A student in her second term at a private college decides the program is not what she was promised. A friend mentions a public college with better placements, and the admission office there sends an acceptance letter within days. She gives notice at the first school and begins planning her September. Under the rules now in force, that ordinary sequence could put her status in danger.
Since November 8, 2024, a post-secondary student whose permit names a particular designated learning institution (DLI) can no longer change schools with a quick update in an online account. The student generally needs a study permit for the next school first. Many Brampton students arrived expecting the older rule, and some of the advice circulating among classmates has not caught up.
This article is general information and is not legal advice for your situation. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) changes its study permit rules regularly, so confirm the current requirements on its website before you act.
School Change or Program Change?
These are different events with very different consequences, and that is the first thing to sort out.
Staying at the same school while changing programs. If you remain at your present DLI, you can generally keep studying under your current permit as long as you meet its conditions. Moving from one diploma to another at the same college does not usually require a new permit. You may need one if the program runs past your permit’s expiry date, and if you do have to extend, you might also need a provincial attestation letter. If you begin the program while that extension is pending and it gets refused, you must stop studying immediately.
Moving to a different DLI. This is the change governed by the 2024 rule. Sections 217.1 and 189.1 of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations require a student whose permit names a DLI to apply for a study permit before changing, and to wait unless a narrow exception applies. In practice, you do it by applying to extend your current permit and answering “yes” to the question about changing DLIs.
Some students assume that changing campus within the same institution or moving between closely linked schools is a non-event. The legal question is which institution, and which DLI number, your permit and acceptance letter identify. Do not assume. If a college in Brampton operates through a partnership with another institution, look up the actual DLI named on your acceptance letter and on the permit.
Why the Order of Steps Matters
The sequence that keeps you safe generally looks like this:
- Confirm that the school you are moving to is a DLI on IRCC’s current list.
- Get your letter of acceptance from it.
- Find out whether you need a provincial attestation letter, and obtain one if you do.
- Apply to extend your study permit, while you are still studying and still meeting your conditions.
- Continue studying at your current school until you have an approved permit, or until you finish, unless your permit’s conditions say otherwise.
- Start at the new school only after the permit is approved.
The trouble arises when the second and third steps feel like the end of the process. An acceptance letter from a new college is not permission to study there. Under the regulations, a student must attend the DLI named on the permit until they complete their studies, and a permit can become invalid once a student has been unenrolled from that DLI without finishing. That last point is the one to read twice. Withdrawing from the first school before you have the second permit is exactly how students end up in a status crisis.
IRCC has indicated that these changes may be processed within about 60 days where a student moves to a new post-secondary DLI, but you should not treat that as a promise. Apply well before you would need to start. If a semester’s start date will not wait for you, deferring your admission to the next intake is often safer than a risky start.
The Attestation Letter Requirement
Since January 22, 2025, a person changing schools generally needs a valid provincial or territorial attestation letter (PAL or TAL) with the extension application, unless an exception applies. These letters are tied to the cap on study permits. They are issued through the province, and in Ontario, usually arranged through the institution that has accepted you. Your new school’s international office should be able to tell you whether a letter is available for your program and how to request one. Some students are exempt from the requirement, and IRCC publishes that list. Check it, because the exceptions are specific.
Your application should also include a letter explaining why you are changing. Keep it short and factual. A clear reason, such as a program that does not match your goals, a location closer to family in Peel Region, a discontinued program, or financial reasons, helps the reader understand your choice. A vague letter that repeats phrases from a template does little. If your change will look odd on paper, such as moving from a master’s degree to a short certificate, address that directly and explain how it fits into a sensible plan.
The Narrow Exception for Starting Early
A student can begin at the new school before approval only if every one of the following is true:
- They have not left Canada since receiving the new letter of acceptance.
- They continue to meet the conditions of the previous permit.
- Before they finished, the former DLI closed, discontinued their course or program, was placed on the suspension list, or lost its designated status.
