Current Students

• Yes. Given the long processing times for CAQ and study permit renewals, we recommend that you apply to renew your study permit before registration opens for the 2026-2027 academic year.
• If your CAQ expires at the same time or before your study permit, you will need to renew your CAQ first. Please refer to our CAQ FAQ’s (Current Students) for instructions.
• The processing time for:
  • CAQ renewals is generally longer than 25 business days
  • Study permit renewals from inside Canada (study permit extension) is between 4-6 months
• Normally, we suggest that you include proof of registration for a future term(s) with your study permit renewal application. However, to increase the chances of obtaining your renewed study permit before your current documents expire, you may wish to start the renewal process before course registration opens for the 2026-2027 academic year.

Documents to include if you apply to renew your study permit before Fall 2026/Winter 2027 registration opens (i.e., before May 27th, 2026):

• Undergraduate students:
  • Proof of Credits Completed To-Date letter from Minerva for Winter 2026. If this letter is not accurate (e.g. does not correctly show the number of credits remaining), contact Service Point to request a revised letter.
  • Registration Dates Letter Fall 2026-Winter 2027.
  • Cover letter (signed by hand and dated) that explains why you are applying to renew your study permit, why you are applying before obtaining proof of registration for the 2026-2027 academic year and when you expect to graduate based on the number of credits you have left to complete.
  • If possible, a letter from your academic advisor confirming your expected graduation date
• Graduate students:
  • Proof of Enrolment letter from Minerva for the Winter 2026 term and, if applicable, Summer 2026 term. *Note that Summer 2026 course registration will open in early March.
  • A letter from your department confirming your expected graduation date. The letter should also include your registration status in all terms and, if applicable, information about your tuition and any funding you will be receiving.
  • Registration Dates Letter Fall 2026-Winter 2027.
  • Cover letter (signed by hand and dated) that explains why you are applying to renew your study permit, why you are applying before obtaining proof of registration for the 2026-2027 academic year and when expect to graduate.

Important

• You should apply for your study permit renewal before your current study permit expires in order to not lose your status in Canada. If you apply for your study permit renewal from inside Canada before your current study permit expires you will have maintained status after your study permit expires. You will be able to continue to study on maintained status until a decision is made on your application, as long as you remain in Canada.

• Applying before Fall 2026/Winter 2027 registration: When applying to renew your study permit, follow the instructions mentioned above. Then, once you are registered for Fall 2026/Winter 2027, make sure to submit your proof of enrolment letter(s) via the IRCC Web Form and request that it be added to your pending study permit application.
• If you do not submit proof of enrolment to IRCC for the Fall 2026/Winter 2027 term(s), your study permit application may be refused.

• Applying to extend your study permit without your CAQ should only be done in exceptional circumstances. Students should apply for their new CAQ at least three months prior to the expiration of their study permit to ensure it is issued with ample time to submit their study permit extension application. That said, should you find yourself in a situation that requires you to apply to extend your study permit without yet having your CAQ, please read the below information carefully.
• IMPORTANT: If you submit an application to extend your stay in Canada as a student without a valid CAQ, your application may be refused or rejected as incomplete*, as having a valid CAQ is a required document when applying for your study permit. The decision to keep your application open until you have submitted your CAQ will be at the discretion of the Immigration Agent processing your file. For this reason, we suggest that you wait as close to the expiry date of your study permit (i.e. 2-3 days before your study permit expires) to submit your application with proof of your CAQ.
• *If your application is rejected as incomplete, it is as if the application was never submitted and you would not have maintained status after your study permit expires.
• The deadline to submit an application to extend your study permit is 11:59pm Coordinated Universal Time (or UTC) on the last day of your study permit’s validity. For example, if your study permit is valid until August 31, 2025, you would have until 11:59pm (UTC) on August 31, 2025 to submit your study permit extension.
• You must submit an application to extend your study permit using the IRCC secure account before your current study permit expires to maintain your status in Canada as a student. If you do not apply to extend your study permit from inside Canada before it expires, you will lose your status as a student and cannot study until you obtain a new study permit.
• NOTE: If you lose your status as a student, you have 90 days from the day your study permit expired (or was refused, if applicable) to apply to restore your status as a student. Please see our Maintained Status vs Out Of Status information page for more details.
• The following are the instructions you should follow in order to apply to extend your study permit if you have not yet obtained your CAQ, and which documents to include in lieu of your CAQ with your online application.

