Preparing to arrive in Canada
Follow our detailed Travelling to Canada Guide to learn about making travel plans, what you must bring, arrival steps to ensure you get a study permit with conditions to work, and more.
When you arrive in Canada
Be sure to get your study permit when you first enter Canada. In other words, present your Letter of Introduction to the Canada Border Services Officer at the first place you arrive in Canada and request a study permit.
For example, if you arrive in Toronto, then take another flight to Vancouver, you must get your study permit in Toronto. If you have connecting flights, try to schedule a layover for a few hours to allow time for immigration.
- Answer questions on the electronic Primary Inspection Kiosk, if arriving by plane.
You must declare if you have packed currency equal to or greater than CAD$10,000 and/or any food, plant or animal products. - Present your kiosk receipt to an officer.
Let them know you need a study permit, then the officer will direct you to immigration. - Pick up your checked luggage, if applicable.
- Proceed to immigration and present your Letter of Introduction.
- Check your study permit before you leave the officer’s desk.
- Confirm all personal information and conditions are correct. If they are not, notify the officer right away.
- To prevent delays in starting a job, ensure your study permit includes at least one of the following conditions:
- “May accept employment on or off campus if meeting eligibility criteria, per paragraph R186(f), (v) or (w) and must cease working if no longer meeting these criteria”
- “May work 24 hours per week off campus or full time during regular breaks if meeting criteria outlined in paragraph 186(v) of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations” (study permits issued before Nov 8, 2024, would indicate 20 hours a week)
- “May accept employment on the campus of the institution at which registered in full-time studies”
- Before leaving the officer’s desk, ensure the information on your study permit is correct and that it states you ‘may work’ or ‘may accept employment.’ If these words are not present, respectfully request they be added. If they are not, you will not be able to work on your study permit for many months while you apply for a correction.
Note, while engaged in full-time studies:
- Degree-seeking students and exchange students are eligible to work on and off campus.
- Non-degree seeking students (such as visiting students and VIRS) are eligible to work on-campus.
If you arrive by car, there are no kiosks. Answer the officer’s questions, let them know you need a study permit, then proceed to secondary examination for your study permit.
Complete the iPREP pre-arrival course
Learn about your immigration documents, health insurance, banking in Canada, getting a phone, scams and more.
For more information, please see Step 4 of our Travelling to Canada Guide, While you travel to Canada.
Study permit example
Below is a screenshot of an example study permit:
The information on this page may change
The immigration information on this page has been reviewed and endorsed by Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultants (RCICs) or Regulated International Student Immigration Advisors (RISIAs) in compliance with the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act and Regulations. However, this is not a legal document and information may change without notice. Always refer to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) for the most up-to-date information.