For applicants from India
Study permit delayed before your intake? Decide your next step
Ask your school for its latest arrival date and deferral options now. Check your IRCC account for requests and your application status. If the school approves a later intake while your application is pending, get an updated letter of acceptance and send it to IRCC. A published processing time cannot tell you when your decision will arrive.
Reviewed 27 September 2026
Start with the dates you can confirm
Check the school and IRCC separately
Ask your DLI
- What is the last day you may arrive, enrol and start this program?
- When must you request a deferral, and when is the next available intake?
- What happens to your deposit, tuition or housing payment if you defer?
Keep the school's answer and any approved deferral in writing. These dates and payment rules vary by institution and program.
Check IRCC
- Review your online account for biometrics, medical or document requests.
- Use the application status tracker with your UCI and application number.
- Compare the current processing time for your application type, without treating it as a deadline.
IRCC says processing times may be longer than shown and are not a maximum or a guarantee.
Match the process to your status
Deferring and changing schools are different steps
Check whether your application is still pending or has already been approved, and whether you will stay at the same DLI. That determines which IRCC instructions apply.
Your decision is pending and your school still allows arrival
Ask the school for its latest permitted arrival and registration dates in writing. Keep watching your IRCC account for document requests and check the application status tracker. Make a deferral plan before the school's cutoff passes. Do not plan travel for study until you have the required approval and entry documents.
School dates come from your DLI; IRCC provides the application tracker.
Your decision is pending and you defer at the same DLI
Get the DLI's approval of the deferral and an updated letter of acceptance (LOA). IRCC says to submit the updated LOA through your online account or its web form while the application is being processed.
IRCC, Study permit: After you apply.
Your decision is pending and you change DLI
This is different from deferring at the same school. IRCC says you can tell it about a new DLI by sending a new LOA and a PAL or TAL if needed through its web form. Check the new program and school before making the change.
IRCC, Changing schools or programs.
Your outland application is approved, then you change DLI
IRCC says you must submit a new study permit application with a new LOA and pay the new application fees. An approval for one DLI cannot simply be updated to another DLI after approval.
IRCC, Changing schools or programs.
If you are already in Canada or have an unusual status issue, get advice for your specific situation. The paths above focus on applicants planning to travel from India.
If the same school defers your place
Send IRCC the updated offer while it processes your application
IRCC's published sequence is specific: your DLI approves the deferral, issues an updated LOA, and you submit that LOA through your online account or the IRCC web form. Keep a copy of the letter and your submission confirmation.
A web form supplies the changed document; it does not promise a faster decision. Keep checking for IRCC requests, and ask your DLI what happens if the next intake is also missed.
Common questions
When the start date is close
Can I arrive after classes have started?
Ask your DLI for its latest arrival, enrolment and registration dates for your exact program, preferably in writing. A pending application does not establish that the school will accept a late start, and an expected IRCC processing time is not an approval date.
Will an IRCC web form speed up my study permit?
Use the web form to submit an updated LOA after a DLI-approved deferral or to send other required information. Do not plan around it speeding a decision. IRCC says published processing times are neither a maximum nor a guarantee.
Do I need a new PAL or TAL when I defer?
The answer depends on what changed and the status of your application. For a same-DLI deferral while IRCC is processing your application, IRCC instructs you to obtain DLI approval and submit an updated LOA. If you change DLIs while the application is pending, a new PAL or TAL may also be needed. Check the current IRCC instructions for your case before submitting.
What if my decision arrives after the intake closes?
Ask your DLI whether it will permit a late start or approve a later intake and issue an updated LOA. Before travelling, check the validity of your passport, entry document and IRCC letter, and confirm that your school will let you begin. If your plans involve a different DLI, follow IRCC's change-of-school rules for your application status.
Need to review a changed study plan?
Bring your LOA, the school's written deadlines, any deferral approval, your IRCC application details and the documents already submitted. A review can help you identify the right update and remaining questions. It cannot set or guarantee an IRCC decision date. This guide is general information, not individualized immigration advice.
Contact KananLast updated September 27, 2026
Official IRCC sources used for this study permit delay
Updated for current IRCC study permit delay guidance
Based on current IRCC study-permit and school-change guidance
Immigration rules and processing times change often. Use these official pages as the final authority before paying fees or submitting documents.