Instructions:

1. In the field requesting your new CAQ, upload a Cover Letter explaining when you applied for your CAQ, why you are applying without your CAQ and request that the Immigration Officer holds off on processing your study permit application until you have uploaded your new CAQ via the IRCC web form.
2. Your Cover Letter (Sample draft):

   To whom it may concern,

   I am a returning student at McGill University pursuing a degree in [PROGRAM]. As you can see from my attached documents, I applied for my new Certificat d’acceptation du Québec (CAQ) on [DATE] and it is currently being processed.

   OPTIONAL: Include reasons why you have not yet obtained your CAQ.

   Because I would like to ensure that I obtain maintained status, I am applying for a Study Permit without my new CAQ approval letter. As soon as I receive my CAQ approval letter, I will upload it via the IRCC Web Form. I am requesting that you allow my file to remain open until I submit my CAQ.

   If you need to contact me, you can reach me at [YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS] and/or [YOUR PHONE NUMBER].

3. You also need to include a screenshot of your online application summary for a new CAQ that shows all of the relevant dates for your application including the date you applied, the date you paid and any other milestones such as the dates your documents were received by Immigration Quebec; and
4. CAQ - Document checklist; and
5. CAQ – Application Summary and Arrima Account Summary; and
6. Proof of payment for your new CAQ; and (if applicable);
7. If you have received an Intention to Refuse letter, you can include this as well.
8. All the above documents can be merged into one PDF and uploaded in the field for your CAQ.
9. Once you submit your study permit application, it will be pending until an officer opens the application.

What to do once your CAQ has been approved

As soon as your new CAQ has been approved, you must send your CAQ Approval Letter to Immigration Canada so that they may add it to your pending study permit application via the IRCC Web Form. You should not wait for Immigration Canada to request your CAQ as they do not always do so.

• If Immigration Canada sends a Request Letter asking for your new CAQ and you still do not have it, follow the instructions in that letter to request an extension to the deadline to provide your new CAQ.
• If Immigration Canada sends a Request Letter asking for your new CAQ and you have already submitted it via the IRCC Web Form, follow the instructions in the letter and submit your new CAQ again.

If your study permit application is refused, please book an appointment with an ISS advisor as soon as possible.

• As of November 8^th 2024, if you withdraw from McGill, your study permit will automatically become invalid on the date you are no longer registered.
• If you have not completed your program and do not register for a term of study, your study permit will become invalid as of the end date of your last registered term.
• If you plan to re-enroll in a future term at McGill, you would need to apply and be approved for a new study permit before you can start your studies again. Because processing times can be long, it is therefore important to begin your new application as soon as you have been readmitted or have proof of your re-enrollment.
• The Summer term is considered a university scheduled break for most undergraduate and some non-thesis students. Therefore these students will not lose their study permit validity if they are not enrolled in the Summer term. However, if you will not be returning to your studies in the Fall term following the Summer break, your study permit will be deemed invalid as of the end date of the previous Winter term.
• Students who are taking a Leave of Absence (LOA) term are still considered to be enrolled at McGill and therefore their study permits will remain valid during their LOA term. Students who are enrolled for more than one consecutive Leave of Absence terms should reach out to our office.
• If you are thinking of withdrawing or not enrolling for a future term, please contact our office as soon as possible for further assistance.

• It depends.
• US citizens are exempt from the requirement to provide their biometrics when applying to come to or extend their stay in Canada temporarily.
• All other foreign nationals applying to extend their stay in Canada as a student must provide their biometrics unless they are exempt, or have already provided their biometrics within the past ten years. 
• There is a fee of $85 CAD to have your biometrics collected.
• If you are not exempt and have not provided your biometrics in the past 10 years, then you will be required to provide your biometrics when applying to extend your study permit from inside Canada and will receive a Biometrics Instructions Letter with instructions on how to do so from IRCC.
• Your study permit extension application cannot be finalized until IRCC receives your biometrics.
• See IRCC’s website for full details on who is required to provide their biometrics when applying to come to or extend their stay in Canada temporarily.

• It depends.
• You are required to have proof of valid immigration medical examination results when re-entering Canada if you have resided in a designated country or territory for more than 6 months within the past year.
• The requirement to have valid immigration examination results applies to ALL students, regardless if you are a returning student re-entering Canada with a valid study permit OR a new student entering Canada with a study permit approval letter (letter of introduction). If your medical exam will no longer be valid (i.e., the results are more than 12 months old) when you plan to enter Canada, you will need to complete another medical exam before travelling to Canada.
• IRCC may contact you to inform you that your medical exam is no longer valid, but in some cases, you may not receive a correspondence letter from IRCC. Should this be the case then you must follow the instructions for upfront medicals and submit proof of having done your medical via the IRCC Web Form.
• It is a student’s responsibility to ensure that they meet all the requirements to enter Canada. If you are unsure if you need to redo your medical exam, you should contact IRCC via their webform.

