• Some Canadian visa offices (CVO: embassy, high commission or consulate) allow you to start your Study Permit application at the same time as the CAQ for studies process, by uploading the CAQ fee receipt proving that the application has been submitted.  You will then need to provide a copy of your CAQ approval letter, and you will have a limited amount of time to do so.  Your application for a study permit may be rejected if you fail to provide the letter within the prescribed time.  
   
• Most CVOs require the CAQ to be issued in order to apply for a Study Permit.  In this case, start your Study Permit application as soon as you receive confirmation of CAQ Certificate issuance. 

Applications can only be made online, unless the applicant suffers from a handicap that prevents him or her to use a computer.  In this instance, the application can be sent by mail.  To apply online, we recommend you use an IRCC secure account.  You will first need to create the account and select one of the two login options.  If you don't have a Canadian bank account, you'll need to select the “GCKey” option.   

You'll then have to answer a series of questions designed to lead you to the right application, namely “Application for a Study Permit Made Outside of Canada (IMM1294)”.  You'll need to download the forms to your computer, fill them in and, once completed, upload them to your account.  You will also need to upload the various supporting documents in the designated spaces.  

Please note that the requirements for obtaining a study permit may vary from country to country. Refer to the Instructions Guide (IMM5269) and consult your local visa instructions to check whether you must complete additional forms and provide other documents. 

If you are staying in a country other than that of your nationality, we advise you to enclose with your application the documents mentioned in the specific instructions from the visa office in your country of residence, in addition to those required by the visa office in charge of applications in your country of citizenship.

Documents generally requested are as follows:

• Proof of acceptance: Admission letter issued by Polytechnique Montréal;
   
• Student exchange letter: if you are coming for an exchange program (one or two semesters or double degree), simply upload your admission letter again.
   
• Proof of Identity: Photocopy of your valid passport;
   
• Attestation of issuance of your CAQ, if applicable
   
• Provincial attestation letter (PAL):
  -If you have been admitted to a bachelor's (including or not a preparatory year), DESS, Master's (including double degree) or PhD program: you will have to indicate in the initial questionnaire that you have a PAL, and upload your CAQ for studies again in the space reserved for this purpose.  
  -If you are coming on exchange for one or two terms and are applying for a study permit: you must indicate in the initial questionnaire that you are PAL- exempt.  You must then upload a short letter explaining the reason for your exemption, namely that you are coming on an exchange program.
   
• Recent evidence of financial resources : you can usually use the same documents as for the CAQ, if you had to provide them at that stage, but make sure that they are no more than three months old.
   
• ID Photo to the standards of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada.
   
• Depending on your nationality or the place where you legally reside, you might need to pass a medical exam and/or provide a police certificate.  Note that the medical exam can be passed before or after having submitted your application.

A provision of the Immigration Act allows you to apply for a study permit upon arriving to Canada on presentation of the documents listed above, if you are:

• Citizen of the USA
• Permanent resident of the USA 
• Resident of Greenland
• Resident of St-Pierre-et-Miquelon

When applying at a port of entry (POE), the application is processed immediately by a Canadian Border Agent. If your application is approved, you leave the POE with your study permit in hands.

To the exception of American citizens, the above-mentionned people will need to have obtained an eTA to board a plane for Canada.  

If you are not a national in the above-mentionned list, you will have to apply for a study permit and receive its approval prior to coming to Canada.

The study plan document is used to demonstrate to the immigration officer processing your application that you are a bona fide student, and that you will comply with the conditions of your stay once you arrive in Canada.

Providing a study plan is a requirement for students who live in certain parts of the world. Further, we strongly recommend that students from countries that have a high rate of study permit rejection submit a study plan, even when it is not on the list of required documents from their Canadian visa office.

See our instructions for writing an effective study plan (.pdf)

In your application, you must prove that you can afford to pay your tuition and living expenses and if applicable, those of your family members that will remain with you during your stay in Canada. Visit the IRCC website for more information on financial ressources evidences.  To know more about the kind of financial capacity documents that are accepted by your visa office, consult the Guide on Applying for a Study Permit outside of Canada, as well as your local visa office instructions.

