Apply Online for an Initial Study Permit (IRCC Portal)

A study permit is an official document issued by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) which grants you temporary resident status and allows you to study at a designated learning institution (DLI) such as the University of Lethbridge.

• A study permit allows foreign nationals to remain in Canada temporarily as a student.
• Most foreign nationals coming to study at a designated learning institution (DLI) in Canada will need a study permit.
• To study in Canada for any period longer than six months, you will need a study permit.
• Usually, you must apply for your study permit before you come to Canada.
  • You can only apply for a study permit from within Canada in certain, specific cases.
  • If you are a U.S. citizen or permanent resident, a resident of Greenland, or a resident of Saint-Pierre and Miquelon, you can apply for a study permit at the Port of Entry.

Please keep in mind that your study permit is not an entry document. To enter Canada, you will most likely require either a Temporary Resident Visa (TRV) or an Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA). No separate application is required for these.

• If IRCC approves your study permit, you will automatically be issued the travel authorization you need to enter Canada.
  • If you are from a country that requires a Temporary Resident Visa (TRV) for entry to Canada, IRCC will contact you to submit your passport to add the TRV (a sticker in your passport).
  • If you are from a country that requires an Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) for entry to Canada, one will be electronically linked to your passport.

Applying online through the IRCC Portal allows you to track your application and receive regular updates regarding the approval process of the application. If you are eligible to apply via the Student Direct Stream (SDS), you can apply through the IRCC Portal.

When applying through the IRCC Portal, you will complete an online form to generate your personalized "document checklist" that lists the required documents you need to upload and submit with your application.

Visa Office Instructions: In addition to the document checklist generated in your IRCC Portal account, residents of some countries will have an additional list of required documents called "Visa Office Instructions".

• Any documents required by your visa office, which are not already included in your online document checklist, will need to be submitted as part of your study permit application.
• Visa Office requirements extraneous to the required uploads can be uploaded to the "Additional documents" spot under the Optional Documents section in your document checklist.​
• Find the visa office instructions for your country of residence:
  • From the drop-down menu, select your country/territory of residence (the country from which you will be applying)
  • Find the document checklist and visa office instructions PDF (if applicable) and save or print both. Refer to these documents often.

Since your initial study permit application can take time to put together, we recommend that you apply for your study permit well before you plan to travel. Ideally, you should apply as soon as you receive a Letter of Acceptance from the University of Lethbridge. ​​

Initial study permit applications are processed at Canadian embassies and consulates worldwide. Processing times vary by country and can normally be viewed on the IRCC website.

Keep in mind that the IRCC processing times do not include:

• The time it takes to send an application between a Visa Application Centre and IRCC
• The time it takes for you to give your biometrics

The list of documents you need to provide depends on how you answered the questions in the IRCC Portal online form. You need to upload all documents listed in the “Supporting documents” checklist before you can pay and submit your application.

Most study permit applicants applying through the IRCC Portal will be required to submit the following documents:

• Past Educational Transcripts: From your previous studies
• Letter of Acceptance from uLethbridge: Sent to your uLethbridge email account after you pay your tuition deposit and accept your offer of admission
• Provincial Attestation Letter (PAL) unless exempt: Sent to your uLethbridge email account along with your Letter of Acceptance.
• Passport/Travel Document: This should include the biodata page, as well as any other pages with markings, stamps or visas. All pages need to be combined and saved as one PDF document.
• Proof of Funds: Check the IRCC website for required amounts and types of proof accepted
• Statement of Purpose/Study Plan:
  • Sometimes referred to as a "letter of explanation" or "cover letter". This is a brief overview of your intended studies in Canada and helps the visa officer understand your specific situation and your long-term career/study goals.
  • You may want to watch our "How to write a study plan" webinar for more helpful information and suggestions.

You may also need to submit the following additional documents:

• Biometrics: digital copies of your fingerprints, retinas and photos
• Medical Exam: You may arrange a medical exam with an IRCC panel physician and include your medical report with your study permit application, or apply for the study permit and wait for instruction from the visa officer.

If you apply for a study permit from outside Canada, you will be required to submit your biometrics (fingerprints and photo) in-person, at a biometrics collection point outside of Canada.

