l e a p b i g

Student Visa

Home
Student Visa

UK Student Visa

Here are the details and procedures for obtaining a student visa in the UK:

Overview

You can apply for a Student visa to study in the UK if you’re 16 or over and you:

have been offered a place on a course by a licensed student sponsor
have enough money to support yourself and pay for your course – the amount will vary depending on your circumstances
can speak, read, write and understand English
have consent from your parents if you’re 16 or 17 – you’ll need evidence of this when you apply

If you’re 16 or 17 and you want to study at an independent school in the UK, you may be eligible for a Child Student visa instead.

This visa has replaced the Tier 4 (General) student visa.

If you or your family are from the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein

If you or your family member started living in the UK by 31 December 2020, you may be able to apply to the free EU Settlement Scheme.

The deadline to apply was 30 June 2021 for most people. You can still apply if either:

you have a later deadline – for example, you’re joining a family member in the UK
you have ‘reasonable grounds’ for being unable to apply by 30 June 2021 – for example, you had an illness or were the victim of domestic abuse

When to apply

When you can apply depends on whether you’re applying from inside or outside the UK.

Applying from outside the UK

The earliest you can apply for a visa is 6 months before you start your course.

You’ll usually get a decision on your visa within 3 weeks.

Applying from inside the UK

The earliest you can apply is 3 months before your course starts.

You must apply before your current visa expires. Your new course must begin within 28 days of your current visa expiring.

You’ll usually get a decision within 8 weeks.

How long you can stay

How long you can stay depends on the length of your course and what study you’ve already completed in the UK.

If you’re 18 or over and your course is at degree level, you can usually stay in the UK for up to 5 years. If it’s below degree level, you can usually stay in the UK for up to 2 years.

Staying longer in the UK

You may be able to:

extend your visa if you’re eligible, for example to continue your studies in the UK
switch to a Student visa from another visa if you’re already in the UK
switch to a Graduate visa to stay in the UK for at least 2 years after successfully completing your course

When you can travel to the UK

You can arrive before your course starts. This can be either:

up to 1 week before, if your course lasts 6 months or less
up to 1 month before, if your course lasts more than 6 months
You must not travel to the UK before the start date given on your visa, no matter when your course starts.

Fees

It costs:

£363 to apply for a Student visa from outside the UK
£490 to extend or switch to a Student visa from inside the UK

You must pay the visa fee for each person that joins you.

Healthcare surcharge

You’ll also have to pay the healthcare surcharge as part of your application. How much you pay depends on

how long your visa lasts. Check how much you’ll have to pay before you apply.

Your partner and children

You may be able to bring your partner and children (‘dependants’).

What you can and cannot do

You can:

study
work as a student union sabbatical officer

You may be able to work – how much depends on what you’re studying and whether you’re working in or out of term-time.

You cannot:

claim public funds (benefits) and pensions
work in certain jobs, for example as a professional sportsperson or sports coach
be self-employed
study at an academy or a local authority-funded school (also known as a maintained school)

If your application is successful, you’ll be told what you can and cannot do on a Student visa.

Canada Students Visa

Here are the details and procedures for obtaining a student visa in Canada:

About The Process

What is a study permit?

The study permit is a document we issue that allows foreign nationals to study at designated learning institutions (DLIs) in Canada. Most foreign nationals need a study permit to study in Canada. Make sure you have all the documents you need before you apply. You should apply before you travel to Canada.

Your study permit is not a visa. It doesn’t let you enter Canada. You may also need a visitor visa or an electronic travel authorization (eTA). If we approve your study permit, we’ll issue one to you with your study permit.

Who Can Apply

Eligibility requirements

You can come to Canada to study if you

are enrolled at a DLI
prove you have enough money to pay for
- your tuition fees
- living expenses for yourself and any family members who come with you to Canada and
- return transportation for yourself and any family members who come with you to Canada
obey the law, have no criminal record and get a police certificate (if required)
are in good health and get a medical exam (if required) and
prove to an officer that you will leave Canada when your study permit expires

Your responsibilities

While studying in Canada you must

make progress towards completing your program
respect any conditions listed on your study permit
stop studying if you no longer meet the requirements

Depending on your case, there may be conditions on your study permit such as

if you’re allowed to work in Canada
if you’re allowed to travel within Canada
the specific date you must leave Canada
where you can study (a specific DLI listed on your permit)
- You must change your DLI in your IRCC secure
- account before you can study at a different DLI.
whether youneed an immigration medical examination

Get The Right Documents

You need these documents to apply for a study permit:

proof of acceptance
proof of identity
proof of financial support
You may also need

a letter of explanation

an attestation of issuance of your Quebec Acceptance Certificate (CAQ)
a medical exam
a custodian declaration (minors only), or
other documents
- if we request documents from you for an application in progress

Proof of acceptance

Your school must send you a letter of acceptance. Include the original or electronic copy of your letter with your study permit application.

