New and returning students from outside Canada

All study permit applications must be submitted online. Please visit the IRCC study permit webpage to get specific instructions on how to apply. Depending on how you answer the questions, you may be instructed to use either an IRCC secure account (GC Key) or the IRCC Portal. Applications submitted outside of Canada are processed by the Canadian visa office that serves the country where you are residing. If you are already in Canada, you may be able to apply for a study permit from within Canada if you meet the specific requirements. If you are a United States citizen or Green Card holder, or a resident of Greenland or Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon, you may also apply at a Canadian port of entry. Determine where you can apply for your study permit.

The time it will take to process your application will vary, but you can check estimated processing times on the Government of Canada website. We recommend applying for your study permit as soon as you receive your Offer of Admission/Letter of Acceptance and have collected all of the required documents.

If you were accepted to Waterloo as an exchange student, please visit the exchange page for more information about your immigration documents.

Please note: Due to variation among Canadian visa offices and the complexity of study permit applications abroad, the immigration consultants are unable to review applications being submitted outside of Canada or fully advise on application refusals outside of Canada.

Before you begin the application process, we recommend watching our info session on applying for your first study permit. If you are using the IRCC secure account (GC Key) to apply, watch our video about the account creation process in detail.

Required Documents

Requirements to apply for a study permit:

Your official Offer of Admission and Letter of Acceptance from the University of Waterloo downloaded from Quest.
A Provincial Attestation Letter (PAL). See above links to begin the process of requesting this document. Note: Master's and PhD students do not require a PAL.
A valid passport or travel document issued by your country of citizenship. When possible, obtain a passport that is valid for the entire duration of your study in Canada.
Evidence of sufficient funds. You must provide proof that you have enough money for your tuition fees and living expenses, and to financially support any accompanying family members.
A passport-sized photo of yourself that meets Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) specifications.
A statement of purpose of study/study plan letter that you write.
Give biometrics once the Biometrics Instruction Letter (BIL) appears in your online account after you submit the application. If you have given them in the past, check if your biometrics are still valid.

Supporting documents may include:

Proof of immigration medical exam
Police certificate
Custodianship declaration - Neither the University nor the Canadian government can assign a custodian. For more information, please see minor children guidelines
Proof of tuition payment - Use the tuition fee estimator. The estimator will email you a PDF letter with the approximate amount of your total costs and instructions on how to pay your tuition in advance. After you have accepted your Offer of Admission and your payment has arrived, usually within 7-14 days after paying, you can log into your Quest account and email yourself an official tuition receipt to include in your study permit application
Country-specific documents
Documents requested by the visa office based on individual circumstances

Verify your country-specific study permit application requirements by:

Viewing specific visa office instructions by selecting a country
Reading the study permit Instruction Guide
Contacting the Canadian visa office processing your application with questions

Student Direct Stream:

You may be eligible to apply for your study permit through the Student Direct Stream if you are a legal resident from certain countries. This stream has additional application requirements to what is stated above, but generally applications through this stream are processed faster. Additional application requirements include:

Proof of payment of tuition for the first year of study
Proof of a Guaranteed Investment Certificate (GIC) of $10,000 CAN
A copy of the upfront medical exam document, and
Qualifying language test results

You may also need to provide additional documents depending on where you are applying from. If you don't meet the eligibility requirements for SDS, you can still apply through the regular study permit application process.

For the proof of tuition payment requirement, you can use Waterloo's tuition fee estimator to estimate your tuition fees. Once you've created your estimate, the estimator will email you a PDF letter with the approximate amount of your total costs and instructions on how to pay your tuition in advance. After you have accepted your Offer of Admission and your payment has arrived, usually within 7-14 days after paying, you can log into your Quest account and email yourself an official tuition receipt to include in your study permit application.

Starting an online application

All study permit applications must be submitted online. Please visit the IRCC study permit webpage to get specific instructions on how to apply. Depending on how you answer the questions, you may be instructed to use either an IRCC secure account (GC Key) or the IRCC Portal.
If you are using the IRCC secure account (GC Key) to apply, watch our video about the account creation process in detail.

Applying for a co-op work permit at the same time

If you are accepted into a co-op program at the University of Waterloo, you can apply for your co-op work permit together with your study permit. Make sure to indicate in your study permit application that you are also applying for a co-op work permit. Use your Letter of Acceptance in the application twice; once for proof of university acceptance, and again for proof of a co-op letter, with the Internship section highlighted. Application approval is determined by the Canadian visa office, and is not guaranteed.

If you are not issued co-op work permit approval or a co-op work permit at the port-of-entry into Canada, you can still apply for a co-op work permit once in Canada. We recommend applying right away after arriving at Waterloo.

You need your co-op work permit for all co-op placements. Make sure you have it before starting your first one.

Distance learning programs

Temporary policy from September 1, 2022 to December 31, 2023:

Distance learning is study through online courses or correspondence. A study permit cannot be issued for an online program. This does not include courses that were offered online solely due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Some online programs could require an in-Canada portion. If the overall program, including the online components, is more than 6 months long, then a study permit is required for any length of in-Canada study.

If you plan to study in a program that has online courses or components completed from outside of Canada, and you are interested in applying for the post-graduation work permit (PGWP) to work in Canada after completing your degree, eligibility for the PGWP includes a requirement that less than 50% of the program’s total courses be completed through distance learning (i.e. online courses) and only time spent studying in Canada counts towards the length of the PGWP. Time spent studying outside Canada will count towards the length of the PGWP until December 31, 2023. Please see our post-graduation work permit page for more information.

Entering canada for the first time?

If your study permit application is approved, you will be given a Letter of Introduction (study permit approval letter) and, if applicable, a TRV in your passport or eTA number. If you require a TRV to enter Canada, the visa office will need your physical passport during the study permit application process in order to put the TRV in your passport.

To receive your study permit at the port of entry into Canada, you need to present the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) officer with your passport, Letter of Introduction, and official Letter of Acceptance from the University of Waterloo. The CSBA officer must also be satisfied that you are a bona fide student.

Please read the International Student Guide for more information about documents you should have in your carry-on luggage and detailed steps about the process of entering Canada.

For more information on documents to prepare to enter Canada, please visit the Government of Canada website.

Frequently asked questions

Q: I applied for a study permit with a different University’s offer letter, and have now accepted my Waterloo offer. What do I do?

A: If you've transferred post-secondary schools or used another post-secondary school's Letter of Acceptance for your study permit application, you must notify Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) via your IRCC account.

You don't have to complete a DLI transfer when switching programs within the University of Waterloo.

If you are outside Canada

If your study permit application is in progress with a different university’s offer letter please update IRCC as soon as possible. You can do this by submitting your new offer letter from the University of Waterloo using the IRCC web form.

If your study permit application has been approved please submit a new study permit application with your new letter of acceptance from the University of Waterloo. and pay all the fees. Your new application must be processed and approved before you come to Canada.

If you are inside Canada

If you're already inside Canada and change institutions, then you can update IRCC by following the instructions for changing schools on IRCC’s webpage.

Q: How do I apply for a co-op work permit with your study permit application?

A: If you're accepted into a co-op program at the University of Waterloo, you can apply for your co-op work permit together with your study permit. Be sure to indicate in your study permit application that you're also applying for a co-op work permit. Use your Letter of Acceptance in the application twice: once for proof of university acceptance and again for proof of a co-op letter, with the Internship section highlighted. Application approval is determined by the Canadian visa office, and is not guaranteed.

You need your co-op work permit for all co-op placements. Make sure you have it before starting your first one.