You need to apply for a CAQ by completing an online form, paying processing fees with a credit card (Visa, Mastercard or American Express; yours or a card belonging to someone you know). You must also have an email address.

Once you have paid for your application and submitted your online form, you will need to send supporting documents for your application via the Arrima platform.  The MIFI provides instructions and online tutorials to assist students in navigating the system. It is essential that you send all documents required by MIFI in a single transmission. In the event that you are unable to do so, you must wait for MIFI to process your application and send you a letter of intention of refusal before you can send any missing documents.

BELOW IS A LIST OF SUPPORTING DOCUMENTATION YOU NEED TO SEND:

• A passport format photo;
• A photocopy of the identity pages of your passport. These pages list your personal information, your photo, as well as the dates indicating your passport’s validity;
• An “Attestation d’inscription” (Attestation of School Attendance - order form available in French only) for the current semester at Polytechnique, that indicates your full-time or part-time status, and the expected date you will finish your studies.  Make sure to indicate on the order form during which term you expect to finish your program. Note that this document can also be obtained in person at the Registrar's Office. The document must be issued by the Registrariat and not through your online student file.  If you are registered in a Ph.D. or Research-Master’s program, request that all semesters wherein your status is full-time, since the start of your program, be indicated on your Attestation of School Attendance.
• A transcript for the current and entire valid CAQ (issued by the Registrariat - Registrar’s Office, and can be requested via the same above-mentioned form or at the counter). If you are a Double Degree student, remember to include the transcript from your "trimestre d'intégration” (Integration Semester), to the transcript for your Master’s program. If you were registered in a different university or institution prior to coming to Polytechnique, you must also attach a copy of your transcript from that university or institution;
• The original or a photocopy of proof of financial capacity, as applicable to your specific situation (see: Section 20 of the CAQ form). For more details about acceptable documents and required financial capacity, refer to the following page: Financial capacity.  Proof of financial capacity must be recent (less than 3 months old). Each individual whose name is mentionned on the financial capacity documents must complete a “Declaration of financial support" form. This form is automatically generated when you indicate in the online form that someone will finance your studies. Each person completes and signs a single form, therefore all individuals who are assisting you financially must each complete and sign their own form that you can download here.  Note that banking statements used as proof of financial capacity must be from personal accounts – commercial account statements, property or goods titles are not accepted as proof for CAQ applications. 
• Other documents, specific to your situation (ex: if you graduated and moved on to the next academic tier, the Offer of Admission Letter for your new program, should you need to submit a new CAQ application).

Note - Important!

You are required to prove and indicate that studying will be your main activity during your time in Québec, you must also demonstrate that you have health and hospitalization insurance (including for any family members that accompany you*) for the entirety of your stay in Québec. Therefore, you must provide an explanatory letter (signed and dated) supporting your extension request if one of the following situations below applies to you:

• You have deferred your admission a semester, and therefore your CAQ began a semester before your arrived in Canada;
• You have not studied full-time, you have dropped a course (indicated by an "R" on our transcript or have obtained fewer credits than the minimum number to be considered full-time), or you were not registered during a mandatory registration period (Autumn or Winter);
• You have had several failures during your academic path. 

Depending on your specific circumstances, you may be required to provide medical proof, proof of absence from Canada (ex: airline tickets) or other supporting documents. If one of the above-indicated circumstances applies to you, please contact us.  Missing supporting documentation may result in an intention of refusal letter, which can delay the entire process by roughly one month, and may also result in refusal to issue a CAQ.

*Certain CAQ for Studies categories are exempt from these conditions. Refer to this page to determine if an exemption applies to you. 

Below is a reminder of the main conditions associated with your study permit, which must be respected during your studies:

The validity period of a SP cannot normally exceed that of your passport, nor that of your CAQ for studies. 

If you only need to renew your study permit, start the process 3 to 4 months before it expires.

If you are in Canada while your application is being processed, it is imperative that you send in your application before your SP expires, to maintain your legal status.  This means sending your application before midnight UTC of the last day of validity of your document.  You will then be authorized to remain registered and continue the activities associated with your study permit (study and work), even if your permit expires before you receive a response from IRCC regarding your application.  

This waiting period between the expiry of the SP and the receipt of IRCC's response is called "maintained status" (formerly known as "implied status").  To maintain your status, you must remain in Canada until your application is approved. 

