Students Studying in Canada Applying for a Study Permit

A Study Permit is the immigration document issued by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) that provides permission for an international student to study in Canada. This permit is your status document while you are studying in Canada and you must make sure to meet the requirements of your study permit. See here for more information about the conditions under a study permit.

It is your responsibility to ensure that your Study Permit is valid for the duration of your academic program in Canada.

If you are from a country that requires an entry visa (TRV) OR an eTA, this will be issued for you upon approval of your study permit – you do not make a separate application for a travel visa. On approval, you will be given a visa or eTA and a letter of introduction to travel to Canada and you will be issued your study permit upon arriving at the Port of Entry in Canada.

When to Apply

The Study Permit application process can be lengthy. It is very important you apply for the permit as soon as you receive the Provincial Attestation Letter and Proof of Acceptance letter. We recommend applying a minimum of 3-4 months before your program start date. Be sure to check with IRCC to determine the estimated processing time based on your country of application.

Provincial Attestation Letter (PAL) and Proof of Acceptance (POA) Letter

You will need your PAL and a POA (also called Letter of Acceptance) to submit with your Study Permit application. The PAL and POA will be available to download on your application portal, once you are eligible for a PAL and you have paid the required deposit by the deadline.

Please note that OGS Canada does not issue PALs or POAs. These documents are generated automatically in your portal once you are eligible.

Payments

For payment information, please see the Student Financial Services webpage on Billing.

Students may apply for their Study Permit via an online application portal or via paper application. You also have the option of using the services of an authorized third party application collection service, called a Visa Application Centre (VAC). If you are able, apply using the online application portal, as generally, online applications are processed more quickly than paper applications. Estimated processing times per country are available on the IRCC site.

All the information you need for the Study Permit application process is available on the IRCC website. This process is not managed by Northeastern University and we do not have additional insight into processing times or delays.

If you choose to use the services of an immigration advisor or lawyer to assist you with your application, please be certain to choose someone who is legally permitted to represent you to IRCC. To determine if a person is an authorized representative, please read the guidelines here. Additionally, check the CICC webpage on top tips to prevent immigration fraud.

Documents Required for Initial Study Permit

Please visit the official IRCC website for the complete details.

Please make sure to also read the visa office specific guidelines for your country of nationality.

Provincial Attestation Letter

Starting in 2024, the Government of Canada introduced the Provincial Attestation Letter (PAL), a new requirement for international students applying for a study permit to begin graduate studies in Fall 2025 and Spring/Winter 2026. For more details, visit the Government of Canada website. All international students applying for a program at a Northeastern University Canadian campus will need to have a PAL from Northeastern to apply for their study permit.

You can find detailed information here.

Study Permit Application Support

To support your study permit application, the Office of Global Services (OGS) is hosting virtual preparation sessions. It is highly recommended that students attend one of the many sessions prior to submitting your study permit application. For more information attending a study permit information session, please visit the OGS Canada Information Sessions webpage.

FYI: Program End Date/Completion Date

You will need to use the estimated amount of time shown on your POA in the Length of Program section to provide an estimate of your Completion Date. For example, if your POA states:

Completion Date: N/K
Or minimum 20 months of full-time studies

Then your Completion Date should be estimated as 20 months after your Program Start Date. We cannot provide students with a specific date, as the length of time varies with every student depending on co-op opportunities, leaves of absence, course schedules etc. You will be able to apply for Study Permit Extension if you ended up needing more time to complete the program.

New Policy Updates – December 2023

As a reminder, starting January 1, 2024, the cost-of-living financial requirement for study permit applicants will be raised so that international students are financially prepared for life in Canada. Moving forward, this threshold will be adjusted each year when Statistics Canada updates the low-income cut-off (LICO). LICO represents the minimum income necessary to ensure that an individual does not have to spend a greater than average portion of income on necessities.

For 2024, a single applicant will need to show they have $20,635, representing 75% of LICO, in addition to their first year of tuition and travel costs. This change will apply to new study permit applications received on or after January 1, 2024.

Please monitor IRCC webpage for detailed updates of the proof of financial support for study permit applications.

Ensure you have claimed your Northeasterm Student account and you have set up your Northeastern student email in Outlook. You will get an account claim email from the Northeastern team sometime after you confirm your enrolment. For more information please check here.

All further communications such as Pre-Arrival Orientation, travelling to Canada, and purchasing mandatory health insurance will come to your Northeastern student email. Ensure that you set up your account and you are checking your student emails regularly.

You may also apply for a co-op permit when you apply for your study with your initial study permit.  

• You may upload your POA document as your “School Letter” to the IRCC portal as proof that Co-Op is part of your program. You may be given a Co-op work permit at the border with your Study Permit. 

For more information about co-op permits and work during your co-op see the Co-op Permit page. 

If your application is approved, the visa office serving your country of residence/citizenship will issue you a Letter of Introduction. Please read through your Letter of Introduction/Port of Entry letter (POE) closely and carefully. Further instructions related to requirements for a Temporary Resident Visa (TRV), Entry Visa, or eTA will be included in this letter. Please note that it is imperative that you take any next steps outlined in your Letter of Introduction (POE) in a timely manner. Do not book your travel arrangements to Canada until you’ve received your Letter of Introduction.