IRCC Changes to Study Permits for International Students
Posted January 17, 2025
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has updated the study permit requirements for international students. Effective November 8, 2024, international students who plan to continue their studies by transferring from one designated learning institution (DLI) to another, must always hold a valid study permit that lists the current (DLI) that they are enrolled in. This change includes international students transferring from a post-secondary institution to the CPA Western School of Business (CPAWSB) for preparatory courses or/and the CPA Professional Education Program (PEP).
IRCC has implemented a transition period allowing international students accepted into a new DLI for the Winter or Spring 2025 semester (starting January 1, 2025 to May 1, 2025) to begin their studies at that new DLI while awaiting their new study permit application to be processed by IRCC, provided that the student:
- Has been accepted to a DLI for the Winter or Spring 2025 semester (starting from January 1, 2025, to May 1, 2025),
- Has applied for a study permit extension,
- Has a valid study permit that does not list the DLI, and
- Meets all the existing study permit conditions.
International students who fall within the transition period listed above, are instructed to provide their new study permit, listing CPABC as their DLI, to CPAWSB as soon as they receive it so that CPAWSB can update their candidate record accordingly.
After this transition period, international students who do not hold a valid study permit listing CPABC as their DLI will be withdrawn from the CPAWSB Preparatory Courses and/or CPA Professional Education Program (PEP). This may impact the student’s employment with your organization. In some cases, students may not be eligible to start Core 1 within the specific timeframe desired by your organization, potentially affecting their employment in the PPR route.
Based on the IRCC’s current published processing times, international students should be able to acquire the necessary new study permit during the January 1, 2025 to May 1, 2025. However, students that are not able to acquire a new study permit listing CPABC as their DLI before the end of the transition period, may be subject to removal from their enrollment at CPAWSB.
Once again, once an international student has acquired their new study permit listing CPABC as the DLI, it is highly recommended that they contact CPAWSB to update their student records with their new permit as soon as possible.
For questions and more information, please consult the IRCC website or email careers@bccpa.ca.