Canada: New Study Permit Mandatory For International Students Changing Universities

New regulations will soon apply to foreign students in Canada who intend to transfer to a different university, college, or school. If a student wants to change schools after May 1, 2025, they must renew their present study visa and apply for a new one.

In the past, students could easily notify Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) online when they were changing schools. This is a significant change. Now, there could be severe repercussions if you don't file for a new permit before switching, such as the study permit being revoked and the possibility of having your future employment or study permits disallowed.

The government already began tightening rules last year. Since November 8, 2024, international students have been required to stay enrolled at the designated learning institution (DLI) listed on their study permit. Changing DLIs without the proper permit extension is no longer allowed.

However, officials offered some flexibility for students preparing for the Winter or Spring 2025 semester. Students who were accepted into a new DLI were permitted to begin their new program while awaiting the processing of their study permit extension between January 1 and May 1, 2025, provided they fulfilled specific requirements:

- They had an official offer from the new DLI

- They applied for an extension of their permit.

- The DLI's name was not listed on their legal study permission.

- They continued following all existing permit conditions.

It’s important to note that this grace period was only available to students switching schools for the January-to-May 2025 window.

In order to prevent any disturbance in their studies or future plans, international students are advised to prepare ahead of time and ensure that they adhere to the current procedure when transferring to a new institution.