• If you have given your biometrics in the last 10 years, find out if they are still valid.
• If you need to provide biometrics as part of your application for a study permit, you must do so at a Visa Application Centre (VAC).
• There is a biometrics fee, which covers the cost of collecting fingerprints and a digital photo. You'll pay the biometrics fee at the same time you submit your study permit application.
• If you submit your study permit application online, you will receive a "Biometrics Instruction Letter" in your IRCC Portal Account. With this letter, you will need to visit a VAC to provide your biometrics.

Note: If there is no biometrics collection service point in your home country, you may need to travel to another country to give biometrics.

Only Panel Physicians approved by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada can do this exam. Your own doctor cannot perform the medical exam.

A medical exam is required when applying for a study permit if you:

• Have lived in a designated country or territory for more than 6 months in the last 12 months before you apply.
• Would like to work in certain jobs in Canada that bring you into close contact with people who must have their public health protected such as schools, hospitals, child and senior care facilities, clinical labs.

If you are required to complete a medical exam, you have 2 options:

1. Take an upfront medical exam and include a copy of the print out (e-Medical) given to you by the IRCC Panel Physician in your study permit application. (Recommended option)
2. Submit your study permit application first and wait for IRCC to send you instructions on how to complete the medical exam with details on when you should book your medical exam appointment. (You must complete the IME within 30 days of receiving the instructions from IRCC)

Note: Medical exams are valid for 12 months and must be valid when you enter Canada. If your medical exam results will expire, you will need to complete a new one before you travel to Canada.

If it’s your first time using the IRCC Portal Account, you need to complete this online form to get an invitation code in order to create your account.

1. Enter your email address in the online form and press “Get invitation code”
2. Login to your email account and retrieve the invitation code
3. Sign up for an IRCC Portal account using the invitation code

Once you are logged into your account, under “Start an application” heading, select “Apply to visit, study or work in Canada as a temporary resident”

• After reviewing the information on the page, check the acknowledgement box and click “Start application"

You will be taken to the "Groups" page where you will indicate if you are applying for more than 1 person in your application.

• If you are only applying for yourself, select “No” and proceed to the next page.
• If you will be including your spouse and/or children who will travel with you or join you later during your stay in Canada, select “Yes” and then select the type of group that applies to your situation from the drop-down menu.
  • Click the “+ Add member” button to add each additional family member to the application. For example, if you will be applying for your spouse and two children to join you in Canada, you will click the “+ Add member” button three (3) times and enter their names to proceed.
  • Please note: You must select one member of your group to be the main or principal applicant.

You will now need to complete the online questionnaire starting with the principal applicant. 
 

Purpose section

I want to apply for a:

• Select “Study Permit” if you have a Letter of Acceptance for a program at uLethbridge that is six months or longer.
   
• Select “Study Permit” if you have been accepted into the English for Academic Purposes (EAP) program AND you are interested in continuing your studies at the undergraduate or graduate level at the University of Lethbridge after completion of the EAP program.
   
• Select “Visitor Visa or super visa” if you have been accepted into the English for Academic Purposes (EAP) program AND will only be studying for less than six months. 
   

What exactly do you want to apply for?

• Select “A study permit to study for more than 6 months” if you have been accepted into a program at uLethbridge that is six months or longer,
   
• Select “A visitor visa to study without a study permit for less than 6 months” if you are an EAP student and will only be studying for one term (4 months)
   

Do you have a provincial attestation letter?

• Select “Yes” if you have a Letter of Acceptance from uLethbridge for an undergraduate program (check box 19 on your Letter of Acceptance)
  • Select “Alberta” from the drop-down list.
     
• Select “No” if you have a Letter of Acceptance from uLethbridge for a graduate program (check box 19 on your Letter of Acceptance)
  • Do you qualify for an exception? Select “Yes”
  • Which exception do you qualify for? Select “I am an applicant who is applying to study for a master’s degree or doctoral degree program”
     

​Tell us more about what you’ll do in Canada. Include dates.

• Enter the details of your studies in Canada. You should include:
  • The name of the institution “University of Lethbridge” and our DLI number is “O18776949622” for both the Lethbridge main campus and Calgary campus (the first letter is a capital O, not a zero)
  • Program name and level (undergraduate or graduate)
  • Start date and estimated completion date (found on your Letter of Acceptance).
     

When will you enter Canada?

• Enter your approximate arrival and departure dates.
  • If you plan on working on or off-campus while you study, remember that you cannot work before your studies in Canada have begun.
  • At uLethbridge, the Fall terms start in September and Winter terms start in January.
     

