Extending or replacing your study permit

How can I extend my stay as a student?

If you want to study in Canada longer, you need to extend your study permit.

You should apply to extend your study permit at least 30 days before your current permit expires. However, we recommend you apply more than 30 days before it expires.

If you need to renew your Social Insur ance Number (SIN) or health insurance, you need a valid study permit. If you wait until there are only 30 days left, you may have problems renewing these, because your study permit will be expiring.

Check the processing times to find out how long it may take to have your study permit extended.

Find out how to apply to extend your study permit.

If your study permit has already expired

If you applied to extend your study permit before it expired, but haven’t received a decision on your application, you’re allowed to stay in Canada because you’ve maintained your status. This means you’re a temporary resident until we decide on your application. You can keep studying until you get a decision on your application.

If you haven’t applied to extend your study permit, you lost your status in Canada. You can’t continue or restart your studies until we’ve restored your status and issued a new study permit. You have 90 days to apply to restore your status and extend your permit. There’s a CAN$200 fee to restore your status, as well as a CAN$150 fee for the new study permit. Find out what to do if your study permit has expired and you haven’t applied to extend it.

If you’re planning to travel outside of Canada

Make sure you have the travel document you need to be able to re-enter Canada. You must have a valid travel document to be able to re-enter the country.

Learn more about travelling outside of Canada when you’ve applied to extend your study permit.

If you’ve applied for a different permit

If you were a student, but you’ve applied for a work permit instead, you can’t keep studying while you wait for a decision on your application. You also can’t work until we’ve approved your application. You can stay in Canada as a temporary resident until you get a decision on your application.

See How can I extend my stay as visitor? and How can I extend my stay as a worker?

How do I renew my study permit while I am in Canada?

Most people must apply online to extend their study permit from within Canada. You should submit an application to extend your study permit before your current permit expires.

If your study permit has already expired

You need to restore your status as a student, as well as extend your study permit. You must apply to restore your status within 90 days of losing it. If you don’t, you must leave Canada.

You can’t continue your studies until we restore your status as a student in Canada and extend your study permit.

How do I get a copy of a lost, stolen or destroyed study permit?

You must fill out an application and pay a fee to replace the permit.

Can I stay in Canada after my study permit expires if I applied for a new permit?

Yes. You can stay in Canada as a temporary resident until we make a decision on your new permit application. You must make sure you applied for a new permit before your original permit expired.

If you applied to extend your study permit, you can stay in Canada and continue studying under the conditions of your original study permit if you

• applied to extend your study permit before your original permit expired
• are waiting for a decision on your study permit application

If you applied for a work permit, such as a post-graduation work permit (PGWP), you can stay in Canada and continue to work full-time if you

• were already able to work off campus during your studies
• applied for a work permit before your study permit expired
• are waiting for a decision on your work permit application

If you’re not eligible to extend your study permit, you

• can apply to stay in Canada as a visitor
• must stop studying when your study permit expires

I've applied to extend my study permit. Can I travel outside Canada and be able to return?

Yes. You can leave Canada and return as long as your visitor visa or Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) is still valid. If your visitor visa or eTA is expired, you must apply for and receive a new one before you leave.

Exception

There’s only one exception to this. You may be able to re-enter Canada with an expired visitor visa (not an expired eTA) if:

• you only visit the United States or St. Pierre and Miquelon and
• you return to Canada before your study permit expires.

When you return to Canada

If your study permit is still valid, or we extended your permit while you were away, we may let you enter as a student.

If we’re still processing your study permit extension, we may let you enter as a visitor. In this case, you can’t study until you get your extended study permit. The officer at the port of entry may also ask you to prove you have enough money to support yourself in Canada.

A border officer may have some questions for you when you arrive back in Canada. If the officer believes there’s reason to refuse your re-entry, you won’t be able to re-enter Canada. The officer may ask you for a copy of your extension application, the fee payment receipt, or any other document to prove you applied for an extension.

If you’re from the United States, Greenland or St. Pierre and Miquelon

You can re-apply for a new study permit and pay the fees at the port of entry if you’re a:

• citizen or a permanent resident of the U.S.
• resident of Greenland, or
• resident of St. Pierre and Miquelon.

Doing this means you’ll get your study permit faster. Once you’re in Canada, you must withdraw your previous application to extend your study permit. Use our web form and select ‘Withdrawal of application’ under Type of application/enquiry.

Can I change my status to visitor if I need more time to extend my study or work permit?

You can apply to change your status to visitor, but once your current study or work permit expires, you won’t be able to apply for a new study or work permit from within Canada. This means it won’t give you more time to extend your study or work permit.

Most visitors aren’t eligible to apply for a study or work permit from within Canada. If you change your status to visitor, you may have to leave Canada to apply for a new study or work permit.

Because of this, we strongly recommend you don’t change your status to visitor if you need more time to apply for your permit.

Make sure you know when your current permit expires and apply at least 30 days before it does.

• How to apply to extend your study permit or your work permit
• What to do if your current study permit has already expired

Why is my study or work permit only valid for part of my study program or job contract?

We’ll issue your study or work permit for a shorter validity period for one of these reasons:

• Your passport or travel document will expire before the end of your planned stay.
• You’re participating in International Experience Canada (IEC), and your health insurance coverage isn’t valid for long enough.

Your passport or travel document will expire

If you’re coming to Canada to study or work, you can’t stay past the expiry date of your passport or other travel document. We’ll only give you a permit that’s valid as long as your passport or travel document.

If you get a new passport or travel document while in Canada

You can apply to extend your study or work permit to get one for the time left on your study program or job contract.

You’re participating in IEC, and your health insurance coverage isn’t valid for long enough

If your health insurance coverage only covers part of your stay in Canada, we’ll issue you a permit that matches the length of your coverage.

Make sure your insurance is valid for your entire stay in Canada before you leave your home country.

If it isn’t, you won’t be allowed to extend your work permit, even if you extend your health insurance coverage.