Canada study permit: Full tuition no longer required by international students

A Canadian Federal Court has ruled that as long as international students can prove their ability to pay for tuition and other expenses when required, they can be invited to apply for a study permit and will not be penalised for unpaid tuition during the application submission stage.

As seen on the Economic Times, international students no longer need to pay all or part of their tuition fees to be eligible to apply for a study permit in Canada.

The ruling removes a barrier for foreigners looking to study in Canada, who may not be able to pay all or part of their tuition when they submit their study permit application.

The ruling was related to an Iranian student’s case (Tehrani v Canada) where the student’s study permit application was rejected by the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) on grounds of non-payment of tuition.

According to data released by the IRCC, in 2022, Canada admitted over 550,000 new international students, with Indian students remaining the highest benefactors, with over 226,450 visas approved.

Canada has always been a popular destination among students who wish to pursue higher education abroad. Also for many Nigerians, the study route is one of the easiest and fastest way to ‘japa’ and Canada is one of the most preferred destinations for international students.

Each year, hundreds of Nigerians migrate to Canada. The government recently revealed that it was opening doors to 1.5 million migrants between 2023 and 2025.

It is important to note that a study permit is not a visa and will not let a person enter Canada. A visitor visa or an electronic travel authorisation (eTA) is still needed along with the study permit.