IMMIGRATION SERVICES
Study Permits for Canada
Secure your place in Canada’s world-class education system with a properly prepared study permit application.
Start Your Canadian Education Right
Study permit refusals are among the most common refusals in Canadian immigration, usually over proof of funds, a weak study plan, or doubts that the applicant will leave Canada. As a Vancouver-based Canadian immigration lawyer, I prepare study permit applications that anticipate and answer those concerns before an officer raises them.
I work with students and their families at every stage: choosing the right strategy before applying, presenting bulletproof financial evidence, bringing spouses and children along, and planning ahead for the Post-Graduation Work Permit and permanent residence.
The journey
Before, during and after your studies
A study permit is rarely just a study permit, it’s usually the first step in a longer Canadian plan. Getting each stage right protects the next one.
Start here
First-time study permits
The application that sets up everything after it: acceptance letter, provincial attestation where required, finances, and a study plan an officer finds credible.
- Letter of acceptance & attestation requirements
- Proof of funds at current thresholds
- A study plan that answers the officer\u2019s questions
While you study
Status maintenance is where students most often stumble: work limits, co-op permits, changing schools or programs, and extensions filed on time.
- Off-campus work rules for students
- Co-op work permits
- Extensions, transfers & restoration
After you graduate
The pay-off stage: post-graduation work permits, spousal permits where eligible, and the transition from graduate to permanent resident.
Study Permit Services
Study Permit Applications
- Initial study permit applications
- Study plans & statements of purpose
- Proof of financial support strategy
- Minor children studying in Canada
- Spouses & family accompanying students
After You Arrive
- Study permit extensions
- Changing schools or programs, compliance
- Post-Graduation Work Permits (PGWP)
- Restoration of status
- Refused study permits, reapplication strategy
What officers look for
What decides a study permit
Study permits are refused more often than most applicants expect, usually on the same few grounds. A strong file answers them before they’re asked:
- A genuine study plan that makes sense for your background and career
- Funds that meet current thresholds, properly documented and sourced
- Ties and intentions consistent with respecting your status
- A clean record, prior refusals compound if left unaddressed
Good to know
Study permit questions, answered
Most refusals cite the same grounds: the officer wasn’t satisfied you’d leave at the end of your stay, doubted your finances, or found the study plan didn’t make sense for your profile. Each is answerable, with evidence, in advance.
Most full-time students can work off campus up to the current weekly limit (24 hours as of 2026) without a separate permit, and on campus without limits, but eligibility has conditions, and breaching work limits jeopardizes your status and future applications.
Spousal open work permits for students now depend on your program level and other criteria, the rules narrowed significantly in recent years. Whether your family qualifies should be confirmed before you plan around it.
PGWP eligibility depends on your institution, program type, length and, for some streams, field of study, and the rules have changed repeatedly. Verify eligibility before you enrol, not after you graduate.
Changing institutions or programs may require notifying IRCC or, in some cases, a new permit. Doing it incorrectly can invalidate your authorization to study, check the requirements before you switch.
Plan your studies in Canada.
Tell me about your program and goals, and I’ll build a study permit application designed to be approved, and a plan for what comes after graduation.