IRCC Invalidates Study Permits for School Transfers Without New Application — June 2026 Rule

What Changed in IRCC’s June 2026 Study Permit Guidance

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada’s update on June 23, 2026, to its Program Delivery Instructions removes ambiguity for officers assessing study permit compliance during school transfers. The core rule hasn’t changed—students must apply for a new permit before switching institutions—but the update clarifies how permits become invalid when leaving the named school.

Since November 2024, all post-secondary study permits list the specific DLI a student may attend. If you transfer to a different institution without first securing a new permit, your current one becomes invalid the day you stop attending the named school. IRCC’s guidance makes it clear: “You cannot start at a new school and sort out the paperwork afterward.”

There is a crucial difference between transferring after applying versus transferring first. While you remain authorized to study if you applied for a new permit before leaving your original school, any studies at the new institution without a valid permit are considered unauthorized. Consequences include a six-month bar on future study or work permits and potential exclusion orders from the Canada Border Services Agency.

Who This Affects: Three Groups of International Students

Express Entry Candidates Must Wait Outside Canada Before Applying

If your study permit was issued after November 8, 2024, it names your DLI. Take Raj, a computer science student from Mumbai attending the University of Toronto. If he transfers to McGill University without applying for a new permit, his U of T permit becomes invalid the day he leaves. Any courses he takes at McGill are unauthorized, and his compliance record is flagged.

IRCC’s updated guidance leaves no room for interpretation: “Your permit becomes invalid the day you’re no longer enrolled at the institution named on it.” The only exception is if Raj applied for a new permit before leaving U of T. In that case, he can continue studying while his application is processed.

Border agents and IRCC officers have applied this rule inconsistently in the past. Some students avoided penalties by claiming ignorance, but the June 2026 update removes that grey area. We’ve seen cases where students received exclusion orders for unauthorized study despite holding valid permits for their original schools.

Students on Permits Issued Before November 2024 (No DLI Listed)

If your study permit was issued before November 8, 2024, it likely doesn’t name a specific DLI. Officers cannot penalize you for switching schools under this permit, but there’s a catch. Aisha, a business student from Lagos on a pre-November 2024 permit, transfers from Seneca College to York University without applying for a new permit.

Her permit doesn’t become invalid, but IRCC urges students in her position to apply anyway. Here’s why:

Your new school needs an updated permit to complete compliance reporting. Once your current permit expires, any new one issued will name your DLI, so you’ll have to apply eventually. If you later apply for a post-graduation work permit, IRCC may question gaps in your compliance history if you never updated your permit when transferring.

While Aisha’s permit remains technically valid, delaying the application can cause complications. For example, IRCC reviewing her PGWP application might ask why she didn’t update her permit when transferring, potentially delaying or refusing the permit.

Secondary Students Transitioning to Post-Secondary Programs

You cannot use a secondary-level study permit to start a post-secondary program. This holds true even if your permit doesn’t name a DLI. IRCC states it plainly: “You must apply for a new study permit before you begin your post-secondary program.”

Consider Mei, a student from Beijing attending a Vancouver high school. If she enrols in a diploma program at BCIT without first applying for a new study permit, she’s studying without authorization from day one. The same applies if she’s in Canada on a visitor record—she must wait for her study permit to be approved before starting post-secondary studies.

The key takeaway: secondary students cannot “upgrade” their permits after starting post-secondary studies. If Mei’s application is refused, she must stop studying immediately. This rule catches many students off guard, especially those who assume their high school permit covers them for college or university.

Your Action Plan: 5 Steps to Transfer Schools Safely

Check your permit for a DLI. Look in the “Conditions” or “Remarks” section. If it lists a school, you must apply for a new permit before transferring.

To avoid studying without authorization, follow these steps:

1. Apply for a new permit before leaving your current school. Submit through the IRCC study permit portal. You can keep studying while your application is processed, but only if you applied before leaving your original school.
2. Gather the required documents: a letter of acceptance from your new DLI, proof of financial support like bank statements or scholarship letters, your current study permit and passport, and a letter explaining why you’re switching schools.
3. Wait for approval before attending your new school. If your application is refused, you must stop studying immediately—you cannot start classes and appeal later.
4. Update your IRCC account once your new permit is approved. Log in to your IRCC account and update your DLI information so your new school can complete its compliance reporting.

Frequently Asked Questions