Study Permit Application Information

Important: We recommend you check your personal checklist (generated based on your answers in the online eligibility questionnaire) for these and any other required documents. Please also remember check the country-specific application requirements provided by IRCC for additional documents that may be required or recommended.

Note: There is a $150 CAD processing fee.

Visit our Immigration Application Resources page for more info on submitting a study permit application.

Apply online using the IRCC's Online Application. Make sure to check current processing times and submit your application as soon as possible.

Please check the Initial Study Permit Application Webinar and Resource section on the YI website. This resource is to help guide newly admitted international students who are applying for a study permit for the first time.

Start by reviewing IRCC’s instruction guide for this application.

Admitted students also have access to the immigration advising hosted by York International's Student Advisors and Immigration Specialists. Please check the YI calendar for upcoming dates. 

Other considerations for your application:

If you need to notify IRCC about a change regarding your application, you can use their web form. 

If you wish to track the status of your application, you can create a special IRCC “tracker account” to do so (note: this is not the same account where you submitted the online application). 

Even if you already have a visa or travel authorization that may allow you to travel to Canada, we usually recommend waiting outside Canada for the study permit to be approved, because you are not generally eligible to begin studying until the study permit has been issued. 

If your application is approved, the Canadian visa office serving the country where you submitted your application will issue you an approval letter, known as a Port of Entry Letter (POE Letter) of a Letter of Introduction, and an entry visa or an eTA (if applicable). Do not book travel to Canada until you’ve received your Letter of Introduction. Present the letter to the border officer when you enter Canada to get the hard copy of your study permit.  

If you require a Temporary Resident Visa (TRV, also known as an entry or visitor visa), you will be asked to submit your passport so that the visa officer can affix the visa into it. You do not need to make a separate application.  

If you require an electronic Travel Authorization (eTA), you don’t have to submit your passport. An eTA will be issued electronically and associated with your passport number. Your eTA number and expiry date will be included in the Letter of Introduction.  

Find more information about entering Canada or check out our Arriving at the Canadian Border Pre-Arrival Webinar.  

If you decide to change schools after your study permit for York University has been approved, but before you travel to Canada, you must re-apply for a new study permit.

If you change schools after arriving in Canada, you will need to apply for a new study permit and receive an approval before you can begin your studies at the new school. You will need a new PAL for this application.

Please visit the IRCC page for details on changing schools. 

Please review the information about Initial Study Permit applications our Immigration Application Resources page first and complete the application to the best of your ability, while making note of any questions that you have. The immigration advising team at York International hosts regular Study Permit Application Webinars for new students who have paid their enrolment deposit throughout the year. Bring your questions to one of these sessions, where you can get more tips and have your questions answered by one of our licensed Immigration Specialists. All available sessions are listed on the York International Events Calendar. 

Make sure to pay your enrolment deposit as soon as possible to get an invitation to our study permit webinars.

You should still apply for your study permit, even if your offer of acceptance is conditional. In your application, include a clear explanation of how you plan to meet the conditions of your admission, when you expect to fulfill these conditions, i.e., the date you will submit your official transcript or proof of language proficiency to York University, and what documents you will provide to meet these requirements. Unconditional offers are generally not issued, and your original letter of acceptance will not be re-issued after the conditions are cleared.

Estimated processing times give an idea of how long an application could take to be processed. Please be sure to apply well in advance of your program start date, monitor the status of your application closely, and respond to any request for additional information from IRCC in time, to avoid processing delays. If your application has not been processed beyond the normal processing times, you can use IRCC Application Tracker to review the status of your application or contact IRCC through web form .  

York University is in communication with IRCC on issues affecting internationals students at an institutional level, but we cannot intervene to speed up study permit/visa applications for individual students.   

Apply for your study permit as soon as you have the letter of acceptance, the Provincial Attestation Letter (PAL), and all other required documents ready. You should apply well in advance of your program start date to avoid processing delays but also be sure that your application is thorough and complete to minimize the risk of refusal. 

Generally, you must apply for a study permit before you come to Canada. Only citizens and permanent residents of the United States and residents of Greenland or St. Pierre et Miquelon can apply when entering Canada.  

You can check the estimated study permit application processing time for applications submitted from outside of Canada.  

If you applied through the in-Canada application process, and your previous study permit was still valid at the time of your application, you can remain in Canada under maintained status.  

Students transitioning from high school to post-secondary education in Canada may begin their post-secondary studies while their study permit extension is still in process, if they have a valid study permit or are on maintained status. 

Students transferring from another DLI to York must wait for their new study permit to be approved to begin studies. IRCC is prioritizing applications for students transferring between post-secondary DLIs and has committed to finalizing all outstanding applications in this category at the earliest possibility. 

If you are in Canada, you can contact IRCC  through their in-Canada call centre (1-888-242-2100) or through their web form. 

If you are outside Canada, you can contact IRCC through their web form. 

Each section will only allow one file to be uploaded. You will need to use software to merge the documents into a single file that is an acceptable format (ie. PDF) and fits within the file size limits. 

IRCC provides instructions in their Help Centre.

IRCC has confirmed that the mailing address on your PAL can be different than the address you are using on your study permit application. You do not need a new PAL if the addresses don't match. As each Designated Learning Institution only has a limited number of PALs, York will not issue more than one PAL per student.

An exception may be made for students who receive a study permit refusal.

Yes, a new PAL is required if you have received a refusal and wish to re-apply. 

Please follow the steps below to request a new PAL and to receive additional application support: 

1. Fill out the study permit refusal advising request form. 
2. If you do not receive a response after 5 business days, please attend a virtual drop-in advising session to speak with one of our International Student Advisors or send us a follow-up email at iadvisor@yorku.ca. Find schedule and zoom links of virtual drop-in advising sessions by searching “international student advising” on Events Calendar. 