We advise you to avoid sending an application for renewal of your SP shortly before it expires, as if you receive a refusal to renew after the document has expired, you will be unenrolled from the ongoing term and will have to apply for restoration of your status.

In-Canada applicants

You must submit your SP application online, which will be processed at the Case Processing Centre in Edmonton, Alberta.  Mail-in applications are now accepted only in rare cases.   Once your SP application has been processed, it will be mailed to the Canadian mailing address you provided in your application.  If you require a TRV, you will need to apply for it separately.  

Make sure you fill out the right application: the main form to fill out is called "Application to Change Conditions of Stay, Extend Stay or Remain in Canada as a Student" (IMM5709).

Make sure that you fill out the right application!  The main form in this application should be entitled "Application to Change Conditions, Extend my Stay or Remain in Canada as a Student (IMM 5709)"

Applicants abroad

If you are physically outside Canada, you must submit your SP application online, except in exceptional cases. The main form to complete for this application is entitled "Application for a Study Permit Made Outside Canada" (IMM1294).

Once the application has been processed, you will be issued a letter of introduction which you must present at the Canadian port of entry on your return, so that your study permit can be printed.   If you require a Temporary Resident Visa (TRV), you do not need to fill out a separate application; your TRV will be processed at the same time as your SP.  Once your application has been approved, you'll need to send your passport to the Canadian Visa Office (CVO) to have the visa sticker affixed, and wait for it to be returned to you before returning to Canada.  

Please note!  Students who submit an SP application from abroad must wait for their application to be approved before returning to Canada.  The notion of maintained status (implied status) does not apply to applications submitted from abroad.  Thus, if you submit an SP application to a CVO before your document expires, you cannot count on maintained status to continue your studies.  

Ex: A student has a study permit and a TRV that expire on August 31.  While abroad, the student submits an SP application online and returns in early August with his or her documents still valid.  If the application is still not processed by September 1, the student will find himself or herself without legal status in Canada, and unable to study or work.   This could lead to cancellation of the study permit application and the need to restore status.

If you are in Canada and do not send the renewal application before your study permit expiry date, you will not have a legal status. You will have 90 days of the expiration of your previous legal status, to apply for restoration of status. During this 90 day period (and while you await the processing of your application), you are permitted to remain in Canada, but this does not constitute legal status: it will not allow you to be enrolled at Polytechnique during this 90 day grace period, nor while you await the processing of your application, which will take several weeks.  You will not be able to work either during that period.

A SP+SR application is the same as a normal SP extension, but a $200 penalty fee is added to the normal processing fee, and will permanently record an infraction in your immigration record. Severe consequences are possible when a SR is recorded in your file. It may be grounds for refusals of any study or work permit, as well as permanent residence. It can sometimes be more prudent to return to your home country and apply for a new SP from outside of Canada and not use the SR option. Come discuss your strategy with the international student advisor.

To apply for SP + SR, you must use the same forms:

• You must check the Restoration of temporary resident status box in the header of the IMM5709 form, answer YES when asked if you remained in Canada after your status expired, and explain why.
• In some cases, you'll need to add supporting documents to back up your explanation

Note that processing times change from week to week. Our experience shows an average processing time of one to three months for online applications processed in Canada, but these do not include postal delays for sending back your study permit.

If your application is being processed in a Canadian visa office abroad, note that delays can vary greatly from one office to another.  They range from a few days to several months.  If you must leave Canada and your immigration documents are set to expire during your stay abroad, we advise you to contact us before your departure, so that we could help you evaluate whether your return in Canada at the expected date could be compromised.

If you have remaining compulsory internship in your program, you must include with your application a work permit application for (C32-WP), which is free.  If you send a joint SP and WP application, the processing for the study permit will apply.

You should provide an “Attestation d’inscription” (Attestation of School Attendance - order form available in French only) for the current semester at Polytechnique, that indicates your full-time or part-time status, and the expected date you will finish your studies.  Make sure to indicate on the order form during which term you expect to finish your program.  You can also request this document in person at the Registrar's Office.  The document must be issued by the Registrariat and not through your online student file.  If you are registered in a Ph.D. or Research-Master’s program, request that all semesters wherein your status is full-time, since the start of your program, be indicated on your Attestation of School Attendance.

