As a study permit holder, there are a number of conditions you need to meet. If you don’t meet these conditions, you may lose your student status and study permit. You may also have to leave Canada.

As a study permit holder, you must:

• be enrolled at a designated learning institution (DLI)
• show you’re actively pursuing your studies by:
       o being enrolled full-time or part-time during each academic semester (excluding regularly scheduled breaks)
       o making progress towards completing your program’s courses, and
       o not taking authorized leaves longer than 150 days from your study program
• tell us any time you change post-secondary schools
• end your studies if you no longer meet the requirements of being a student, and
• leave Canada when your permit expires

You must also follow the other specific conditions listed on your study permit, which could include:

• the level of studies you can attend
• if you’re allowed to work as a student in Canada, including:
       o if you can work on or off campus, and
       o if you can complete a co-op work term or internship
• if you need to report for medical procedures
• if you’re allowed to travel within Canada, and
• the date you must stop studying.

If your school loses its DLI status after you get your study permit, you can keep studying at that school until your permit expires. If you want to extend your study permit, though, you’ll need to enroll at a school with DLI status.

Note: If you only study part-time, you may not be eligible for a post-graduation work permit (PGWP) when you graduate. Make sure you know the eligibility criteria for a PGWP if you want to be able to apply for one.

Some study permit holders don’t need to prove they’re enrolled at a DLI or that they’re actively pursuing their studies to keep their study permit and status as a student. Find out if you meet one of these exceptions.

What counts as an authorized leave from your studies?

There are a few cases where you may be able to take a leave of up to a maximum of 150 days from your program of studies and still be considered to be actively pursuing your studies.

You don’t need to tell us if you’re taking an authorized leave, but you do need to provide proof that your leave is authorized and that it’s no longer than 150 days, if we ask for it.

It counts as authorized leave if:

• your school has authorized a leave from your study program for:
       o medical reasons or pregnancy
       o family emergency
       o death or serious illness of a family member
       o any other type of leave your school authorizes
• your school has closed permanently or because of a strike
• you’ve changed schools
• you or your school deferred your program start date
       o In this case, you must start your studies the next semester, even if it starts sooner than 150 days, and get an updated letter of acceptance.

You can’t work on or off campus during an authorized leave from your study program, even if your study permit says you’re allowed to work in Canada.