Studying in Canada after the accreditation period

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The following guidelines are for accredited family members of foreign representatives who wish to continue to study in Canada following the end of their accreditation. These guidelines are not designed for foreign representatives or individuals whose accreditation has already ended.

For the purposes of these guidelines:

  • Family members mean accredited spouses and unmarried conjugal partners, and accredited children only
  • IRCC means Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada

Overview

Family members of a foreign representatives do not need a study permit from IRCC to study at a designated learning institution in Canada. The acceptance issued to them by the Chief of Protocol of Canada confers an exemption from the obligation to obtain a study permit.

If you wish to remain in Canada as an international student after the end of your accreditation (due to the end of your family member`s posting, your age, or other ineligibility factors), you must apply online for a study permit to continue studying in Canada.

Apply three months before the end of your accreditation, or before the end of your family member’s assignment to Canada (whichever comes first). Once you submit your online application, you will receive an email with a study permit application or file number. The study permit application number starts with the letter “S”, followed by a series of nine numbers (for example S304999111). You must email this study permit file number to the visa and immigration services at the Consulate General of Canada in New York, United States and copy the Immigration Liaison Unit. This will ensure that your application is processed by the appropriate office without delay.

Submitting a study permit application online

IRCC does not process paper-based applications or study permit requests sent by diplomatic correspondence. Consult the Study permit – How to apply page, which will guide you through your online study permit application, and assist you to register for an IRCC secure account or IRCC Portal account. Within the secure account or portal, you can:

  • fill out and submit a study permit application
  • receive messages related to your application
  • check the status of your application

Follow the study permit instruction guide to ensure you submit an accurate and complete application. Please note that incomplete applications will result in delays or refusals.

There are no fees for study permit applications when you apply before the end of your accreditation. To demonstrate your eligibility for a fee exemption, include a copy of your valid accreditation documents.

To the question “Where are you applying from?”, you must select “applying from: Outside Canada”. Although you are in Canada, answering in this way will ensure that the study permit application will be assigned to the correct IRCC office for processing. Failure to answer in this way will result in the generation of an incorrect application assigned to the incorrect office and may result in a refusal of your study permit. On the study permit application form, however, enter your Canadian mailing address.

Your application package must include:

*A parent or legal guardian must make appropriate custody arrangements for children under the age of 18 to remain in Canada. Details of this arrangement must be declared in a signed notarized version of this form.

In addition to the forms, your application must also include the following supporting documents:

  • Cover letter on mission letterhead including the accreditation end date or the end of posting date of the foreign representative
  • Letter of Acceptance from the designated learning institution in Canada, and/or proof of current enrollment (please ensure the documentation clearly shows the program name, program duration, and your current year of study, and whether your program includes a co-op or internship)
  • Proof of financial support as you need to be able to pay tuition fees and all other expenses while in Canada
  • For post-secondary students outside Quebec, you may be required to obtain a Provincial Attestation Letter or Territorial Attestation Letter from your educational institution
  • For post-secondary students inside Quebec, a Quebec Acceptance Certificate (CAQ) issued by the province of Quebec (learn more about being a foreign student in Quebec)
  • Copy of your diplomatic/official passport biographic data page
  • Copy of your valid Office of Protocol acceptance (and identity card if available)
  • Copy of your regular passport biographic data page*

* Please note that a regular passport is required since you will be transitioning to international student status. Please also keep in mind that the validity of your study permit cannot exceed the validity of the passport. If your passport expires before your expected graduation date, you may wish to obtain a new passport before you apply for your study permit.

Provincial Attestation Letters, biometrics and other requirements

The Provincial Attestation Letter (PAL) or Territorial Attestation Letter (TAL) was a new requirement introduced by IRCC in 2024 for students attending most post-secondary institutions outside of Quebec (For studies in Quebec, a Quebec Acceptance Certificate (CAQ) is required.). If you are properly accredited at the time of your study permit application and you will continue studies in the same program at the same DLI, you qualify for an exception to this requirement.

In your application, be sure to select the following exception: “I am an applicant applying in Canada as described in subsection 215(1) of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations (IRPR).”

