Student Visa & Study Permit

Study permits in 2026: a changed landscape

Studying in Canada is still one of the best routes to a career and, eventually, permanent residence here — but the study-permit system has changed more in the last two years than in the decade before it, and applications that would have been approved in 2022 are now routinely refused. Getting a study permit right in 2026 means understanding the new rules before you apply, not after a refusal. As a licensed Toronto immigration lawyer, Inna Kogan helps students and families navigate the current landscape and build applications made to be approved.

Several changes matter most. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) introduced an intake cap on new study permits and now requires most college and undergraduate applicants to include a Provincial Attestation Letter (PAL) from the province. The financial requirement was sharply increased — single applicants must now show substantially more in available funds than the old $10,000 figure — and the funds must be demonstrably genuine and available, not just present on paper. The Student Direct Stream was discontinued, and eligibility rules for the Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP) were tightened, including field-of-study alignment for some applicants. Each of these is a place where a well-prepared application pulls ahead of a do-it-yourself one.

Building a study permit application that gets approved

A study permit is far more than a form. An officer must be satisfied that you are a genuine student, that you can afford your studies without unauthorized work, and that you will respect the conditions of your stay. Refusals cluster around a handful of issues — an unconvincing study plan, funds that are not clearly available or whose source is unexplained, and weak ties or purpose — and each can be addressed before you submit rather than after a refusal.

• A clear, personalized study plan that explains why this program, this school and now
• Proof of funds presented as genuine and available, with the source documented
• A Provincial Attestation Letter (PAL) where one is required
• Addressing “dual intent” honestly so a future PR goal does not sink the application
• A complete, consistent application that pre-empts an officer’s concerns

If your study permit was refused

A refusal is not the end of your plans. The first step is to understand exactly why the application failed — the refusal letter is often generic, but the officer’s notes (the GCMS notes) reveal the real reasoning. From there, there are two paths: a stronger fresh application that fixes the weaknesses, or, where the decision was legally unreasonable, an application for judicial review at the Federal Court of Canada asking the Court to set the refusal aside.

Choosing correctly matters, and the deadline for judicial review is short — generally 15 days for a decision made inside Canada and 60 days for one made outside. As a licensed lawyer, Inna Kogan can do what a consultant cannot: assess whether your refusal is challengeable in court and, where it is, litigate it. Many study-permit refusals rest on reasoning that does not withstand scrutiny, and a Federal Court challenge can return the file for a fresh decision by a different officer.

Study permit extensions and keeping your status

Keeping your status valid is as important as getting it in the first place. A study permit can be extended from within Canada before it expires, provided you remain enrolled and eligible, and applying on time preserves your ability to keep studying while the extension is processed. Complications — a change of program or institution, a leave from studies, a gap in enrolment, or a permit that has already expired — all have solutions, but they are time-sensitive and easy to get wrong. Where status has been lost, restoration may be possible within a limited window, and we help students act quickly to protect their standing.

From study permit to permanent residence

For many students, the study permit is the first step on a deliberate path to staying in Canada permanently. A Canadian credential plus skilled Canadian work experience through a Post-Graduation Work Permit builds a strong Express Entry profile — particularly for the Canadian Experience Class — and opens provincial nominee options such as the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program. The choices you make at the very start, including your program, institution and location, affect your PGWP eligibility and your later PR prospects, which is why planning the study-to-PR pathway from day one pays off. Inna Kogan maps that full journey for students across Toronto and the GTA, and litigates at the Federal Court when IRCC gets a decision wrong along the way.