Study Permits

A study permit is a document that gives you permission to study and remain in Canada on a temporary basis. Study permit holders in Canada must follow specific rules and conditions to remain in good standing with Immigration, Refugee, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC).

If you are taking a study program that is longer than 6 months, you require a study permit before you start studying.

While you do not need a study permit if you’ll be taking a program that is 6 months or less and you can complete the whole program during your period of authorized stay, you may choose to apply for one so that:

• You can continue studying if you want to take a longer program.
• You can work while studying, if meeting eligibility requirements.

The two temporary policies that may allow you to study with a work permit are outlined below:

1. You are authorized to work in Canada with either of the following:

• A valid work permit that was issued on or before June 7, 2023, or
• A letter, issued on or before June 7, 2023, authorizing you to work while IRCC processes your work permit extension application.

Exceptions:

• If your program requires a co-op component, you will need a study permit and a co-op work permit to complete it, unless one of the following is true:
  • You already hold an open work permit under this Temporary Policy.
  • Your co-op employer and occupation are the same as your current employer and occupation.
• If you would like to be eligible for a post-graduation work permit upon program completion, you must have been approved for a study permit.

This temporary policy is in place until June 27, 2026.  You can find more details about this policy here.

2. You have a valid work permit and:

• Have a job offer in a construction occupation identified as in-shortage.
• Have an apprenticeship agreement with the employer that has been registered with Apprenticeship and Industry Training.
• Request consideration under this public policy through IRCC’s webform, by indicating “Apprenticeship 25-27” in the request and including documentary evidence that you meet the eligibility requirements listed above.

This temporary policy is in place until February 26, 2027.  You can find more details about this policy here.

In Alberta, international students are only allowed to study in Designated Learning Institutions (DLI) and programs.  Although NAIT is a DLI, not all programs offered at NAIT are designated.  You can review NAIT’s list of programs that accept international students here.

Please review the helpful tips below to guide you through the process:

Step 1
Be aware of processing times.

• Review NAIT’s admission processes and overall timelines here. 
• Check IRCC’s processing times for a study permit application here. Make sure you have enough time before the start of the program to obtain your study permit.

   

Step 2
Confirm your admission to NAIT. You will receive a Letter of Acceptance (LOA) from NAIT once you are admitted into a program. Depending on your program, this LOA may be:

• uploaded to your NAIT Portal
• e-mailed to the address on your NAIT file
• uploaded to the Con Ed Application Portal

The LOA will state that it should be used as part of your study permit application. Ensure you read this letter carefully.

Step 3
As of Jan. 22, 2024, you’ll need a provincial attestation letter as part of your study permit application. Without this letter, IRCC will not process your study permit application. NAIT will request the provincial attestation letter for you after you pay your tuition deposit to accept your offer of admission to NAIT. Once your attestation letter is available, we’ll send a notification to the email listed on your MyNAIT profile. Please check your email frequently.

Step 4
Start your online study permit application and collect the required documents. The documents that you have to submit are unique to your situation. Some documents that may be required are outlined below:

• Attestation Letter from the Government of Alberta – always required
• Letter of Acceptance from NAIT – always required
• Proof of financial sufficiency – always required
• Proof of identity – always required
• Letter of Explanation, outlining the following information:  why do you want to take this program? Why do you want to take this program at NAIT rather than back home? How will this program benefit you back home? What ties do you have that suggest you will return home when your period of authorized stay in Canada is over (for example, family, property, employment)
• Medical exam – required in some cases
• Family Information – required in some cases
• Additional documents listed in your country’s visa office instructions
• Additional documents if you are applying for a study permit through the Study Direct Stream

Step 5
Submit a complete study permit application, keep a copy of all of the documents and forms you’ve submitted, including your application number and Client ID number, and track the progress of your application within your IRCC account.

Check out the following resources to help you apply for a study permit:

• Before you apply
• IRCC document checklist
• Country specific requirements
• Minimum funds required
• How to prove financial sufficiency
• Letter of explanation

Yes, you will need a Provincial Attestation Letter (PAL) to apply for your initial study permit. NAIT will request the PAL for you after you pay your tuition deposit. Once your PAL is available, NAIT will notify you through e-mail, so make sure you check your e-mail frequently.

