Canada Study Permit Support

What changed

Canada introduced a cap on study permit applications and, with it, a requirement for most applicants to include a provincial or territorial attestation letter confirming the province has allocated them a place under its share. An application without one, where one is required, is returned rather than assessed.

The Student Direct Stream, which offered faster processing to Pakistani applicants who met set conditions, was discontinued. Everyone now applies through the regular stream, and the guaranteed investment certificate that SDS required is no longer a shortcut, though it remains a clean way to evidence funds.

Proof of funds

• The cost-of-living threshold was raised substantially and is now indexed, so the figure moves.
• You must show first-year tuition plus living costs, with more required for accompanying family.
• A GIC remains a straightforward way to evidence living costs even outside SDS.
• Funds should have a traceable history; a recent lump sum without a documented source is a standard refusal ground.

The letter of acceptance and the institution

Your acceptance must come from a designated learning institution, and the institution now confirms your letter of acceptance directly with IRCC. Forged and altered acceptance letters were a real problem and this closed it.

The institution and programme you choose also affect what comes after graduation, since post-graduation work eligibility has been narrowed and tied to fields of study. If your plan extends beyond the degree, that eligibility is worth checking before you enrol rather than after.

The application itself

Applications are made online, with biometrics at a visa application centre and, for Pakistani applicants, an upfront medical examination with a panel physician. The decision is made mainly on the file (IRCC can request an interview or more information, but you should not rely on that) so the letter of explanation carries the argument, exactly as it does for a visitor visa.