How to Extend Your Study Permit

Last verified: July 6, 2026 · Official source: canada.ca — Extend your study permit or restore your status

General information, not legal or immigration advice. For advice on your situation, consult a licensed RCIC or immigration lawyer.

The bottom line

If you want to keep studying in Canada past your current study permit's expiry date, you need to apply to extend it before it expires. Apply on time and you can generally keep studying under maintained status while IRCC decides — apply late (or not at all) and you risk a gap where you're not allowed to study.

When to apply

Apply online, and apply at least 30 days before your current permit expires. IRCC recommends applying as early as your situation allows — processing times vary, and maintained status only protects you if you applied before the old permit expired.

How to apply

Follow Guide 5552 ("Applying to change conditions or extend your stay — student"). You'll generally need:

a current letter of acceptance or proof of continued enrolment at your DLI,
proof of funds meeting the current financial requirement (see below), and
a valid passport that won't expire before your requested permit end date.

Maintained status while you wait

If you apply before your permit expires and remain in Canada, you're on maintained status — you can keep studying under your same conditions until a decision is made. This is why applying with time to spare matters: if you wait until after expiry, you lose this protection and may have to stop studying.

The passport cap

A study permit cannot be issued beyond your passport's expiry date. If your passport is close to expiring, renew it first — otherwise your new study permit will be capped to match the shorter passport validity, or your application may be affected.

The financial requirement applies to extensions too

Since the financial-requirement changes that took effect January 1, 2024, you must show you can still cover your costs when you extend — not just when you first applied. The living-cost figure for a single applicant outside Quebec is CAD $22,895 (current since September 1, 2025). TODO: verify this figure is still current on the study-permit financial-support page — IRCC updates it periodically. See Proof of Funds for a Study Permit for the full breakdown, and note Quebec has its own, higher figure.

Cap exemption for existing students

If you're extending your permit at the same DLI and the same level of study, you're exempt from needing a new PAL / TAL — you don't need to go through the cap/PAL allocation process again. Changing schools or level of study is different — see Changing Schools (DLIs) on a Study Permit.

If your permit already expired: restoration

If your study permit expired before you applied to extend it, you may still be able to apply to restore your status — but only within 90 days of the expiry date. Restoration is a stricter, separate process:

You cannot study (or work) while your restoration application is pending — you don't have maintained status.
You'll need a new PAL/TAL for the restoration application, even if you're staying at the same DLI and level.
If the 90 days pass without applying, restoration is no longer available and you'd need to leave Canada and reapply from outside.

TODO: verify current restoration/PAL requirements directly on the restore-your-status page before de-noindexing — this area is detail-sensitive.

Quick checklist

Apply online, ≥30 days before expiry — ideally sooner.
Confirm your passport is valid long enough.
Gather proof of funds meeting the current figure.
Staying at the same school and level? You're exempt from a new PAL.
Permit already expired? You have 90 days to apply for restoration — and you can't study meanwhile.

→ Study Permit Conditions: What You Must Do to Keep Your Status → Changing Schools (DLIs) on a Study Permit → Proof of Funds for a Study Permit → PAL, TAL & the International Student Cap → Back to Study in Canada

Sources

General information, not legal or immigration advice. Rules change — always confirm the current requirements on canada.ca and consult a licensed RCIC or immigration lawyer for advice on your situation.