You do not need to demonstrate that you have from the start the financial resources to cover the entire lenght of your studies.  The CVO will ask you to proove your financial capacity for the first year.  However, for study permit issuance purposes, the agent who will process your application will need to establish that it is likely that the funds will remain available for the duration of your studies.  To this end, we advise you to provide a variety of documents, including documents that demonstrate consistent income, such as a letter of employment, a guarantor’s pay slips, etc. Each person who will provide for you during your studies must give financial proofs,including a letter signed by them confirming their intention to support you financially.

If you are coming on a one-term or two-term exchange program, you will need to meet the minimum financial requirements for the number of months that you expect to spend in Canada. 

If financial assistance is provided by your supervisor, make sure to add the letter confirming the annual amount granted.  You supervisor does not need to fill out a separate declaration of financial support.  

Note that the amount of your tuition fees is normally indicated on your letter of admission. If you are a one or two-terms exchange student,  immigration authorities will take into account the fact that your tuition is paid in your home educational institution. As a result, tuition fees won’t factor into the calculation of your financial capacity.

If you are a French national or have obtained an exemption of the differential fees for International students, immigration will calculate your fees accordingly, upon presentation of your French passport or confirmation of your exemption.

Polytechnique Montréal does not request payment of tuition fees before the start of the program.  You may however have to pay for the first term or the first year of study as part of your study permit application process, upon request by your CVO.  In certain cases, it can be a good idea to proceed with an advance payment, in order to help prove that you meet the minimal financial capacity to carry out your study project. 

Here is how to proceed in order to pay in advance for your tuition fees:

• You must start by estimating your tuition fees using the amounts indicated on your offer of admission.
• You then need to proceed with the payment of your tuition fees using the Convera online platform and note down your transaction reference number.
• In order to receive a proof of tuition fees payment by Polytechnique Montréal, you need to send an email to the Finance Department: compte-etudiant.finances@polymtl.ca. You must indicate your name, first name, student ID at Polytechnique and your Convera transaction reference number.  
• Amounts paid for tuition fees will never be reimbursed in cash to the student. If the final bill for your first year is less than the amount paid, the amounts will be credited by Polytechnique for the payment of tuition fees for the next terms
• If you do not end up registering at Polytechnique, the amounts paid will only be refunded to the account and to the person who originally sent the money.  To retrieve your payment, you will need to write again to compte-etudiant.finances@polymtl.ca with the same information provided during the initial transaction.  

All applicants must provide their biometric data as part of their study permit application, unless they have already provided it to IRCC within the last ten years as part of another application.  A biometric fee of CAD 85 (or a maximum of CAD 170 per family unit) is payable at the time of application.  Biometric data (photograph and fingerprints) are used by the Canadian government to establish a person's identity.   

Within 24 hours of receiving your application, IRCC will upload a letter of instructions to your secure account. You must follow the instructions in the letter to make an appointment at a specialized center to have your data collected. Note that the processing times posted on the IRCC website begin once you have provided your biomterics. 

Once collected, biometric data remains valid for ten years. 

Only students who are legally authorized to apply for a study permit at a port of entry (airport, land, or seaport) may submit their biometric data upon arrival in Canada.

It should be noted that a person who resided for more than six months in some parts of the world during the past year must undergo a medical examination (and assume the cost) from a doctor approved by IRCC (also called "Panel physician") . The exam can be taken before submitting the study permit application, or after, once you receive instructions from the visa office.  If you choose the second option, be aware that overall processing times will be longer.

The fee for processing your application is $150 CAD for the study permit application. An additional $85 CAD (or $170 CAD for a family unit) is required if you need to provide your biometric data.

These fees are payable by credit card, prepaid card, or debit card at the time of application submission.

Processing times displayed on the IRCC website represent the time it takes to process the majority of applications from a particular country.   

It is not possible to request a rush processing of an application, nor can Polytechnique Montréal contact CVOs to ask that processing be sped up.  If your application is taking longer than average times advertised, you can check your application status on the IRCC website.  If you have specific questions to ask or need to update your application with new information, you can also send a webform. 

Among other conditions, you must: 

• Remain enrolled full-time at the designated learning institution mentionned on your study permit, except during scheduled program breaks, such as holidays; authorized leaves up to 150 days in length; and the last term in your program.
• Continue making progress toward completing your program, by passing your courses.

Not respecting the terms and conditions of your study permit can, ultimately, lead to your Study Permit renewal being refused, removal from Canada, and inelegibility for a post-graduate work permit upon completion of your studies. Note that some Study Permit holders are exempt from these conditions.

To know more about study permit conditions, please visit this page.