QueueCheckofficial waits, shared datesCanada study permit processing time
Visa topic4 weeks-16 weeks
The latest official timing. Reader reports below are separate and do not change it.
Last checked August 13, 2026.
Unchanged at every check since July 18, 2026.
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Checked reports appear here once shared.
Current wait at a glance
Official information beside reader reports, kept clearly separate.
Official wait
4 weeks to 16 weeks
This is the current official timing. Reader reports are shown separately.
Updated Aug 13
The official figure is the only timing on this page so far. Reader comparisons appear here once people share their dates below.
Official updates over time
Official history chart
How the official wait has changed over time. When the official figure is a range, the chart plots its midpoint.
Canada study permit: published times vary by country of application, commonly between about 4 and 16 weeks
Updated Aug 13, 2026, 4:33 PM
4 weeks-16 weeks
Canada study permit: published times vary by country of application, commonly between about 4 and 16 weeks
Updated Jul 18, 2026, 10:04 AM
4 weeks-16 weeks
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Reading the Canada study permit figure
The queue starts before the application exists
A Canadian study permit has pre-application stages that the published processing figure never counts. The letter of acceptance from a designated learning institution comes first, and most college and undergraduate applicants then need a provincial or territorial attestation letter before IRCC will accept the application at all, a step whose speed belongs to the province, not the federal queue. Since January 2026, master's and doctoral students at public institutions are exempt from the attestation requirement, which is why two students at the same university can face different paperwork before day zero.
The cap changed what the figure means
Study permits have been issued under a national cap with provincial allocations since 2024. That turns the attestation letter into a rationed document in high-demand provinces, and it means the published processing time describes only the federal decision on applications that cleared the gate. An application is also not actually in process until biometrics are given, so the wait people experience runs acceptance letter, attestation, submission, biometrics, decision, of which the official figure describes the last leg.
What separates similar applications
Complete financial evidence is the recurring divider: proof of funds that tells one clear story moves, while accounts that need explanation invite requests that stop the clock. Medical exams for certain countries of residence and police certificates add legs some applicants have and others do not, which is why comparing your wait with a classmate's only means something when the paperwork behind both is the same.
Complete timeline guide
Canada study permit timeline: attestation letters, proof of funds, and the race to the semester
How long a Canada study permit takes in 2026, the provincial attestation letter explained, proof of funds, per-country processing, and what to do when the semester is close.
Read the full stage-by-stage guide