WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
A school offer starts the process; it does not approve your study permit. Confirm the institution, required provincial documents and your financial evidence before applying.
Verify the school and offer
Check that the institution is a designated learning institution and that the offer names the correct programme, campus, intake and duration. Use the school’s own contact details to verify requests for deposits.
Ask about refund and deferral terms before paying. If post-graduation work is important to your decision, verify the exact programme’s eligibility separately; DLI status alone does not settle it.
Resolve provincial requirements
Most applicants need a provincial or territorial attestation letter unless exempt. From January 2026, degree-granting master’s and doctoral programmes at public DLIs are among the exemptions. A postgraduate certificate is not automatically a master’s degree.
Quebec has its own acceptance-certificate requirements. Ask the school which documents apply to your case and when it can issue or arrange them; do not submit a generic checklist with a required item missing.
Follow the personalised application checklist
Prepare identity, acceptance, financial and any requested medical, biometric or other evidence through IRCC’s current process. Explain your genuine study plan and supply accurate history. School English-language acceptance does not approve immigration eligibility.
Student Direct Stream and Nigeria Student Express ended in November 2024. Do not pay someone for a new application through either retired fast-track initiative.
Check the outcome before travel
A study permit and a travel visa or electronic travel authorisation serve different purposes. Follow the approval letter’s instructions and check the documents required for your journey and arrival.
Next action: create a tracker with each required document, issuer, deadline and receipt status. Ask the school to resolve programme or provincial-document uncertainty before you submit.
Sources and further reading
- IRCC: study permit documents ↗
- IRCC: provincial or territorial attestation letters ↗
- IRCC: end of SDS and Nigeria Student Express ↗
Sources checked 2026-10-13. Examples and planning suggestions are Effikos editorial guidance.
Something needs a closer look? Send us a correction.