Please ensure that proof of your accreditation is part of your study permit application. This proof is required to demonstrate your exemption from the PAL/TAL requirement. If you are not prompted to upload this document to your online application, please add it as an “additional document”.

If you will be starting a new program of study, a PAL/TAL or CAQ is required.

Biometrics

Study permit applicants over age 14 must provide fingerprints and a photo (biometrics). In the secure account or portal, IRCC will send you instructions on how to submit your fingerprints and photo. With those instructions, you can then book an appointment online to submit your biometrics at a designated Service Canada office.

If you need to get an immigration medical exam or a police certificate, IRCC will also inform you of these requirements via your secure account or portal.

Processing times

Processing times only begin from the time that biometrics are submitted, and timing does not take into consideration shipping time for finalized documents. Please also keep in mind that processing times may be longer in the summer. If you have not heard from IRCC within 8 weeks of applying, you may reach out to the visa and immigration services at the Consulate General of Canada in New York, United States by email for an update.

Related content: Check current IRCC processing times

If the application is approved

If the application is approved and you are a national of a visa-required country, you will receive instructions via your IRCC secure account or portal to submit your passport for visa issuance. However, if you are a national of a visa-exempt country, an electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) will automatically be associated with your regular passport. In both scenarios, a Study Permit document will be mailed to you at the mailing address you have provided, and you do not need to leave Canada to activate your status as an international student.

If IRCC refuses your application, you will be sent a letter in your secure account or portal indicating the reason(s) why you have been refused.

In both scenarios, the foreign representative`s mission should provide notification to the Office of Protocol of your change in status.

IRCC is the main point of contact for your study permit application, and not the Office of Protocol. More specifically, the Office of Protocol cannot:

  • assist with the completion of study permit applications
  • respond to enquiries on the status of applications
  • help with expediting the processing of applications
  • overcome an IRCC decision
  • redirect related enquires to IRCC

Tips

Your study permit application should be submitted three months prior to the end of accreditation. If you do not have a study permit by the time your accreditation has ended, you will be required to depart Canada. You will not be allowed to stay in Canada to study or await the outcome of your application.

Do not complete/submit the form entitled Application to Change Conditions, Extend my Stay, or Remain in Canada as a Student (SP-EXT). This is the incorrect form and does not apply to accredited family members. If the questionnaire you answered has generated this form, ensure you have correctly answered the question “Where are you applying from?” with the response “applying from: Outside Canada”.

You are also responsible for:

  • submitting a complete and accurate application. Do not leave questions blank; enter N/A if not applicable
  • providing up-to-date contact information including email, Canadian mailing address and telephone number
  • regularly checking your secure account and emails (including your junk mail folder) for IRCC instructions
  • responding promptly to any requests for information

Any document not in English or French must have a certified translation.

Neither IRCC nor Global Affairs Canada regulate tuition fees in Canada

Tuition fees are set by educational institutions and/or the provincial government. While some educational institutions and learning establishments may choose to provide a rebate or preferential tuition rate to family members of foreign representatives while they are accredited, IRCC and Global Affairs Canada have no control over these rates. Furthermore, IRCC and Global Affairs Canada have no ability to instruct or ensure that any rebates or preferential rates remain available to family members of foreign representatives after they are no longer accredited to Canada.

Should you have further questions regarding tuition, these questions are best addressed directly to your educational institution.

About foreign representatives

If your accreditation as a foreign representative is coming to an end and you wish to study in Canada, you must depart Canada to apply for a study permit from outside of Canada following IRCC`s standard study permit instructions. The instructions contained in this guide do not apply to your situation. Do not submit an application for a study permit through this program.

Foreign representatives are expected to leave Canada at the end of the posting period. If foreign representatives wish to return to Canada, they must first depart Canada and subsequently apply for an entry document such as a visitor visa (in other words, temporary resident visa or TRV) or an electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) from outside of Canada. Foreign representatives will not be issued visitors records or another status from within Canada to accompany children who have been granted post-accreditation study permits. If custodianship arrangements cannot be made for children, the whole family must depart Canada at the end of accreditation.