Two documents decide a Canadian study plan: the study permit, without which you cannot study at all, and the Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP), which decides whether you can stay and work afterwards. Most refusals and disappointments come not from bad luck but from preventable mistakes — weak proof of funds, the wrong institution type, or a programme length that yields a shorter work permit than expected. This guide walks through both documents for 2027, with the verified figures and the traps.
Step 1: a designated learning institution and a PAL
You can only get a study permit for a school that is a Designated Learning Institution (DLI) — an institution approved by its province or territory to host international students. Most study-permit applicants also need a Provincial Attestation Letter (PAL), or a Territorial Attestation Letter (TAL), from the province — your share of the national study-permit cap. Your institution issues the PAL after you accept its offer; you cannot apply for a permit without it unless you are exempt (for example, certain graduate and exchange categories — check IRCC's exemption list for your case). Apply to the institution early, because PAL allocation is finite and late applicants can find their province's allocation exhausted for their intake.
Step 2: proof of funds — the number one refusal reason
IRCC requires proof you can pay first-year tuition, travel to and from Canada, and living costs. The living-cost minimums from 1 September 2026, outside Quebec, are:
| People coming (including you) | Minimum living costs, first year (CAD) |
|---|---|
| 1 (just you) | 23,448 |
| 2 | 29,192 |
| 3 | 35,888 |
| 4 | 43,572 |
| 5 or more | Higher — see the IRCC table (each additional person adds about CAD 6,318) |
Quebec sets its own figures and requires a CAQ (Quebec Acceptance Certificate) first. Funds must be genuinely available and documented — bank statements, a Guaranteed Investment Certificate (GIC), a scholarship letter, or a loan approval. The old Student Direct Stream (SDS) closed on 8 November 2024; a GIC is now simply one accepted form of proof of funds, not a fast-track stream. A common refusal pattern is funds that appear suddenly, with no history: officers look for a credible source and a plausible paper trail, not just a balance on one day.
Step 3: applying and working while you study
Apply online through IRCC, pay CAD 150 for the permit plus CAD 85 biometrics, and complete a medical exam and police certificates if asked. Processing times vary by country — apply as soon as you hold your PAL and funds, not in the month before classes. Once studying, you may work up to 24 hours a week off campus during regular term (the limit was raised from 20 hours) and full-time during scheduled breaks, provided your permit carries a work condition and you hold a Social Insurance Number. Working more than permitted, or working during an unauthorised leave, can put your status at risk — and an unauthorised leave can also damage a later PGWP application, while an authorised leave of up to 150 days, properly documented by your DLI, generally does not disqualify you.
Step 4: the PGWP — length, language and timing
| Programme completed | Possible PGWP length |
|---|---|
| Master's degree of at least 8 months | Up to 3 years |
| Programme of 2 years or more | Up to 3 years |
| Programme of 8 months to under 2 years | About the length of the programme |
You must have completed a programme of at least 8 months at a PGWP-eligible DLI, studying full-time each term (part-time allowed in the final term), with no more than half the programme by distance learning. You must apply within 180 days of written confirmation that you completed the programme, and have held a valid study permit at some point in that period. Language: degree graduates need CLB 7 (or NCLC 7) in all four skills; college and other non-degree graduates need CLB 5. Accepted tests include CELPIP-General, IELTS General Training, PTE Core, TEF Canada and TCF Canada, with results less than two years old. The PGWP fee is CAD 255. Critically, degree graduates face no field-of-study requirement, but college graduates whose study-permit application went in on or after 1 November 2024 must graduate in a field on IRCC's eligible list. And some institutions cannot produce a PGWP at all — private career colleges generally cannot, and programmes delivered by a private college under licence from a public college generally cannot either. Verify PGWP eligibility for your specific programme before you enrol, not after.
Step 5: from PGWP to permanent residence
The PGWP is an open work permit — you may work for almost any employer — and Canadian work experience is the main bridge to permanent residence through Express Entry's Canadian Experience Class or a Provincial Nominee Program. Each pathway has its own criteria (skilled work experience, language scores, provincial nomination rules), and none is automatic on graduation. The practical implication: choose your province and programme with the immigration pathway in mind. A two-year programme in a province whose nominee stream favours your occupation is worth more than a one-year programme in a province that does not, even if the tuition is higher — because the PGWP length and the PR pathway together determine whether the degree converts into settlement.
Mistakes that cost students their permit or PGWP
Enrolling at a non-DLI or a PGWP-ineligible programme; showing funds without a paper trail; applying late and missing the intake; working beyond the 24-hour limit; taking an unauthorised leave and hiding it; and choosing a one-year programme without realising it yields a one-year PGWP. Every one of these is avoidable with a written checklist made before the first application is filed: DLI status, PAL, funds with history, programme PGWP eligibility, programme length, and language test booked before graduation.
FAQs
How much does a Canadian study permit cost? CAD 150, plus CAD 85 biometrics (CAD 170 maximum for a family).
How much money must I show? First-year tuition plus CAD 23,448 living costs for a single applicant (from 1 September 2026), plus travel.
How long is the PGWP? Up to 3 years for programmes of two years or more and for master's degrees of at least 8 months; about the programme length for shorter programmes.
Does SDS still exist? No. The Student Direct Stream closed on 8 November 2024.
Can I work while studying? Yes — up to 24 hours a week off campus during term, full-time in scheduled breaks, with a valid permit carrying a work condition.
Related guides on Pakunii
Canada Study Permit Guide 2027 · University of Toronto Profile · UBC Complete Profile · IELTS Academic Guide
Sources and verification: Study permit CAD 150, biometrics CAD 85 (CAD 170 family maximum), proof of funds CAD 23,448 single from 1 September 2026 (family table per IRCC), 24-hour off-campus work limit, SDS closure 8 November 2024, PGWP rules (8-month minimum, 180-day application window, CLB 7 degree / CLB 5 college, fee CAD 255, field-of-study exemption for degree graduates) per IRCC published rules, re-checked October 2026.