Conditional acceptance and prerequisite courses

If you’ve been conditionally accepted, you need to take prerequisite courses. For example, these might be English as a second language or French as a second language courses. You must complete these before you can start your main study program.

If this is the case, we’ll only issue your study permit for the length of those courses plus 1 year. Once you’re accepted into your main program, you’ll need to apply for a new student permit to extend your stay as a student.

Exceptions

If you’re the family member of someone who has a study permit or work permit application that’s been approved in writing before you come to Canada, you don’t need a letter of acceptance.

Proof of identity

When applying for your study permit, you and each family member who comes with you to Canada must have

a valid passport or travel document
- Online applicants: Upload a copy of the information page of your passport when you apply online.
  - If you’re approved, you must send us your original passport.
- Citizens of the United States have some options on the identification documents they can carry.
- Lawful permanent residents of the United States must travel with a valid green card (or equivalent official proof of status in the U.S.) and a valid passport from their country of nationality (or an equivalent document).
two recent passport-size photos
- The name and date of birth of the person should be written on the back of each photo.

Proof of financial support

You must prove that you can support yourself and the family members who come with you while you are in Canada.

You can prove your funds with

proof of a Canadian bank account in your name, if you’ve transferred money to Canada
a Guaranteed Investment Certificate (GIC) from a participating Canadian financial institution
proof of a student or education loan from a bank
your bank statements for the past 4 months
a bank draft that can be converted to Canadian dollars
proof you paid tuition and housing fees
a letter from the person or school giving you money, or
proof of funding paid from within Canada, if you have a scholarship or are in a Canadian-funded educational program

Minimum funds needed to support yourself as a student (and family members who come with you)

Outside Quebec

Persons coming to Canada	Amount of funds required per year (not including tuition)	Amount of funds required per month (not including tuition)
You (the student)	CAN$10,000	CAN$833
First family member	CAN$4,000	CAN$333
Every additional accompanying family member	CAN$3,000	CAN$255

Example

If you and 2 family members want to come to a province (other than Quebec) for a year, you will need

living expenses: $10,000 (for the student)
living expenses: $4,000 (for the first family member)
living expenses: $3,000 (for the second family member)
Total: $17,000

In Quebec

Persons coming to Canada	Amount of funds required per year (not including tuition)	Amount of funds required per month (not including tuition)
1 person under the age of 18	CAN$6,569	CAN$547
1 person aged 18 or over	CAN$13,134	CAN$1,095
2 people aged 18 or over	CAN$19,264	CAN$1,605
2 people aged 18 or over and 1 person under the age of 18	CAN$21,579	CAN$1,798
2 people aged 18 or over and 2 people under the age of 18	CAN$23,290	CAN$1,941

If your country uses foreign-exchange controls, you must prove that you’ll be allowed to export funds for all of your expenses.

Letter of explanation

This letter helps the visa officer to understand you and your goals. It explains

why you want to study in Canada
that you understand your responsibilities as a student

You should include this letter if you decide to apply for a study permit, even if you don’t have to get a study permit for your program.

Quebec Acceptance Certificate

If you want to study in Quebec for longer than 6 months, you need an attestation of issuance of your Quebec Acceptance Certificate (CAQ) issued by the Government of Quebec. Your school can tell you how to apply for the CAQ.

Find out about the process and the documents you need for studying in Quebec.

If you plan to study in Quebec for less than 6 months, you can apply for a study permit without a CAQ.

Medical exam

You may need a medical exam if any of these situations apply to you:

You plan to stay in Canada for more than 6 months.
You recently spent time in certain countries.
You plan to work in certain jobs where public health must be protected.

Custodian declaration (minor children)

If the minor requires a custodian, you must include the Custodianship Declaration form (PDF, 1.02 MB) with your application. It has 2 pages that must be notarized (certified by a notary) and then included with your study permit application.

The custodian in Canada must sign the first page, and the parents or legal guardians of the minor child in the child’s home country must sign the second page.

How to apply

Generally, you must apply for a study permit before you come to Canada. Some people can apply for a study permit from within Canada. In some cases, you can apply when you arrive in Canada at the port of entry. Make sure you understand which option is available to you.