UCI (unique client identifier), if known

• A UCI is an eight or ten-digit number found on your immigration documents from IRCC. 
• Note: If this is your first ever application to IRCC, you can leave the UCI field blank.

Personal Details section

Passport or travel document information

• Enter your biographical information and other details exactly as they appear on your passport.
• Note: IRCC will not issue a study permit that is valid past the expiry date of your passport. If your passport is expiring soon, you may want to renew your passport before you submit your study permit application.
   

Citizenship and places where the applicant has lived

• Enter your citizenship details including:
  • The country or territory where you were born
  • The city or town where you were born
  • Which country or territory you are a citizen of
  • If applicable, check the box “I am a citizen of this country or territory since birth” and the form will auto-fill your date of birthdate information.

National Identity Document

• Note: Not all countries issue a national identity document. If you have one, provide your information as it appears on your national ID document.

Contact information of the applicant: Countries/territories of residence

Note: You’ll lose your information if you leave this page without saving.

• Enter your residential address information (the address where you currently live)
  • Check “Yes” if your mailing address is the same as your residential address
  • Check “No” if your mailing address is different than your residential address and enter your mailing address information into the fields.

Next, you’ll need to add information for:

1. Your current country of residence AND
2. All other countries/territories you have lived for the past five years, for more than 6 months (if applicable)

• If you have only ever lived in your country of birth, click “+ Add” and enter the required information about the country you currently live in:
  • Country name
  • Status in this country
  • Dates you lived in this country (if you were born there, enter your birthdate information in the “from” field)
    • Note: You must select one (1) address where you currently live by clicking the “This is where I currently live” box. If you have no other countries to add, click the “Save and continue” button to move onto the next page.
       
• If you have lived in other countries (outside of your country of residence) in the last five years, for more than 6 months, click the “+ Add” button and enter the required information for each country.
  • Country name
  • Status in country
  • Dates you lived in each country
    • Note: Each country must be added individually. Click the “+ Add” button to add each additional country you are including. Once you’ve added a country, it will appear on the list.

Biometrics (fingerprints and photo) of the applicant

• Only select “Yes” if:
  • You gave your biometrics in the past 10 years for a visitor visa, study or work permit application, and
  • You know your biometrics are still valid. If you're not sure, find out if your biometrics are still valid.
     
• Select “No” if:
  • You have never given biometrics, or
  • Your biometrics are no longer valid.
    • Note: If you select “No”, you will be required to submit your biometrics at a Visa Application Centre (VAC) after you pay the biometrics fee and submit your study permit application.

Application Section

Details about your intended study in Canada

Type of Study Permit

• Select “I have a letter of acceptance from a designated learning institution”

Which of the following applies to you?

• Check the list and select the option that best describes your situation.

Level of study

• From the drop-down menu, select the level of study that matches the information found in box 18 on your Letter of Acceptance from the uLethbridge.

Designated Learning Institution (DLI) number

• The University of Lethbridge’s DLI number is “O18776949622” for both the Lethbridge main campus and Calgary campus (capital O, not a zero)

Address of School

• The University of Lethbridge’s address is 4401 University Drive W, Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada T1K 3M4 
  • Note: You will use the above address if you are attending either the University of Lethbridge’s main campus or Calgary campus.

Field of study

• From the drop-down menu, select the field of study that most closely matches the program you have been accepted into at the University of Lethbridge.

Do you have a student identification number and would like to provide it?

• Select “Yes” and enter your uLethbridge student ID number that can be found in box 4 on your Letter of Acceptance.
   

Education Cost

Tuition fee

• Enter your total tuition fee in Canadian dollars (CAD) for ALL YEARS OF STUDY​
  • To calculate this amount, use the “Maximum Tuition” information found on your Offer of Admission Letter from uLethbridge.
    • Example: A student in a 4-year bachelor’s degree program starting in the 2024/2025 academic year will add together the maximum tuition amounts from 2024 to 2028 to determine the total tuition for their entire program.

2024 – 2028: $22,600 + $23,700 + $24,900 + $26,200 = $97,400 total tuition

• Enter your total room and board costs in Canadian dollars (CAD) for ALL YEARS OF STUDY​
  • To calculate this amount, review IRCC’s “How much money you need” table to see the minimum amount of funds you’ll be required per year, not including tuition. 
    • ​Example: A student in a 4-year bachelor’s degree program, coming to Canada alone, with no dependents, needs at least $20,635/year (not including tuition) to cover living expenses (food and housing).

