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Writer's pictureStudy in Canada Guide

Step 2: Get Your Documents Ready

Updated: Mar 16, 2022

Here’s a list of documents you need to apply for a study permit.


“What documents do I need in order to apply for a study permit?”

After obtaining your Letter of Acceptance from a Designated Learning Institution (DLI), the next thing that you need to do is to prepare all the necessary documents to lodge your application. I strongly recommend applying online rather than on paper for easier, faster processing times, and more environmentally-friendly option (since you don’t need to print and sign the forms!). The list of documents that I will mention below are for solo Student Permit applications, so if you plan to come with your spouse or children while you study in Canada, you may visit the IRCC website, and review the additional documents that you need to submit.


Before I share with you the document checklist, there are three important things that you need to highlight for a successful visa application:

  1. Purpose of Study - You have to make a strong case about the program that you are going to take and how it connects with your bachelor’s degree, your work experience, or your future career plans.

  2. Financial Capacity - Provide proof of financial capacity that you can support yourself and you have enough resources for your studies and necessary living expenses in Canada. In order to calculate the amount you’ll need, the IRCC provided a sample cost of living expenses here.

  3. Significant Ties to Your Home Country - Demonstrate to the immigration officer that you will return to your home country after finishing your program or when your study permit expires.

In order to submit your application, here are the 8 common documents that you need to upload to the online portal:

  1. Application for Study Permit Made Outside of Canada (IMM 1294) - each applicant who needs a study permit to study in Canada must complete this form, and upload it on the portal.

  2. Letter of Acceptance - A letter issued by a Designated Learning Institution (DLI) that you will be attending, and shows the amount of tuition fees, and the anticipated starting and finishing dates of your program

  3. Evidence of Work Requirement in Study - if your program has a mandatory work component like co-op or an internship term to complete your studies, you will receive an additional letter from the Canadian institution as documentation for a co-op permit application. You must upload this document to receive your co-op work permit.

  4. Passport - a scanned copy of the passport that shows your personal information and all the pages with stamps, visas, or markings.

  5. Proof of Means of Financial Support - You need to prove that you have sufficient funds to cover tuition, travel, and living costs in Canada. In this part, you can also show evidence that your spouse, parents, or sponsors are willing to support you. The IRCC has provided a list of documents you can submit to prove that you have enough resources, you may access it here.

  6. Digital Photo - Upload a digital photo taken against a plain white or light-colored background. The digital photo specification can be found here.

  7. Family Information (IMM5645) - This form must be completed by applicants who are 18 years old or older for a Temporary Resident Visa application; this is just a list of siblings and required family members.

  8. Letter of Explanation/Client Information/Study Plan - Although the portal says that this is optional, I recommend that you write a letter of explanation or statement of purpose (SOP) for your application. This is a chance for you to provide additional documents or clarification, and to coherently explain to the visa officer a summary of your proposed study and your career plans in support of your application.

Last, but not least, don’t forget to do a full review of all the documents before uploading it on the portal. The success of your application relies heavily on how you are going to present to the visa officer that you meet all the study permit requirements. And that’s it for the application stage! If you missed the pre-application stage blog, you can read it here.

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