The route to verify
Use IRCC’s current study-permit process. The Student Direct Stream ended in November 2024; a new applicant should not buy an SDS package. Attestation and other requirements must be checked for the actual category.
Bachelor decisions
Verify the institution and exact programme, not just a city or campus brand. Ask what award is granted and how transfer or progression works.
Master decisions
Separate university Master’s study from other postgraduate credentials. Check the specific programme’s admission, permit and future-work conditions independently.
Phd decisions
Get the doctoral offer and funding package in writing. Confirm current category-specific document rules rather than reusing an undergraduate checklist.
What you can do next
Build a programme identity record: institution, campus, credential, mode of study, start date and official admissions contact. Check the current IRCC document list against that record.
Application and arrival checkpoints
Verify the programme and offer; determine applicable attestation documents or exemptions from current IRCC instructions; prepare funding evidence; submit the official application; follow biometrics or other requests; read decision and border-entry instructions.
India-based applicants: use the authority’s current location/jurisdiction instructions for your actual residence. Do not assume every Indian applicant uses the same appointment centre.
Five money questions to keep separate
- Tuition payable
- Use the institution invoice: amount due, payee, deadline and what it covers.
- Proof of funds
- Use the applicable authority’s current evidence rules. A spending budget and an acceptable document are different checks.
- Deposits locked
- Record refund conditions and the earliest realistic return date. Do not count locked money twice.
- Loan availability
- Ask the lender which conditions remain before release and whether the required letter can be issued.
- Living costs after arrival
- Price actual housing, insurance, transport and a buffer without assuming you will find a job.
A practical risk worth resolving
Do not treat enrolment as a promise of a later work permit. Keep tuition-refund terms and any future eligibility assessment separate.
Work, post-study plans and family
Work, graduate-route and family conditions depend on your permit category and application date. Check the responsible authority before making plans. Work permission is not a job promise; do not fund compulsory costs with uncertain future earnings.
Official references and verification limits
Official route references checked on 17 October 2026. This decision guide does not set visa thresholds, work-hour limits or family entitlements. Read the applicable official checklist before applying.
Before applying, confirm the exact category, filing location, effective date, funds, work, post-study and family conditions with the responsible authority. Unresolved requirements must be checked before payment.