2024 – 2028: $20,635 x 4 years of study = $82,540 total living expenses​

• Enter the amount of funds available for your stay in Canadian dollars (CAD) 
  • Using your financial supporting documents, enter the current amount of funds you have available to pay for your first year of study in Canada.
  • Note: The amount you enter into this field will need to be demonstrated by the supporting financial documents you will include with your application. This amount should be equal or greater to the sum of your tuition and living expenses for your first year of study.
    • Example: A student in a 4-year bachelor’s degree program coming to Canada alone, with no dependents, will need to demonstrate that they have at least enough funds to cover both the cost of tuition and living expenses for their first year in Canada.

$22,600 (first year’s tuition) + $20,635 (first year’s living expenses) = $43,235

Who will pay for all your expenses in Canada? ​

• From the drop-down menu, select who will be supporting you financially to cover the cost of your expenses while studying in Canada.
  • If you are self-funded or are being supported by your parents, select “Myself or Parents”
  • If someone other than your parents is supporting you financially, select “Other” and enter their name and relationship to you in the next field.

Are you receiving financial support for your studies?

• You will select “No” if you are not receiving financial support through one of the programs listed below.
• You will only select “Yes” if you are receiving financial support through one of the programs listed below.

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Do you want to apply for a work permit to participate in a co-op program?

Important Note: Although co-op is available for all students at uLethbridge, the process of applying for a co-op work permit is different depending on the program you have been accepted into. A co-op work permit is not related to your eligibility to work on or off- campus as a study permit holder. Learn more about the co-op admission process. If your Letter of Acceptance does not indicate a mandatory Internship/Work Practicum, you will still be able to apply for a co-op work permit after you have started your studies and have completed at least one term at uLethbridge.

Please review the information below to ensure you are completing the IRCC Portal questionnaire correctly.

• You will only select “Yes” if your Letter of Acceptance box 24 indicates a mandatory Internship/Work Practicum component for your program. See example below:
   

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• You will select “No” if your Letter of Acceptance box 24 does not indicate a mandatory Internship/Work Practicum component for your program. See example below: 
  ​​

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Activities Section

Information about education, work, and other activities

Note: You’ll lose your information if you leave this page without saving.

Have you ever studied at a post-secondary school (university, college or vocational school)? You don't need to have completed a degree or diploma.

• Select “Yes”, if you are currently studying or have ever studied at a post-secondary level. Each post-secondary education must be added individually.
  • Click the “+ Add” button to provide details of each program you have studied, starting with your current studies (if applicable). After completing the required fields, click the “Save” button and that education will appear on the list.
     
• Select “No”, if you’ve never studied at a post-secondary level.

Give details of ALL your employment and activities for the past 10 years.

• Note: Do not include information that you already entered in the post-secondary education, military or police history section. **For all other periods of time, you need to enter an occupation or activity (even unemployed). Do not leave any gaps. ​
  • Click the “+ Add” button to provide details of all your employment or activity in the past 10 years, with no gaps. Each employment/activity must be added individually.

After completing the required fields, click the “Save” button and that employment/activity will appear on the list. Once you’ve added all your employment/activity history, click the “Save and continue ->” button to move onto the next page.

• If you receive an error message like the one below, it means that you likely have a GAP in your employment/activity history and you need to fix.

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Travel History

Select “Yes” if during the past 5 years you did travel to a country or territory other than the one where you are a citizen or where you live now.

• Click the “+ Add” button to provide details of all your travels in the past 5 years. Each travel entry must be added individually. If you travelled to a country several times in a month, add only 1 entry in the table.
• After completing the required fields, click the “Save” button and that travel record will appear on the list. Once you’ve added all your travel history, click the “Save and continue ->” button to move onto the next page.
   

Have you ever stayed in Canada beyond the validity of your status, attended school in Canada without authorization, or worked without authorization in Canada?

• If you answer “Yes”, you will then have to provide as many details as possible in the textbox. There is a 500-character limit, so keep your answer concise.
   

Have you ever been refused a visa or permit, denied entry to, or ordered to leave any country or territory?

• If you answer “Yes”, you will then have to provide as many details as possible in the textbox. There is a 500-character limit, so keep your answer concise.

Security Questions Section

• For all the questions in this section, if you answer “Yes”, you will need to provide as many details as possible, including what happened and why it happened.