• You can apply for your documents under either nationality, however there are certain advantages to applying under your French nationality for your CAQ and your US nationality for your study permit.
• French citizens are exempt from the international tuition fee. Therefore, when applying for your immigration documents and providing proof of your financial capacity, you should include proof of your French citizenship in order to prove why you are exempt from the international tuition fee.
• If you are a US citizen or US permanent resident, you may be able to apply for your study permit directly at the port of entry (land or air border between Canada and the US) and therefore could apply for your study permit with your US passport or US permanent resident card. However, under new rules regarding applying for the study permit at the port of entry, international students already in Canada must submit their study permit applications online.
• While you may be applying under one nationality for your CAQ and another for your study permit, it is still recommended to include proof of your dual nationality in both applications for the reasons mentioned above.

• If you are a U.S. citizen or U.S. permanent resident, you may be able apply for your study permit online or at a port of entry (POE). Note the issuance of the study permit at the POE will be at the discretion of the border officer, see our study permit guide for a list of documents you should bring when applying at the POE.
• IMPORTANT: Under new rules regarding applying for the study permit at the port of entry, international students already in Canada must submit their study permit applications online.
• NOTE: U.S. permanent residents applying for a study permit online or at a POE must provide biometrics. Those applying for their study permit at a POE will be able to provide their biometrics at the POE.

• It depends.
• If you leave Canada while your study permit extension application is processing, you may lose the right to study and work in Canada. You may also be denied entry to Canada.
• Before making travel plans, see which example below applies to your situation:
  • You plan to return to Canada before your current study permit expires. You can re-enter Canada and resume your studies. You will benefit from maintained status from the date your study permit expires until a decision is made on your application as long as you remain in Canada. Under maintained status, you can continue to study and work as per the conditions of your previous study permit.
     
  • You plan to return to Canada after your study permit has expired – e.g. your study permit expired while you were in Canada or will expire while you are outside of Canada. You will not benefit from maintained status. If you had maintained status before leaving Canada, you will lose this status when you leave Canada. This means that:
    • You will not be authorized to study or work in Canada until your new study permit has been issued.
    • You may be denied entry to Canada. If you are allowed to enter Canada, you will not be authorized to study or work in Canada until your new study permit has been issued.
• NOTE: Your study permit extension application will continue to process even if you leave Canada. Once your application has been approved, the actual study permit will be mailed to the Canadian address you included in your application form. If you require a Temporary Resident Visa (TRV) based on your country of citizenship, you will have to apply for one separately, after your study permit has been approved. If you require an Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA), it will automatically be renewed with your study permit. See IRCC’s website for more information on entry requirements, including TRV and eTA exemptions.

• If your immigration documents will expire while you are outside of Canada, you will need to apply for and obtain new ones before returning to Canada to resume your studies. Please see our CAQ Renewal Guide and our Study Permit Renewal Guide (under “Applying for Your Study Permit from Outside Canada”) for more detailed instructions.
• You will also need to have a valid eTA or TRV to enter Canada, unless exempt. If you apply for your new study permit from outside of Canada, a new eTA or Temporary Resident Visa (TRV) will be automatically issued at the same time your study permit is approved.

• Your CAQ will remain valid until its expiry date.
• Your study permit will remain valid up until it’s expiry date or:
  • 90 days from the date you receive official proof of completion of studies from McGill (see PGWP cheat sheet for more information) OR
  • On the date in you are no longer enrolled at your university, besides due to completing your studies (see FAQ's above for more information).
    Whichever comes first.
• If you were outside of Canada and not enrolled at McGill during an academic term, you may need to be readmitted and apply for a new study permit before resuming your studies. Contact ISS for more information.

• In order to enter Canada, you must have a valid CAQ, study permit and Temporary Resident Visa (TRV) or eTA.
• Important: Please review our Travel FAQs page before making any plans to travel to Canada

• You do not have to apply for a new Study Permit if you change programs within McGill and do not need to inform IRCC of the change in program or level of study. 
• Visit the IRCC website for more details.

It depends where you are applying for your Study Permit:

• If you are applying for a Study Permit outside of Canada, your TRV is included in the same application and you are exempt from paying the TRV application fee. 
• If you are applying to renew your Study Permit inside Canada, you will have to wait to receive the new Study Permit before you apply for your new TRV.  Read the TRV application guide for instructions.