After submitting the study permit refusal advising request form, an International Student Advisors (ISA) will review your case and follow up with you. Due to high demand, 1:1 appointments are not guaranteed and are offered only when necessary. Depending on your situation, the ISA may provide a written assessment with general guidance, or invite you to a 1:1 appointment if appropriate. 

You can also attend our Study Permit Refusals Webinar, a group session covering common reasons for refusal, tips to strengthen your reapplication and how to avoid common mistakes. To find the schedule and zoom link, search “study permit refusal” on Events Calendar.

To proceed with withdrawing your offer and requesting a deposit refund, here are the steps you should follow

1. Withdraw Your Offer

Please notify the admissions office or the appropriate program contact in writing that you will not be attending. If you’ve already enrolled in courses, be sure to drop them through the Registration and Enrolment Module (REM) as soon as possible. Not attending classes or failing to show up does not mean you are automatically withdrawn from your courses. To be eligible for a 100% tuition refund for the Fall 2025 term, you must drop your courses by September 10, 2025. 

2. Cancel Housing Reservation:

If you have reserved housing and will not be arriving, you must notify Housing & Conference Services. Any incoming resident who does not check into their room by the first day of classes and has not notified Housing & Conference Services of their late arrival will lose their room reservation and will incur a no-show fee of $500 to their student account. 

3. Request a Refund

• You can submit a refund request through the Student Financial Services – Refunds page. If you need any assistance, the best person to contact is the Student Support & Advising at contactssa@yorku.ca.  
• If your study permit was refused, you may be eligible for a full refund of your deposit. You’ll need to upload a copy of the refusal letter. 
• If you are withdrawing for personal reasons, refund eligibility will depend on the timing and the refund schedule. The deposit is generally non-refundable unless exceptional circumstances apply. 

If your study permit application is refused, York will return your enrolment deposit to you. You'll be asked to provide a copy of your refusal letter to York before your deposit is returned. For assistance with refund, please contact Student Support & Advising

Scholarships are applied to a student’s account in September when they begin their studies. The deposit is required shortly after you accept your offer. As a result, the scholarship cannot be used to pay your enrolment deposit.

All admitted undergraduate international students must pay the non-refundable $2000 CAD enrolment deposit. We cannot issue a PAL without this deposit.

The enrolment deposit must be paid shortly after you accept your offer while scholarships are applied to your student account in September. You will not be able to use any York scholarships or awards to pay the deposit.

Most new students will need a PAL.

However, even if you do not require a PAL, you will still be required to pay the deposit. All new students must pay a non-refundable deposit when they accept their offer to York so they can enrol in courses. Please ensure to pay your deposit as soon as possible after receiving your offer of admission.

Some international students are eligible to pay domestic fees. This includes those who have a work permit or who are dependents of a work permit holder. You can check the Academic Tuition Fees webpage for eligibility and to apply. 

Only students who have already been approved to pay domestic fees are able to pay the $300 deposit. If you still need a PAL, please contact the International Student Advisors at iadvisor@yorku.ca.  

If you have applied for a tuition category change but not yet heard back from York, please pay the non-refundable $2000 deposit. This amount will be applied to your tuition fee. 

International graduate students in programs (e.g. Schulich, Osgoode) that require a deposit for PAL should contact the graduate program office for assistance.

If you need to extend your study permit, check to see if York is listed as your Designated Learning Institution on your current study permit. 

If York is listed on your study permit and you will not be changing study levels, i.e. you're in undergraduate studies and remaining in undergraduate studies, you do not need a PAL. 

If York is not listed on your study permit and/or you will be changing study levels, i.e. going from undergraduate to a Master's degree, you will be required to submit a PAL with your extension application. 

Current international students may need a NEW study permit for a variety of reasons. Please contact the International Student Advisors at iadvisor@yorku.ca if you are unsure. We also recommend you speak with an academic advisor about your course selections or if you have deferred exams or grades. 

Students on exchange to York University do NOT require a PAL.

For any additional questions, please contact exchange@yorku.ca

Incoming exchange students to York University are NOT required to pay a tuition deposit. Students should proceed to accept their offer, and disregard the prompt to pay a deposit.

Students on exchange to York University for one semester (less than 6 months) typically do not require a study permit. Please refer to the following Government of Canada website and refer to section “Short-term courses [R188(1)(c)]”.

Students who will be studying for two semesters (more than 6 months) at York University WILL require a study permit. Once you receive the admission letter, please proceed to apply for the study permit to Canada.

Whether you’re coming to York for one semester or two, you may still need an entry visa or eTA. Visit the York International Entry Visa webpage for more information.

Global Affairs Canada Scholarship recipients are admitted to York University as either exchange students or international visiting research trainees (IVRT). Students coming to York on exchange will not require a PAL.  

Students coming under the IVRT program will need to complete the application process and further information will be provided by the immigration team about visas/permits required to enter Canada. Further questions about the Global Affairs Canada Scholarship can be directed Ashley Laracy, Associate Director, Global Learning at alaracy@yorku.ca. 

More information can be found on Immigration, Refugees & Citizenship Canada’s (IRCC) Study Permits website, and the official news release.

Rest assured that York will email you important information and updates as soon as they are available, to guide you through this process. Please check this FAQs page often for any additional updates.

Check out our Immigration Application Resources page as a first step. If your questions are not answered there, join a virtual drop-in advising to speak with an International Student Advisor. Find schedule here. 

International students who pay the enrolment deposit will also be invited to a Study Permit Application Webinar for New Students. To ensure you get an invitation, please pay your enrolment deposit as soon as you can.