WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
Keep your arrival documents with you, arrange the first night and check the permit issued at the border before leaving. Your destination city and season should guide practical preparations.
Separate approval from entry documents
Review the IRCC arrival checklist for your passport, introduction letter, acceptance and funding evidence, and any visa or eTA required. A study permit is not itself a travel visa. Keep required documents in your carry-on.
Check airline and transit requirements and confirm that the course and arrival dates still match your school’s instructions. If you deferred, resolve the document implications before travelling.
Read the permit you receive
At arrival, follow the officer’s instructions and check the issued study permit’s identity details, expiry and conditions. Ask about an apparent error while you are still at the issuing point. Do not assume a work condition or date is correct without reading it.
Save a secure copy after arrival. Keep immigration documents out of public cloud links and do not share them with unverified accommodation or job contacts.
Plan for the actual city and season
Canada spans large distances and different climates. Check the local forecast, airport-to-home route and check-in hours. Pack immediate essentials and arrange a safe fallback if your flight is delayed.
A room advertised as “near Toronto” may still involve a long commute to your campus. Use the exact addresses and the time you will travel, not a country-level impression of distance.
Use the first week for essentials
Confirm enrolment and orientation, learn the route to campus, activate an affordable contact method and ask the institution about health coverage and local registration steps. Rules can differ by province and student circumstances.
Old COVID checklists and stereotypes about how every Canadian behaves are not useful arrival instructions. Next action: create a one-page arrival plan with addresses, document reminders and verified university support contacts.
Sources and further reading
Sources checked 2026-10-13. Examples and planning suggestions are Effikos editorial guidance.
Something needs a closer look? Send us a correction.