Medical History Section

Have you had a medical exam performed by an IRCC authorized panel physician (doctor) within the last 12 months?

• Select “Yes”, if you have had an upfront medical exam. You will then provide your Immigration Medical Exam (IME) number that can be found on your eMedical Information Sheet from the Panel Physician who examined you.
• Select “No”, if you have not had a medical exam performed by an IRCC panel physician.
  • You’ll then need to answer a few more background questions regarding your medical history.

Family Information Section

Marital Status

• If you are single/never married, select “Single” and click the “Save and continue ->” button to move onto the next page.
• If you select a marital status other than Single, you will need to provide details of your relationship including:
  • Dates of relationship
  • Biographical information (name, date of birth, country of birth, etc)
  • If your spouse/common-law partner is going to accompany you to Canada OR plans to join you in Canada later, select "Yes"
     

Children

Do you have any biological, adopted or step-children? This includes all sons and all daughters, regardless of age or place of residence.

• If you have no children, select “No” and check the “I understand..” box. Click the "Save and continue" button to move to the next page.
• If you select “Yes”, click the “+ Add” button to add each child individually. You’ll then need to provide details about each child, including:
  • Biographical information (name, date of birth, country of birth, etc)
  • You will need to indicate whether or not your child will accompany you to Canada. If your child is going to accompany you to Canada, select “Yes”.
     

Parents

• Click the “+ Add” button to add each one of your parents individually. You’ll then need to provide details about each parent, including:
  • Biographical information (name, date of birth, country of birth, etc)
  • You will need to indicate whether or not your parent will accompany you to Canada. If a parent is going to accompany you to Canada, select “Yes”.

Contact Information Section

• Enter your language information, email address, and phone number into the required fields.

Summary Section

• Once you have completed the online form sections, you will now have the opportunity to review and correct any answers you provided earlier.
  • You can edit the information you entered by clicking the “Edit” button next to the applicable section.
  • Once you’ve double checked everything is correct, click the “Save and continue ->” button to move onto the next page.

The checklist of documents you need to provide will depend on what you are applying for and how you answered the questionnaire.

You need to upload all documents listed in the “Supporting documents” checklist before you can pay and submit your application. Click on each document name to learn more about what it is, what details to include in the document, and useful tips.

Note: The size limit is 2MB per file. If your documents are too large, visit the IRCC website for tips on reducing the size of a file.

Most study permit applicants will need to provide the following supporting documents:

• Past Educational Transcripts
• Letter of Acceptance from uLethbridge: Sent to your uLethbridge email account after you pay your tuition deposit and accept your offer of admission
• Provincial Attestation Letter (PAL) unless exempt: Sent to your uLethbridge email account along with your Letter of Acceptance.
• Passport/Travel Document
• Proof of Funds
• Statement of Purpose/Study Plan: Uploaded into the "Additional Documents" field of your document checklist

Once you’ve uploaded your documents to the checklist, click the “Save and continue” button to move onto the Consent and Declaration page.

Review the fees listed to ensure you are paying the correct fees. Payment will be made by credit card.

For a study permit application, there are two (2) types of fees:

• The application processing fee of $150 CAD and
• The Biometric fee of $85 CAD (per person) or $170 CAD (for a family of 2 or more if applying with dependents)
  • Note: Most applicants for a study permit will need to provide biometrics. If you’ve given your biometrics before, they may still be valid.
  • Find out if your biometrics are still valid and when they expire by using the Check status tool.

Once you have completed the payment process you will then submit the study permit application.

• Take screenshots of any confirmation numbers regarding payment and ensure you have a screenshot of the “Acknowledgement of receipt” page after the application is submitted.

If your study permit application is approved:

• IRCC will provide you with a "Letter of Introduction". This letter is not your study permit, but a document stating it has been approved. You will bring this letter with you, when you come to Canada and a Border Services Officer will issue you your study permit at the port-of-entry.

Entry Documents

• If you are from a country that requires a Temporary Resident Visa (TRV) for entry to Canada, and your study permit application is approved, IRCC will contact you to submit your passport to add the TRV (a sticker in your passport).
• If you are from a country that requires an Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) for entry to Canada, one will be issued upon approval of your study permit application. The details of the eTA will be listed in your Letter of Introduction.

If your study permit application is refused:

• IRCC will send you a refusal letter that includes an explanation on the reasons for refusal. Please contact us for advice before re-applying.