When to Travel on a Canadian Study Permit: Entry Timing and Documents

A study permit is “a permit obtained in order to attend school,” so when you travel to Canada on a study permit should be decided based on your school’s start date. The Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) website states: “You should just give yourself a reasonable amount of time to prepare before you start studying.” In other words, IRCC does not specify a clear period either, and what counts as “a reasonable amount of time” is open to interpretation. Among the clients who have contacted us, we have seen a number of cases where people arrived more than a month before their school started and were refused entry. For this reason, we recommend entering Canada no earlier than one month before your school starts.

Example: School starts September 1 → travel on or after August 1

If your school changes after your study permit application has been approved, you will need to submit a new study permit application. Please note that even if you enter Canada with an approval letter that was applied for and issued based on another school’s letter of acceptance, you will not be able to attend the school you want to go to.

If you are staying at the same school and only your start date changes, you will need the following documents:

• A document showing that the school has approved the deferral of your start date
• A Letter of Acceptance with the new start date
• A valid (unexpired) approval letter from IRCC (also called a Letter of Introduction or POE Letter)

The required documents listed on the IRCC website are as follows:

• Passport
• Approval letter (Letter of Introduction / POE Letter)
• Letter of Acceptance
• Any documents the visa office instructed you to bring
• An eTA, a TRV (Temporary Resident Visa) for citizens of countries that require one, or a Green Card for U.S. permanent residents
• Proof of funds (bank balance certificate)
  *Issued within one month before your departure. If you are traveling alone, please have a balance of at least CAD $23,448 (IRCC’s cost-of-living amount for a single applicant applying on or after September 1, 2026). This amount is updated every year, so check the latest figure on IRCC’s proof of financial support page.
• If you plan to attend a program that requires a medical exam, the documents issued when you took the exam at an IRCC-designated clinic (such as e-Medical)

When you arrive in Canada, the immigration examination proceeds in the following steps:

1. Complete the entry procedure at a “kiosk” in the airport
2. Take the printed receipt and line up
3. Hand your passport and receipt to a CBSA (Canada Border Services Agency) officer and say, “I need a Study Permit”
4. You will be directed to the immigration office
5. Present your passport, approval letter and other required documents
   *Present other documents when the officer asks you to. If you had a medical exam in advance at an IRCC-designated clinic, be sure to also present the documents issued by the clinic, such as e-Medical, together with your passport.
6. Once your study permit is issued, check its details on the spot
7. Pick up your luggage and hand the kiosk receipt to a CBSA officer at the exit to complete your entry

Be sure to check that the following details are correctly printed on your permit:

• Your name (surname and given name) is spelled correctly
• The expiry date covers your study period, or runs until your passport’s expiry date
  *If your passport expires before the end of your study period, the permit will be issued only until your passport’s expiry date
• If you took a medical exam, check that no condition prohibiting work in healthcare or child care has been included
• If you will attend a college for six months or longer, check that one of the following conditions is included (language schools and language courses attached to colleges are not eligible)

MAY WORK 24 HOURS PER WEEK OFF CAMPUS OR FULL-TIME DURING REGULAR BREAKS IF MEETING CRITERIA OUTLINED IN PARAGRAPH 186(V) OF THE IMMIGRATION AND REFUGEE PROTECTION REGULATIONS (IRPR).

MAY ACCEPT EMPLOYMENT ON OR OFF CAMPUS IF MEETING ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA, PER PARAGRAPH 186(F), (V) OR (W) OF THE IRPR, AND MUST CEASE WORKING IF NO LONGER MEETING THESE CRITERIA.

If any details are incorrect or missing, ask for a correction on the spot.

If you attend an academic program of six months or longer, such as a college program, you are allowed to work 24 hours per week, but you can only start working after your school starts. Even if you arrive early, you cannot work before school begins. Working before then is unauthorized work and will negatively affect future visa and permanent residence (PR) applications.

In addition, you need a Social Insurance Number (SIN) to work in Canada. You can apply for a SIN at a nearby Service Canada office or online, so be sure to apply early.

For details, please check the official Service Canada page.

Getting your study permit approved is the first step toward Canada, but your life in Canada begins after you receive your study permit. Prepare so that you can enter Canada without problems, and don’t forget to check your permit so that it is issued with the correct information.

If, while attending school, you start thinking about staying in Canada long-term, please contact Shiraishi Visa JP Canada!

Free Consultations and Inquiries

Feel free to get in touch!