Extend your study permit before it expires.
Apply early to maintain your status and continue studying in Canada without interruption.
Everything you need to extend.
When to apply, how to apply, what's required, and how maintained status works.
When to apply
Submit your application at least 30 days before your study permit expires. The application must be received before the printed expiry date. Missing the deadline means losing your student status and applying for restoration within 90 days, with a $200 restoration fee in addition to the $150 study permit fee. While restoration is possible, it carries no guarantee of approval and you cannot study or work while waiting for the decision.
How to apply
Applications are filed entirely online through the IRCC Secure Account. Even if you applied for your initial permit through another system, the Secure Account is required for extensions. You must be physically inside Canada when you apply, and the process is built around a personalized document checklist generated from your answers to an eligibility questionnaire.
Sign in or create an IRCC Secure Account
Creating an account is free and takes only a few minutes. The Secure Account, not the IRCC Portal, is the required system for filing study permit extensions, even if your initial permit went through a different platform.
Complete the eligibility questionnaire
IRCC asks a series of questions about your status, your study program, and your situation. Your answers generate a document checklist tailored specifically to your case, so respond carefully and accurately.
Upload documents from your checklist
Each required document appears with its own upload field. You can save your progress and return later. Documents not in English or French must include certified translations.
Pay the application fee
$150 CAD for the study permit, plus $85 for biometrics if applicable. IRCC accepts credit cards and Visa Debit. Save your payment receipt; you will need it as proof.
Submit and track your application
Once submitted, IRCC receives the application instantly. Updates and any requests for additional documents appear in your Secure Account. Remain inside Canada while your application is processed.
Eligibility
- You are physically inside Canada at the time of application
- You hold a valid study permit and a valid passport
- You continue studying at a Designated Learning Institution
- A Provincial Attestation Letter (PAL) is required only if you change DLI or level of study
Required documents
- Application form IMM 5709
- Letter from your DLI (Letter of Enrolment or Letter of Acceptance)
- Valid passport
- Proof of sufficient funds for ongoing studies
- Biometrics if expired or not previously submitted
If you submit your extension before your permit expires, you continue studying and working under the same conditions of your current permit while IRCC reviews your application. You must remain inside Canada for maintained status to apply: leaving the country during this period suspends your right to study and work upon return.
Most students don't need us for this.
A standard study permit extension is designed to be filed online by the student. No RCIC required.
The study permit extension is designed by IRCC as a self-service online application through the Secure Account. The system generates a personalized document checklist, the fee is $150, and the instructions on canada.ca cover each step. For a straightforward case at the same DLI in the same program, this is a process you can complete on your own without a Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultant.
That said, certain situations make professional guidance worthwhile: a permit that already expired and requires restoration, a change of DLI or level of study that triggers PAL requirements, a previous refusal on an immigration application, a passport set to expire before your permit, compliance issues with study or work conditions, or planning your extension as part of a broader pathway toward post-graduation work or permanent residence. In those cases, the cost of expert review is small compared to the cost of a misstep.
Your Canadian education starts with a conversation.
Book a free assessment with a licensed RCIC. We'll match you with the right study program and pathway.
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