As of April 1, 2026, you don’t need a co-op work permit for student work placements, such as co-ops or internships, as a post-secondary international student. See Work in a student work placement for further details.

Effective September 1, 2025, the minimum amount for daily living expenses required for study permit applications (initial and extensions) is increasing. See Proof of financial support for the new amounts. Students continue to require proof they can afford at least 1 year of tuition, daily living expenses and return travel home. For students in multiple-year programs, we recommend 1 year of tuition is paid upfront to strengthen your application.

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has announced an important update for graduate students. As of January 1, 2026, graduate degree students enrolling at public institutions will be exempt from the Provincial Attestation Letter (PAL) requirement and will not be included in federal cap allocations.

In addition, PhD applicants and their accompanying family members applying from outside Canada may benefit from a new 14-day study permit processing standard.

IRCC has launched Get your graduate degree in Canada, a new webpage dedicated to new graduate students.

Learn more about PALs and whether you will need one.

IRCC has ended a process commonly known as “flagpoling” for most types of study permits and work permits.

IRCC has updated the open work permit eligibility for spouses of international students and spouses of workers.

• Iran
• Israel, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip
• Lebanon
• Sudan
• Ukraine
• Other special measures