Exceptions:
You do not need a PAL if you have entered Canada and one of the following situations applies to you:

• you’re applying for a study permit extension at the same DLI and level of study as your current study permit
• you’re under a removal order, but can’t be removed from Canada at this time
• you have a temporary resident permit valid for at least 6 months
• you’re a protected person
• you’re eligible for permanent residence
  • based on humanitarian and compassionate grounds, or
  • based on a current public policy, or
  • as a spouse or common-law partner (through the spouse or common-law partner in Canada class)

You need to provide proof that you meet one of the above exceptions if you don’t provide a PAL with your study permit application

Once you have paid your tuition deposit to accept an offer of admission to NAIT, NAIT will request a PAL for you. Please ensure that you have met any admission conditions and continue to check your email (listed on your MyNAIT profile) frequently for instructions about your PAL.

In most cases, you can expect your PAL within seven (7) business days of paying your deposit. Once available, you can download your PAL in your MyNAIT portal.

When your PAL is available, it will be posted to your MyNAIT portal, under the ‘Submission of Documents’ section. You will be sent an email once your letter is available.

To access the letter:

• Log in to your MyNAIT portal
• Select "Open Self Service"
• Click on the "Admissions" tile
• Select your NAIT application
• Click "NAIT Submission of Documents" where your attestation letter has been uploaded.

Note: NAIT will request the PAL for you after you pay your tuition deposit to accept your offer of admission to NAIT. 

Please upload this letter to your application in the NAIT Portal. This letter is not your study permit. 

When you travel to Canada, you will show the Port of Entry Letter of Introduction to the border services officer who will ask you a series of questions and issue you a study permit. 

You can review what other documents you will need to bring with you when travelling to Canada here. You are also welcome to sign up for a Travelling to Canada workshop here.

If you have time to submit another study permit application to IRCC before the start of school, feel free to contact an International Academic Advisor through the webform in the NAIT Portal (my.nait.ca/contact – Immigration category) for tips on how to strengthen your application.

If you do not have time to submit another study permit application or no longer want to study at NAIT, you can request a refund. You can find NAIT’s refund processes here.

You cannot begin your classes late. As such, you may want to request a deferral to the next semester. You can review the deferral eligibility requirements, deadlines and processes here. 

If you are not eligible for a deferral, you can cancel your admission to NAIT. Please review NAIT’s refund process here.

As a study-permit holder, you must:

• be enrolled at a designated learning institution (DLI) like NAIT
• actively pursue your studies by:
  • enrolling in classes in your first semester and each following Fall and Winter semester
  • passing classes and making progress towards completing your program
• limit NAIT-approved authorized leaves to no more than 150 days
• apply for a new study permit if you change post-secondary schools

For more information on study permit rules, please watch Studying in Canada – Rules for International Students.

IRCC may ask you to prove that you’re meeting your study permit conditions as part of a random check or if they have reason to believe that you’re not meeting them. 

If you are unable to prove that you are meeting your study permit conditions, you may lose your student status and study permit. You may also have to leave Canada.

 

Yes, you are allowed to change your program of study, as long as there are no conditions written on your study permit that restrict you from making this change. However, if you change programs multiple times, it may appear as though you are failing to make progress towards completing any one program, which violates the rules study-permit holders must follow.  As such, you should always have a good reason for changing programs and be able to explain your study plan and career intentions.

If you change programs, you must begin your new program within 150 days from when you stopped studying. If you do not, you must either:

• Change your status (that is, apply for a Visitor Record or a Work Permit)
• Leave Canada

 

If you are changing schools, you need to apply for a new study permit.  If you apply for a new study permit from within Canada, you will have to submit the online application to Change Conditions, Extend My Stay, or Remain in Canada as a Student.  Within this application, you must include a letter explaining why you’re changing schools.

If you change schools, you must begin studying at your new school within 150 days from when you stopped studying.  If you do not, you must either:

• Change your status (that is, apply for a Visitor Record or a Work Permit)
• Leave Canada

 

You are expected to study during your first semester and every following fall and winter semester until graduation.  If you fail to do so, you are not meeting the conditions on your study permit. Further, if you do not study full-time every academic semester, you will no longer meet the eligibility requirements for a post-graduation work permit (PGWP).

You do not have to study during NAIT’s scheduled breaks.  You can review these dates here.

If you need to take a semester off for medical reasons, military service, parental leave, or because of a death in the family, you can apply for an Authorized Leave of Absence for up to 150 days. 

