An international student studying in Canada should always have in their mind the expiry date of their study permit marked on the top right corner of the permit. Usually, the date will be equal to the length of the study program, plus an additional 90 days. These 90 days give students enough time to prepare to leave Canada or extend their stay in the country.
When to extend a study permit
Following are some situations when you want to extend your study permit:
You want to continue your studies in Canada
You need to extend your study permit if you’re going to continue your studies in Canada. However, you should apply for a study permit extension within 90 days after completing your previous study program. Your school needs to be a Designated Learning Institution for you to be eligible to apply for an extension of the study permit. Suppose you applied for an extension before your study permit expired but haven’t received a government decision on your application. In that case, you might continue to stay in Canada under implied status.
You want to stay in Canada after the study period
If you want to stay in Canada even after completing your studies, you have two options. Either you must apply for a Post-graduation Work Permit (PGWP), or you may apply for a visitor visa. If you have applied for a work permit, you cannot keep studying while waiting for the government’s decision on your application. Neither can you work until your application is approved. During this period, you may continue to stay in Canada as a temporary resident.
If you want to travel outside Canada
If you want to travel outside the country but your study permit will expire when you are outside, your study permit needs to be extended before you leave the country. You may apply for extending your study permit online, and that will cost $150. If your biometrics has expired, you need to pay an additional $85 as a biometrics fee.
In any case, it is ideal to start the extension process three months before your study permit expires. It would help if you remembered that you could not extend your study permit beyond your passport’s expiry date. Further, once your study permit is expired, you cannot continue to study in Canada until your student status is restored.
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How to apply online for extension of a study permit
First, you need to create a MyCIC account on the IRCC website. Then you have to complete a questionnaire after which, you will get a checklist of application forms and required documents. The documents that almost all the students need to submit for the extension of the study permit include:
- Letter of Enrolment
- Proof of means of financial support
- A valid passport
- Digital photo
- Letter of explanation
- Medical exam
- Family information form
- Application for Temporary Residence
- Biometrics
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How to fill out the application form successfully
It would help if you keep certain things in mind while applying for an extension of the study permit. Missing or incorrect information may negatively affect the outcome of your application. To avoid that, you may do the following:
Always download the newest forms, especially since the IRCC makes periodic updates to their application forms. Once you finish filling the application, you may click on the Validate button and the missing information will be highlighted. You may edit and validate the application as many times as you need. Once complete, you may save and upload the final form. You are also advised to take screenshots as you apply, and those may come in handy if anything wrong happens after submitting your application.
If your application is approved, IRCC will send the new study permit to your mail address. You may also save a digital copy.
Once you receive the new study permit, you must do the following things:
- Add the expiry date of your new study permit in the Student Service Centre website’s Reminder system
- Extend the Medical Services Plan
- Extend the Social Insurance Number if you have one
- If you are outside Canada, apply for a new Temporary Resident Visa to enter the country.
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