Study Permit Not Approved Before Your New Semester? Tips and Solutions

In light of housing shortages caused by the rapid increase in international students and the limited capacity of educational institutions, Canada introduced caps on the number of study permits issued, allocated by province and territory, announced on January 22, 2024. In addition, since January 22, 2024, most study permit applications must include a Provincial Attestation Letter (PAL) issued by the provincial or territorial government, and you cannot apply for a study permit to a school that has no allocation.

Processing is slower than usual, and there are more and more cases where applications from Japan take more than 10 weeks (as of August 7, 2025; processing times change frequently, so check IRCC’s current processing times before you apply). The main reason at the moment is the surge of applications for schools starting in September. Because processing is significantly more delayed than in previous years, there is a growing risk that permits will not be issued in time for your travel or study start date, and you may need to review your schedule.

To study in a program of six months or longer in Canada, you need a study permit. You cannot attend school with visitor status. Whether you applied from inside or outside Canada, you are not allowed to attend school until your study permit has been issued. However, if you apply from inside Canada to extend your study permit for the same school (same DLI number), you may continue studying while your application is being processed.

If your study permit is not issued by your school start date, you will need to take the following steps.

• If you applied from inside Canada: change your class start date or enrollment date with the school
• If you applied from outside Canada: in addition to changing your class start date or enrollment date,
  you will need to obtain a new Letter of Acceptance (LOA) reflecting the new start or enrollment date, and adjust your flights and accommodation.

We do not recommend traveling to Canada as a visitor (without a visa) while the study permit you applied for from outside Canada is still being processed. Border officers are aware that you have a pending study permit application. Entry for the purpose of studying for six months or longer will be refused under visitor status.

If you are told at the border to “travel only after you receive the decision on your application” and are refused entry, that refusal will stay on your record for life, so this is a situation you should avoid at all costs.

If you do manage to enter as a visitor while concealing your plan to study, you will receive the approval letter for your study permit (Port of Entry Letter of Introduction, or POE letter) by email while in Canada. You will then need to leave Canada and re-enter with that letter, which means extra cost and hassle.

Naturally, you need to apply with plenty of time to spare. Processing times fluctuate, becoming longer or shorter depending on how busy Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) is and other factors. As soon as you receive your Letter of Acceptance (LOA) and PAL (the provincial attestation letter), start preparing your application.

If you start your application about five months before your school start date, you can usually wait for the decision with peace of mind.

You can check current processing times on the IRCC website.

Some people may think, “I have a Letter of Acceptance and a PAL, so I can attend school,” but in reality you cannot attend school without the study permit that is issued after your application has been processed and approved.

A Letter of Acceptance only proves that the school has agreed to accept you; you cannot go to school unless you obtain a study permit.

If you have decided to attend a school that requires a study permit, you have probably spent a long time planning your study in Canada and applying. So that all that planning does not go to waste, include “getting your study permit” in your plan and prepare thoroughly.

The requirements for study permit applications have changed frequently over the past few years. Many people who prepare and submit applications on their own run into trouble, such as “I prepared based on outdated information” or “I overlooked a required document,” and applications not based on the latest rules are very common.

Immigration consulting firms such as Shiraishi Visa JP Canada always prepare applications based on the latest information and rules. Shiraishi Visa JP Canada handles more than 300 study permit applications on behalf of clients every year, and since early last year, when rule changes were especially frequent, requests for our application services have increased and we have helped many clients.

For many people, traveling on a study permit is their first step toward Canada. You want to avoid stumbling at this first step.

Whether you feel that applying for a study permit seems difficult or you simply want to be sure of getting off to a good start, please consider Shiraishi Visa JP Canada’s application services. With our extensive track record, you can leave your application to us with confidence.

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