• You can apply for an Authorized Leave of Absence for the current semester (before the last day of class) or for the next academic semester.
• You will need to submit supporting documentation to establish that a Leave of Absence is necessary. This documentation can include a letter from a counsellor, doctor, or nurse practitioner, a mandatory military service letter, a funeral notice, etc.
• In order to apply for an Authorized Leave of Absence, you will need contact an International Academic Advisor through the webform on the NAIT Portal (my.nait.ca/contact – ‘International’ category) or by booking an appointment through the NAIT Portal.

You must have a valid study permit to remain in Canada as a student. If your study permit will expire before you finish your program, you must apply to extend it.

If your study permit will expire at the end of your last semester, you should apply to extend it, so you have time to apply for a post-graduation work permit.

You should apply to extend your study permit about 90 days before it expires. 

If you apply to extend your study permit before it expires, you will have maintained status in Canada and can study and work like normal while you wait for an answer on the application.

Please review the helpful tips below to guide you through the process.

Step 1
Be aware of processing times.

• If you submit your study permit extension application too early, IRCC may return it to you and ask that you submit it closer to your current study permit’s expiry date.
• The ‘safe zone’ in which to apply to extend your study permit is 90 days before it expires.
• Check IRCC’s processing times for a study permit extension application here. 

Step 2
Request a study permit extension letter. You can request this letter through the webform on your NAIT Portal (my.nait.ca/contact – ‘Immigration’ category). Ensure you read this letter carefully.

Step 3
Start your online study permit extension application and collect all of the required documents. The documents that you have to submit are unique to your situation. Some documents that may be required are outlined below:

• Study Permit Extension Letter – always required
• Proof of financial sufficiency – always required
• Proof of identity – always required
• Medical exam – required in some cases
• Family Information – required in some cases

Step 4
Submit a complete study permit application, keep a copy of all of the documents and forms you’ve submitted, including your application number and Client ID number, and track the progress of your application within your IRCC account.

You do not need a Provincial Attestation Letter (PAL) if you’re applying for a study permit extension at the same school (DLI) and level of study as your current study permit.  Please note that all programs available for international students at NAIT (for example, ESL, Academic Upgrading, Certificates, Diplomas, and Degrees) are considered the same level of study. 

• If you are PAL exempt, you will need to submit proof when you apply to extend your study permit; the following documents can be scanned into 1 pdf document to be used as proof:
  • Letter of Explanation written by you, stating that you are exempt from needing to submit a PAL because you are applying to extend your study permit for the same school (NAIT) for the same level of study (including the name of your program) – you should include a screenshot from IRCC’s website of the PAL exemption that you meet.
  • Unofficial NAIT transcripts showing that you are continuing at the same school in the same level of study – you can download transcripts through the NAIT Portal (my.nait.ca > Open Self Service > Academic Records > Unofficial Transcript).

If you are applying to extend your study permit for a different school or level of study than your current study permit, you will need to include a PAL in your application.

• You can request a PAL through the webform (my.nait.ca/contact > Future Course/Program I have Applied To >  International Students/Immigration > Provincial Attestation Letter Request).

Check out the following resources to help you apply to extend your study permit:

• Study Permit Extension guide

• VIDEO: Before You Apply - Study Permit Extension

• VIDEO: IRCC Eligibility Questionnaire

• VIDEO: Document Checklist

• VIDEO: What's Next

If, after reading the guide and watching the video, you still have questions about extending your Study Permit, you can book an appointment with an International Academic Advisor.

IRCC has clarified how applying to extend your study permit may impact your eligibility for a PGWP:

• If you applied for your initial study permit before November 1, 2024 and apply for  study permit extension on or after November 1, 2024, to complete:
  • the same program of study as the study permit application made before November 1, 2024, then your program of study does not need to meet the field of study requirement to be eligible for a PGWP. 
  • a different program of study than the study permit application made before November 1, 2024, then your study permit extension application must meet the field of study requirements to be eligible for a PGWP.
• Discover which NAIT programs meet the PGWP field of study requirement here.

If you applied to extend your study permit before it expired, you have maintained status and can study and work like normal while you wait for an answer on the application, even if your current study permit expires.

If your study permit expired before you applied for a new one, you are out of status. You must apply to restore your status as a student within 90 days of having lost your status. You can request a study permit restoration letter through the webform on your NAIT Portal (my.nait.ca/contact – ‘Immigration’ category). Ensure you read this letter carefully.

You cannot study or work when out of status, so you must wait until you receive a new study permit to resume these activities.