Study permit refused

IRCC now sends officer decision notes with most study permit and study permit extension refusals, a practice that began on July 29, 2025. They are the deciding officer's own short account of why your application was refused.

Some of the note can be removed where it touches on sensitive details. Your original documents, including your passport, are sent back to you along with an explanation of the refusal. Anything the officer believes is fraudulent won't be returned.

IRCC looks at how much money you have, where it comes from and whether it will last your whole program. You must show you can pay for year one and show how you'll fund the rest if your program runs longer.

Bank statements should span the last 6 months and clearly show the source of the income. If you're a single applicant outside Quebec and your application goes in on or after September 1, 2026, you must show $23,448 for living costs, on top of tuition and travel.

IRCC recommends including a letter of explanation that sets out your reasons for studying in Canada. If you apply again, include new information that addresses the reason for your refusal. Call to go through your decision notes with a consultant.

A fresh application only helps if it includes information you didn't include before. That could mean something real has changed in your situation, or you now have proof that speaks directly to the refusal reason.

1. Read the decision notes and note down every reason the officer gave, so nothing is overlooked.
2. Collect new documents that respond to each reason, like better bank records or a clearer explanation letter.
3. Get a new provincial or territorial attestation letter (PAL or TAL), or use your valid Quebec CAQ, before reapplying.
4. Submit a new application with the added information and pay the fee again.

Sending in the same file twice without new information is unlikely to change the result, so get step 2 right first.

There is no formal appeal route for a study permit refusal. If you think the officer got the law or fairness wrong, or decided unreasonably, you can apply to the Federal Court of Canada for a review (the Court first has to agree to hear it, which is called granting leave). In a judicial review, a judge examines whether the officer made the decision the right way; it is not a fresh application.

If you go to Court, say you haven't received the officer's reasons, even if you got a decision note. That lets the Court ask for the complete reasons under its Rule 9, not just the short note. Choosing between the Court and applying again is a serious decision; a consultant can go over it with you by phone.

Most applicants need a PAL or TAL issued by the province or territory of your school, and you'll need a new one before you apply again.

Quebec works differently. A valid CAQ stays usable whatever the outcome, so long as your level of study stays the same.

A new application means paying the $150 study permit fee once more. Medical exam fees won't come back to you after a refusal.

When a refusal takes away your legal status, the window to act is short, so read your decision letter straight away. If you lost your legal status in Canada, you can apply to restore it within 90 days. Call today and a consultant will help you get your restoration application in on time.

Share what happened and what IRCC has sent you. A consultant replies by email.