Get your documents ready

When you apply, you should submit

a letter of acceptance from the designated learning institution (DLI) you’ll be attending
as many of the documents needed for a complete application as possible
- We won’t be able to finalize your study permit until you’ve submitted a complete application.
- Waiting to submit documents will cause delays in processing.
a letter of explanation for any documents that are missing due to COVID-19

If you plan to study in Quebec, you must provide a valid attestation of issuance of your Quebec Acceptance Certificate (CAQ).

Apply online

If you’re applying for a study permit, you must apply online, whether you’re outside of Canada or already in Canada.

You’re only eligible to apply on paper if you

have a disability that prevents you from applying online
hold an identity or travel document for non-national residents, refugees or stateless persons

After you apply

Book your biometrics collection appointment as soon as you can to avoid processing delays.

Your fingerprints and photo (biometrics)

Temporary changes to biometrics

Book your biometric appointment as soon as you can to avoid processing delays.

If you can’t book an appointment by the deadline on your biometric instruction letter, there may be measures in place to help you.
- Measures for Ukrainian nationals and their family members
- Measures for other applicants affected by the situation in Europe
We process your study permit application

We’ll check your application to make sure you have all the necessary documents. If it’s incomplete, we may return your application without processing it, or request the missing documents.

We may also ask you to:
- go to an interview with our officials in your country, or
- send us more information
You may also need to get a:
- medical exam (if required), or
- police certificate (if required)

Missing documents

If you weren’t able to submit all the required documents with your application, you can submit the missing documents through your online account or our web form.

We won’t process your study permit until you’ve submitted a complete application. Waiting to submit documents will cause delays in processing.

Updating Application

If you move or change your address, telephone number or any other contact information after you apply, you must update your application.

If we approve your application

You’ll get your study permit

at the port of entry when you arrive in Canada or
mailed to you, if you’re already in Canada

If you applied for your study permit from outside Canada

We’ll send you a port of entry letter of introduction that says you’re allowed to study in Canada. This letter is not your study permit.

You need to bring this letter with you and show it to a border services officer when you arrive in Canada. We’ll also send you an electronic travel authorization (eTA) or a visitor visa (temporary resident visa) to enter Canada, if you need one.

If you’re from a country where you need an eTA, the letter of introduction will include information about your eTA. Your eTA will be linked to your passport and is valid for 5 years or until your passport expires, whichever comes first. It’s important that you travel with the passport you used when you applied for your study permit.

If you’re from a country where you need a visitor visa, the visa will be in your passport. It’ll show if you can enter Canada once or multiple times. You must enter Canada before your visa expires.

If you’re a lawful permanent resident of the United States, travel with a valid green card (or equivalent official proof of status in the U.S.) and a valid passport from your country of nationality (or an equivalent document).

If you applied for your study permit from inside Canada

If you were eligible to apply from inside Canada

We’ll mail your study permit to the Canadian address you included in your application.

If you followed the instructions to apply for a study permit from outside Canada

In this case, you filled out the form called Application for Study Permit Made Outside of Canada [IMM 1294]. If your application is approved, you’ll get an approval letter that says you’re allowed to study in Canada. This letter is called the port of entry letter of introduction.
Once you have this letter, you must leave and ask to get your study permit on return to Canada.

Co-op work permits
If you applied for a co-op work permit as part of your study permit application and you only received your study permit, follow the instructions for how to apply as a co-op student or intern.

If we refuse your application

We’ll send you a letter explaining why.

We may refuse your application if you didn’t

show proof that you have enough money to support yourself while studying in Canada
pass your medical exam, if you needed to get one
convince the visa officer that your main purpose in Canada is to study or
convince the visa officer that you’ll leave Canada at the end of your study period

If you have questions about why you were refused, contact the visa office that sent you the refusal letter.

Prepare for arrival

Before you arrive, read the pre-departure guide for tips and information about student life in Canada.

To help ensure a smooth arrival in Canada, please check the Canadian Border Service Agency’s information for international students, and download their PDF pamphlet (PDF, 592 KB).

How early can you arrive in Canada before you start studying

There is no set time frame for you to arrive in Canada before you begin your studies. You should just arrive to give yourself a reasonable amount of time to prepare before you start studying.

You are not allowed to work on or off campus until you begin your studies in Canada.

Changing your designated learning institution if you’re outside Canada

If your application for a study permit has been approved and you change your designated learning institution, you must submit a new study permit application with a new letter of acceptance. You must also pay all the fees for the new application.