If you have renewed your CAQ for studies and that your proofs of financial capacity are very recent (less than two months old), you could present the same proofs for your SP renewal.  However, your should always rely first on the requirements listed on the IRCC website, as they may change at any time.  If your application is processed in a Canadian Visa Office abroad, make sure to follow the CVO instructions.  Don't forget that if persons finance your studies, they will need to each present a separate letter dated and signed confirming that they will be supporting you, as well as present documents proving their financial capacity.

LINKS

• Extend your study permit - IRCC website
• Technical problems and online applications
• Contact IRCC
• Biometrics

In principle, the TRV issued with your study permit is valid for multiple entries into Canada.  We recommend, however, that you check after receipt of your TRV that it does in fact indicate multiple entries.  If it was issued for a single entry, it will only be valid for your initial entry into the country.  If you subsequently leave Canada during your studies, you will need to apply for a new TRV to re-enter, unless you are returning from the USA.

The validity period of a TRV cannot normally exceed that of your passport, nor that of your study permit. To renew a TRV, you must have a study permit or work permit valid for a minimum of 6 months on the day you apply.

In-Canada applicants

If you are physically in Canada, and if you have a valid study permit or work permit and your passport is being returned to you at an address in Canada, you must send your TRV application online to the Case Processing Centre in Ottawa (CPC-O).  The CPC-O will send you an e-mail message when you finalize your application, asking you to provide your passport. Please note that TRV applications by mail are now accepted only in rare cases, which are described on the IRCC website.

Applicants abroad

If you are physically outside Canada, you must submit your TRV application online, except in certain specific cases. The Visa Office will send you an e-mail message when they will have finalized your application, asking you to provide your passport.

It is not advisable to leave Canada for vacation without first renewing your TRV, as you may not be able to return in time for the start of classes if processing times at your Canadian visa office are longer than expected.  Instead, you should renew your TRV from within Canada, before leaving the country.

Biometrics consist of a photograph and fingerprints, which are used by the Canadian government to establish a person's identity. If you are required to provide them, the fee is $85 CDN (170$ for a family unit); you will need to present yourself at a Service Canada collection center for in-Canada applications, an Application Support Center in the USA, or to a Visa Application Center (VAC) in other countries.

If you have to provide biometrics, you can still complete the online application for your TRV renewal. To proceed with biometric data collection, IRCC will upload an instruction letter on your MyCIC account once they receive your application. Follow the instructions in the letter. Print a copy of the letter and bring it with you, as well as all required documents when you go to the biometrics data collection centre. Note that processing times posted on the IRCC website do not include the time required to travel to the VAC for biometrics collection purpose.

Once collected, biometrics remain valid for ten years.

To learn more on biometrics, visit the IRCC website.

IMPORTANT: You should always rely on the CPP-O, CVO or VAC website that you are sending your application to. Be aware that instructions are forever changing.

In Canada Applicants

• Specific and Shipping Instructions
• Processing Delays for CPP-O are displayed on the IRCC website under the category "Visitor visa (from inside Canada)" and are updated regularly.  Add postal delays for sending and receiving your passport.
• A 100$ processing fee is required.  Moreover, should you be required to provide your biometrics, you will need to pay 85$, or a maximum of 170$ for a family.
  Payment is made through your MyCIC account at the time of submission, by credit card.
• Required documents from Polytechnique
  • Recent confirmation of enrolment
  • Transcripts from the Registrar's Office (do not use the unofficial version generated by your online student file)

Other Applicants (Outside Canada)

• VAC instructions: Go to the website of the VAC in charge of the territory you have been legally admitted to.
• The processing delays vary from one CVO to another and are displayed on the IRCC website under the category "Visitor visa (from outside Canada)".  Add postal delays for sending and receiving your passport.
• A 100$ processing fee is required.  Moreover, should you be required to provide your biometrics, you will need to pay 85$, or a maximum of 170$ for a family.
  • For online application, payment is made through your MyCIC account at the time of submission, by credit card.
  • For paper application, you should refer to the accepted payment methods described in your corresponding VAC website.
• Required documents from Polytechnique
  • Recent confirmation of enrolment
  • Transcript from the Registrar's Office (do not use the unofficial version generated by your online student file)
    Make sure to request these documents before leaving Canada.  Otherwise, you will need to order them using the appropriate form.

LINKS

• IRCC - temporary resident visa application from inside Canada
• IRCC - temporary resident visa from abroad