Documents all students need
All students extending their study permit will need all of the following documents.
When possible, documents should be issued within 30 days of submitting your application to be considered recent. If you must provide several documents in a section, combine them into one file (such as a PDF) before uploading. The size limit is 4MB per file; you may need to reduce the file size.
If your documents are not in English or French, they must be accompanied by:
- the English or French official translation; and
- an affidavit from the person who completed the translation
Certified Translators in British Columbia
Letter of Enrolment (listed as ‘Letter of Acceptance’ on your MyCIC checklist)
This letter is required to explain details about your studies and help an officer determine the remaining time you need to complete your program.
Undergraduate Students
Download your Letter of Enrolment from the SSC under Grades & Records > Proof of Enrolment Letters.
Contact your academic advisor to get a Customized Enrolment Letter only if you:
- need additional time to complete your program, or
- need a study permit extension to cover the 90 days after your program completion, known as a “bridging extension”, or
- are applying during the summer before you can register for winter courses.
Your Customized Enrolment Letter should include your program, your current status as a student, and your expected completion date.
Important: Submit both a Letter of Enrolment and Customized Enrolment Letter (if required).
Graduate Students
Download your Letter of Enrolment from the SSC under Grades & Records > Proof of Enrolment Letters.
Contact your graduate staff/advisor in your program to also get a Customized Enrolment Letter only if:
- you need additional time to complete your program, or
- your Letter of Enrolment does not specify your estimated completion date, or
- you receive funding (i.e., teaching assistantship or research assistantship) as part of your program, which could also be used for your financial proof, or
- you need a study permit extension to cover the 90 days after your program completion, known as a “bridging extension”
Your Customized Enrolment Letter should include your program, your current status as a student, and your expected completion date.
Important: Submit both a Letter of Enrolment and Customized Enrolment Letter (if required).
Students Entering UBC from a Canadian School
If you are applying to extend your study permit based on your admission to UBC, you will need to show an official Letter of Acceptance (LOA) from UBC.
Proof of means of financial support
The proof of financial support must confirm that you have enough funds to support your studies and living expenses for a year.
Increase to proof of funds requirement
As of January 1, 2024, the minimum cost-of-living financial requirement has increased from $10,000 to $20,635 for 2024.
In your study permit application, you should show proof of funds which would be sufficient to cover:
1. One year of living expenses: The cost-of-living amount for 2024 is $20,635 for a single person. The cost-of-living amount will be adjusted each year based on Statistics Canada’s low-income cut-off. If you have dependents (spouse, common-law partner, and/or children), you’ll need to show additional proof of funds based on the number of family members. If you have less than a year remaining to finish your program, you can prorate this amount to $1719.59 a month.
2. One year of tuition fees: You only need to show proof of funds to cover one year of tuition fees. If you have less than a year remaining to finish your program, you could show proof of funds for the remaining tuition fees.
You may provide a combination of financial documents and sources, as long as the total exceeds the minimum cost-of-living financial requirement for yourself and any dependents plus one year of tuition fees, such as:
- An official bank statement issued in the past 30 days that has been stamped or signed by your Canadian bank showing the balance.
- A letter from your parent(s) stating their relationship to you and that they will financially support you along with their financial documents. The letter should be signed by your parent(s). You must also provide an official bank statement(s) of your parent(s), issued by their bank and that has been signed or stamped. It should be in English or French (or accompanied by an official translation). To write a letter of financial support, they can download our template (docx).
- A letter from your sponsor (e.g., sponsorship organization, scholarship(s), loan(s)) or employer (e.g., teaching assistantships, research assistantships) stating their relationship to you and the amount that they will provide you.
- If you have already paid tuition fees for a future term, get proof of payment from your Student Services Centre (SSC) by selecting "Tuition History" under Finances.
See IRCC’s proof of financial support page for further examples.
While you only need to show proof of funds for one year, the officer must be satisfied that the possibility of funding for additional years of studies exists, such as your parents are employed or that your scholarship is for more than 1 year.
If providing a combination of financial documents and sources, include a summary or an index page of all the documents you are submitting for this section. This will also allow you to clarify or explain the connection between documents, if applicable. You can download a template for the summary (docx).
If you are having challenges with providing proof of funds, contact International Student Advising for support.
Important: If the balance(s) in any of the documentation above is in foreign currency, provide a screenshot of the Bank of Canada currency converter result (if your currency is not listed, use xe.com).
Passport
The scanned copy of your passport pages provide information about your travel history and the expiry date of your passport.
You must provide a copy of the bio-data page (the page with your name, date of birth, passport number, expiry date, etc.) and a copy of every page in your passport that has stamps, visas, or markings from either Canada or other countries.
Make sure you merge all the pages into one PDF document and upload it.
Important: Your study permit will not be issued past your passport's expiry date. If your passport will expire soon, extend it before you apply for your study permit extension.
Need help scanning your documents? Go to the Irving K. Barber Chapman Learning Commons or International Student Advising.
Digital Photo
Make sure your photo meets the specifications.
Copiesmart in University Village will take Canadian immigration photos.
Documents you might need
Depending on your specific circumstances, you may need one or more of the following documents.
Letter of Explanation
A letter of explanation is a good way to describe additional factors or include additional documents. It could include:
- The purpose of your application
- Issues you would like to clarify or that the officer might find useful
- Supporting documents, screenshots or any other proof to support your explanation
- Additional employment history if you have run out of space in your application
Upload this document under 'Client Information' in the 'Optional Documents' section of your online checklist.
Medical exam
If you have been studying in Canada for the past 12 months, you do not need proof of a medical exam unless:
- You have lived in a designated country or territory for more than 6 months in the past 12 months. See this page for a clear definition of what a designated country or territory is, or
- You would like to work in a job that will bring you into close contact with patients, children, the elderly, etc. This includes public health, health sciences or agriculture-related fields (e.g., health care workers, primary and secondary school teachers). See this page to find out if you require a medical exam.
If the above applies to you, you will need a medical exam conducted by an IRCC-approved Panel Physician. Your medical exam report (referred to as your ‘e-medical’) can be submitted with your study permit application.
There is a temporary policy allowing some students to use a medical exam completed in the past 5 years until October 6, 2024. Learn more about medical exams and work.
Family Information Form [IMM5707]
This form is required if it is included in your document checklist. You will need to fill out the form, print it, sign the form by hand, then scan and upload the form
- If you have indicated that you don’t have a spouse or common-law partner, please sign and date Section A
- If you have indicated that you don’t have children, please sign and date Section B.
- Please sign and date Section C
Schedule 1: Application for Temporary Residence [IMM5257B] form
Most students will not require this form.
This document is required only if you answer “yes” to any of the following questions: 3, 4, 5 or 6 in the "Background Information" section of the Application to change of conditions, extend my stay or remain in Canada as a student [IMM5709] form.
Important: If you answered "yes" to any question in the "Background information" section other than 2(c), please speak to an International Student Advising.
Biometrics
If you have not previously provided biometrics (fingerprints and a photo), you must submit them in-person at a designated Service Canada location.
The processing time for your study permit extension does not include the time it takes to submit your biometrics. Your application will not be processed until biometrics are received. You only need to give biometrics once every 10 years.
U.S. citizens and people who have provided biometrics in the past 10 years and certain other individuals are exempt from providing biometrics.
- Pay the biometrics fee at the same time you submit your study permit application, for faster processing.
- Receive your biometrics instruction letter. If you applied online, you will receive an electronic biometrics instruction letter within 24 hours.
- Book an appointment as soon as possible at a designated Service Canada location
- Submit your biometrics within 30 days of receiving your biometrics instruction letter.