When you arrive in Canada

When you arrive in Canada, you’ll meet a border services officer who will make sure you meet some basic requirements. To enter Canada, you must

have a valid travel document, such as a passport
have the port of entry letter of introduction the visa office sent you when they approved your study permit
- This letter has your permit reference number, which we use to issue your study permit.
have a copy of a valid letter of acceptance from your school
have letters of reference or any other documents the visa office told you to bring
have a valid electronic travel authorization (eTA), a valid visitor visa (temporary resident visa), a valid green card (or equivalent official proof of U.S. status) or another valid travel document
- If you have a valid eTA, it’ll be linked to the passport you used to apply for your study permit.
have enough money for your stay (the amount you will need can vary—it depends on things such as how long you will stay, and whether you will stay in a hotel, or with friends or relatives)
be in good health
have no criminal or immigration-related convictions
convince an immigration officer that
- you have ties—such as a job, home, financial assets or family—that will take you back to your home country
- you will leave Canada at the end of your visit
have valid immigration medical exam results (if you needed one)
- Your exam is valid for 12 months from the day you get it.
- It must be valid the day you enter Canada.
- If your exam will expire before you enter Canada, you need to get another medical exam.
  - This applies even if your letter of introduction is still valid.
prove that you’ll leave Canada at the end of your stay

If you need proof you entered Canada

Your school or training facility may need you to prove you entered Canada. If you need proof of entry, make sure a border services officer stamps your passport before you leave Canadian customs. You may also be able to use a Primary Inspection Kiosk to stamp your passport.

Inadmissibility

Some people are inadmissible—they’re not allowed to come to Canada. Several things can make you inadmissible, including involvement in criminal activity, in human rights violations or in organized crime.

You can also be inadmissible for security, health or financial reasons.

While you study

While you’re studying in Canada as an international student, you must meet the conditions of your study permit and keep your profile information updated in your online account. If your study program is ending soon, you also need to know how long you can stay in Canada and what to do if you plan to stay longer.

Updating your profile information
- Changing schools
- Updating your contact information or documents
Changing the conditions of your study permit
How long your study permit is valid
- If you’re taking prerequisite courses
- If your study permit will expire before you finish your studies
- If you’ll finish your studies before your study permit expires
Staying in Canada after you graduate

Updating your profile information

If information in your profile changes, you must update it in your online account.

You may need to update your profile if you

change schools

need to update documents or your contact information

Changing schools

Before you change your school or program, you must meet all the conditions of your study permit. This means you must be

enrolled at a designated learning institution (DLI) and
actively studying while you’re in Canada

You need to update your online account or contact us if you

are a post-secondary student changing schools or

have a co-op work permit and have changed post-secondary schools to another co-op program

Updating your contact information or documents

Contact information

You must keep the contact information on your study permit up to date. If your contact information changes, use our web form to update it.

Medical exams

If you plan to leave Canada while you’re studying, you’ll need a new immigration medical exam (IME) to return if

you’re from a country that requires a valid IME to enter Canada and

your IME has expired or will expire while you’re outside of Canada

Changing the conditions of your study permit

If you want to change a condition on your study permit, you must apply.

How long your study permit is valid

A study permit is usually valid for the length of your study program, plus an extra 90 days. The 90 days let you either

prepare to leave Canada or
apply to extend your stay

The amount of time you can stay in Canada after you’ve completed your studies depends on whether

you’re taking prerequisite courses
your study permit will expire before you finish your studies
you’ll finish your studies before your study permit expires

If you’re taking prerequisite courses

If your school asks you to take courses before they accept you into the main program (you have conditional acceptance), your study permit will be valid for the length of those courses plus 1 year.

When you get accepted into the main program, you must apply to extend your stay as a student.

If your study permit will expire before you finish your studies

If your study permit will expire before you finish your courses, you must apply to extend your stay as a student.

If you don’t, you’ll need to stop studying and leave Canada.

If you’ll finish your studies before your study permit expires

If you finish your studies early, your study permit will stop being valid 90 days after you complete your studies, no matter what day is printed on the study permit.

Your studies are officially completed on the date your school first notifies you by any of the following:

completion letter
transcript
degree or diploma

You must provide proof of the date your school notifies you or the date you get your degree, diploma or certificate. If you don’t have proof, we’ll use the earliest issue date on the document. We may confirm this date with your school.

Staying in Canada after you graduate

You may be able to work temporarily or live permanently in Canada after you graduate.