whether you are a student residing in Canada who is changing your designated learning institution. Apply to extend for your new school before you finish at your current one.

1. 1

   Check your dates

   Note your permit and passport expiry dates and, if you are close to finishing, the date your school will confirm completion.

2. 2

   Get your school letter and any PAL/TAL

   Ask your DLI for a letter of enrolment or acceptance, and ask the new school for a PAL/TAL if you are changing schools or level.

3. 3

   Read Guide 5552

   IRCC's instruction guide explains each field of the IMM 5709 and the document checklist.

4. 4

   Apply online in the IRCC secure account

   You must use the secure account for an extension, even if you used another account for your first permit. Answer the questions to get your personal checklist, then upload documents and pay.

5. 5

   Stay in Canada while you wait

   Your maintained status only lasts while you remain in Canada. If you leave, you may return as a visitor if eligible, but you cannot study until the new permit is approved.

6. 6

   Receive the decision

   IRCC mails the new permit to your Canadian address. You can start studying under it once the letter of approval appears in your account.

Minor children need a letter of acceptance to extend, and IRCC asks parents to apply at least 90 days before the child's permit expires. A primary school permit is issued for 1 year at a time.

• You stay in Canada legally, with the same conditions as your expired permit, until IRCC decides (IRPR section 183(5) and (6)).
• You can keep studying at the school on your permit. Students changing to a new DLI generally must wait, as shown above.
• If you were eligible to work off campus and applied before your permit expired, you can keep working up to 24 hours a week in regular terms, as long as you meet all the other rules.
• You cannot renew provincial documents such as a driver's licence or health card, or get a social insurance number card, so renew them before your permit expires.
• If IRCC refuses the extension, your status ends on the day of the decision. You must stop studying and working and either leave Canada or apply for restoration within 90 days.

Once processing has started, IRCC does not refund the fee, whatever the decision. If your permit has already expired and you apply for an extension by mistake, IRCC does not refund the extension fee and asks you to pay the restoration fee as well.

The current living funds amounts apply to extensions, but IRCC looks at whether you have enough money to continue supporting yourself. The amounts are on the study permit page. Processing times for extensions change often; IRCC's current figure is shown on this page.

Under IRPR section 182, you may apply to restore your status within 90 days after losing it, if you lost it because you stayed past your authorized period or changed your school, type, location or period of study without permission. The officer must be satisfied that you still meet the initial requirements for your stay and have not broken any other condition.

• Apply within 90 daysSelect Restore my status on the IMM 5709 and apply for a new study permit at the same time.
• Explain what happenedInclude a letter with all the facts and circumstances that led to the loss of status.
• Get a new PAL/TALRequired for restoration, even at the same school and level of study.
• Pay both feesThe restoration fee and the study permit fee. Each family member who lost status applies and pays separately.

You may stay in Canada while IRCC processes a restoration application, but you cannot study until your status is restored and you have the new permit. Restoration is not available if you did not stay enrolled or actively pursue your studies (IRPR section 182(2)), or if you hold a temporary resident permit. IRCC says there is no guarantee that a restoration application will be approved.

Check the new permit's school, level, work conditions and expiry date. An extension does not renew a visitor visa. If you need one to travel and return, apply for it separately from inside Canada. Eligible citizens of some visa-required countries receive an eTA automatically when their study permit is renewed. When you finish your program, check the post-graduation work permit deadline: you must apply within 180 days of completion, while your study permit was valid at some point in that period.