The Canada Study Permit is valid for the time that you are studying and an additional 90 days to give you time to prepare to leave Canada. However, if you see that your study permit is close to expiring and you still have to attend your school to get your degree, then you must apply for extension.

You must submit an application to renew your study permit at least 30 days before it expires. You can check the expiry date which is located in the top right corner of the study permit. Before you apply for extension, you must make sure that your passport is still valid. You cannot get an extension if your passport has expired and if you travel out of Canada with an expired passport, you will not be allowed to enter again.

If you are planning to travel outside of Canada and your study permit is close to expiration, you must first apply for it and then travel. Do not leave Canada if your study permit is close to expiry because the Canadian authorities will not let you back in.

If you apply for an extension of your study permit and during the time that the application is being processed, your old study permit expires, you will be allowed to stay in Canada until a decision is made on whether to allow your renewal or not.

If your study permit has already expired and you have not applied for an extension, then you will have to leave Canada. Then from outside of Canada, you can apply for a new study permit or for the restoration of your status as a student.

How to Apply for a Canada Study Permit Extension?

If you have decided to extend your study permit, then you must start the process at least 30 days before it expires. You can either apply online or submit your documents on paper. To make the process easier, it is recommended that you apply online. If you decide to apply on paper, then you must follow the same process outlined below, but you must also contact the government of the province you are living in to find out where you should mail your documents.

To apply for an extension of your study permit, you must follow these steps:

1. Login to your account on the Government of Canada website. If you do not have an account, then you can create one through your bank account details of through the Government of Canada Key (GCKey).
2. Start your application for the extension of your study permit by going to Mode Immigration.
3. Submit the necessary forms such as:
   • IMM 5709 – Application to Change Conditions, Extend my Stay or Remain in Canada as a Student;
   • IMM 5409 – Statutory Declaration of Common-Law Union if you have a common law partner that you would like to remain with you in Canada;
   • IMM 5646 – Custodian Declaration if you have a child studying in Canada under the custody of another person;
   • IMM 5476 – Use of a Representative if you are using a representative of you for the application purposes.
     In the application form, you will be required to write the document number on the study permit. This is also called a Unique Client Identifier (UCI), which you will find on your study permit or on any letter that have been sent to you by the Canadian Government.

4. With these forms, you will also have to attach supporting documents as the ones required on the initial Canada study permit application

All the documents must be in English or French and if they have been translated, you must provide proof that the translation is correct. If you are from a country that requires a visa to enter Canada, then you may also be asked to submit your biometric information. The Canadian Consulate will contact you to set an appointment and you must attend it. If you are from a country that does not require a visa to enter Canada but only an Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA), then you will not need to submit your biometrics until the year 2019.

The supporting documents and application forms must then be submitting either online using your Government of Canada account login or mail them to the appropriate authorities.

How long is the processing time for a study permit extension application?

The application for extending your study permit will be processed and an answer will be sent to you after you submit it. The processing time depends on the workload of the Canadian Consulate and it may take at least 30 days.

If the answer has not been sent to you within 120 days from the time you applied, then you should contact the Canadian Consulate. The reason for this is that you must know whether your status in Canada is still valid or if you have to leave the country and re-apply for a study permit.

After processing your application, the Canadian Consulate will inform you whether your extension was approved or not. If it was approved, then you will be allowed to stay in Canada until the end of your program. If it was denied, you will have to return to your home country.

What are the fees for extending a Canada student permit?

The fees for extension must be paid in order for your application to be processed. The fees per person per application are CAD$150, while if you are required to submit biometrics, you must also pay an additional CAD$85.

Only after you pay the fees, the Canadian Consulate will begin to process your extension application, while if you refuse to pay, they will deny you automatically.

Should I apply for extensions for my family too?

The temporary resident permits (TRP) that your close family got, so your spouse or common law partner and minor children are dependent on your status. So if your status expires, then your family’s status also expires and they must leave Canada with you.

This means that when you apply to extend your study permit, you must also apply to extend the resident permits of your family. If you only extend your study permit, but not your family’s, then they will have to leave Canada while you stay and complete your study program.

It is recommended to submit the application to extend your study permit together with the applications to extend the temporary resident permits of your family so that the Canadian Consulate knows you are applying as a family together.