The third condition is the limiting one. A student who simply prefers another school does not qualify. A student whose school shut down in the middle of a program may. If you rely on this exception, keep proof that it applies, including any letter from the school or public notice of the closure.
Separately, the DLI list has a suspension status to be aware of. If a school is on it, you may attend only to finish a program that you had already started. Do not enrol in anything new there.
If You Have Already Changed
Some students will read this after already switching. A student who transferred without following the rule may be in breach of the conditions of the permit, and the first school may report them as no longer registered. The consequences can include the permit becoming invalid or being cancelled, a requirement to leave Canada or change status, and problems with future study or work permits.
IRCC also runs compliance checks. You may receive an email from an address ending in “@cic.gc.ca” asking you to confirm your enrolment, and it will include a deadline. Do not ignore that message, and do not answer it casually. Answer truthfully, in time, and consider advice first if your answer involves a change that was not properly authorized. If you have lost status, the 90-day restoration period can be important, so the clock is the first thing to check.
Students also sometimes reduce their course load or take a break for health or family reasons. An authorized leave has its own rules and is a separate conversation, but the same principle applies: tell the school and take advice before making a decision, not after.
Knock-On Effects You Might Not Expect
A change of school can ripple into other areas of your Canadian plans.
Post-graduation work permit. Not every school or program is eligible, and the requirements include particular rules about the field of study in some cases, language results, and the length and type of program. Changing to a shorter program or a non-eligible school can reduce or eliminate your access to a work permit after graduation, which for many students is the entire reason for studying here. Compare the two programs against IRCC’s current requirements before you commit.
Off-campus work. Eligibility depends on being a full-time student at an eligible school and on the conditions in your permit. A gap between programs may affect your authorization. Do not assume you can continue a shift at a Brampton warehouse in the weeks between schools. Check what your permit says, and what IRCC says about gaps in studies, before you pick up another shift.
Co-op work. If you change schools or placements during a post-secondary co-op program, IRCC says you do not need another co-op work permit. Your school should still confirm that the placement fits.
Spouse’s work permit. A family member’s open work permit can depend on your enrolment and program type. A move from a master’s program to a college certificate might change whether your spouse’s permit could be renewed.
Money and contracts. Check refund deadlines at both schools. Many colleges have firm withdrawal dates, and a tuition deposit can be lost. An enrolment contract is a legal agreement like any other. If a private career college made promises about placements or outcomes it did not keep, you might have other remedies, and these are worth considering separately from the immigration question. Our small claims page gives a general picture of how money disputes can be pursued.
Special Situations
Students at the secondary level. A student attending high school on a visitor record must be approved for a study permit before starting post-secondary studies. Someone who already holds a permit that says “going to primary or secondary school” may generally keep studying at the post-secondary level while waiting for a required permit, but read IRCC’s specific instructions on that point.
Changing DLI from outside Canada. If your study permit was approved but you have not arrived, and you then choose a different school, you must submit a fresh application with a new acceptance letter and pay all fees again. Changing a DLI while your first application is pending is handled differently: you submit the new letter and any required attestation through the IRCC web form.
Moving to Quebec. Most students moving to a school in Quebec need an attestation of issuance of the Quebec Acceptance Certificate. Students already studying in Quebec should contact the provincial ministry directly.
A Final Check Before You Sign Anything
Before you withdraw, send a deposit, or sign an enrolment contract, get answers to these questions:
- Which DLI is named on your current permit, and when does the permit expire?
- Is the next school on the current DLI list, and is the program eligible for a post-graduation work permit?
- Do you need an attestation letter, and can you get one for your intended start date?
- What refund, if any, will your present school give you, and when is the deadline?
- Will the timing interrupt your off-campus work or a family member’s permit?
Most students can make a clean change by themselves if they start early. Getting advice makes more sense when you have already left a school, received an IRCC compliance email, lost your status, or had a past refusal. Our study permits page has broader background, and you can reach out through our contact page to talk through your specific dates. No one can promise how an officer will decide a file, but a careful order of steps removes the most common reason these changes go wrong.