You will need to obtain a CAQ and a study permit. Depending on your country of citizenship, you will also need a temporary resident visa and an electronic travel authorization.

Before starting the procedures

Have you received an offer of admission to an undergraduate or graduate program at Université de Montréal? The first thing to do is accept your offer of admission. If you are on an exchange program, it is not necessary for you to accept your offer of admisssion. 

It is important to start the immigration process as soon as you receive your letter of admission, even if it is conditionnal.

Applying for a CAQ

You will need to apply for a CAQ as you receive your letters of admission and acceptance from UdeM. 

View the following capsules to help you with the CAQ application:

• Submitting an online application
• Gather the required documents to upload on the Arrima platform
• What to do in case of a refusal

The processing time is 25 working days once your documents have been submitted. 

Submit an online application for a temporary selection for studies on the MIFI website

Applying for a study permit

Please note that the Student Direct Stream program is closed since November 8, 2024.

Study permit

The application for a study permit is done online and from outside Canada. The application will be processed by the Canadian visa office in your country of citizenship, your country of residence or the country to which you have been legally admitted (other than Canada). 

View the following capsules to help you with the study permit application:

• Submit an aplication for a study permit
• Documents to upload and pyment for the application
• After submitting an application

Processing times will vary depending on when you submit your application.

If your application is approved, you will receive a letter of introduction. You will have to show this letter to an immigration officer at the airport once you'll arrive in Canada, in order to receive your study permit.

Submit an online application for a study permit on the IRCC website

Required internship

If your study program includes one or more required internships, you will need to obtain a co-op work permit. You can apply for this permit at the same time as you apply for your study permit before you come to Canada. If you have recently been admitted to study at UdeM and your program includes a required internship, your letter of acceptance will indicate this. Attach the letter of acceptance to your online study permit application, in the Preuve d'exigence de travail à l'étude section of your document checklist.

Note: You must have responded "yes" to the question Le travail est-il une composante essentielle de vos études? for the Preuve d’exigence de travail à l’étude to appear in your document checklist.

Common-law partners and accompanying spouses 
Is your spouse accompanying you while you study in Canada and they want to work during your program? They may be eligible for a work permit. The work permit will be valid for the same period as your study permit. 
 

The TRV and the eTA 

Depending on your country of citizenship, you will need either a temporary resident visa or an electronic travel authorization to enter Canada. 

If your application for a study permit is accepted, you will be issued a TRV. Normally, the expiry date of your TRV is the same as that of your study permit.

If your application for a study permit is approved, you will be issued an eTA. The eTA is normally valid for five years. You can also check the validity of your eTA at any time.

Study plan and financial capacity

As part of your study permit application, you will have to write a studies plan which aims to explain your intention to go to Canada and return to your home country once you have completed your study program. You will also need to demonstrate your financial capacity.

View these capsules to understand the recommended structure for the studies plan and the information it must contain:

• Write a studies plan
• Demonstrate your financial capacity
  
  

Biometrics and medical exam

If you submit an application for a study permit, you will need to submit your photo and digital prints to the Canadian government. These biometrics will help immigration officers to confirm your identity.

Learn how to submit biometrics

In certain cases, you may have to undergo a medical exam.

Discover if you need to get a medical exam and the procedure

Required internship

If your study program includes one or more required internships, you will need to obtain a co-op work permit. You can apply for this permit at the same time as you apply for your study permit before you come to Canada. If you have recently been admitted to study at UdeM and your program includes a required internship, your letter of acceptance will indicate this. Attach the letter of acceptance to your online study permit application, in the Preuve d'exigence de travail à l'étude section of your document checklist.

Learn how to apply for a co-op work permit

Common-law partners and accompanying spouses 

Is your spouse accompanying you while you study in Canada and they want to work during your program? They may be eligible for a work permit. The work permit will be valid for the same period as your study permit. 

Entering in Canada by air

Once you receive the letter of introduction approving your study permit application, you may prepare your arrival in Canada.

You will be issued the study permit itself upon your arrival in Canada, when you give the immigration officer your letter of introduction and the other documents you submitted online to confirm that you will be coming to study in Canada (for example, the CAQ and the letter of admission from UdeM).

Please note: Without the letter of introduction approving your study permit, the immigration officer will not be able to issue your study permit and may refuse you entry to Canada. It is therefore very important that you wait until you receive this letter BEFORE you arrive in Canada. 

We recommend that you do not enter Canada more than one month before the start of your university studies.

View the list of things to do and documents to have on hand upon your entry in Canada

If you chose a study program lasting 6 months or less, you are exempt from needing a CAQ or a study permit. However, depending on your country of citizenship, you will need either a temporary resident visa or an electronic travel authorization. 

Discover if you need to apply for a TRV or an eTA

Temporary resident visa (TRV)
Start the process to obtain your TRV as soon as you receive your letters of admission and acceptance from UdeM. 

Learn how to apply for a TRV

Electronic travel authorization (eTA)
If you are exempt from needing a TRV and you are arriving in Canada by air, you will need an eTA to enter Canada (with some exceptions). Start the application process as soon as you receive your letter of admission and acceptance. 

Learn how to apply for an eTA

Biometrics
If you need to apply for a Temporary resident visa, you will have tu submit your photo and digital prints to the Canadian governement. 

Learn how to submit biometrics

Research stays or clinical internship via the exchange program
If you have been admitted for a research stay or clinical internship through the exchange program, follow these steps.

Entering in Canada by air
When arriving in Canada, you must meet with the airport's immigration services with your official documents in order to collect your visitor visa.

View the list of things to do and documents to have on hand upon your entry in Canada

You will need to renew your CAQ if the end of your studies is extended or your study level changes (for example, from bachelor’s to master’s).

Steps to apply for a renewal

1. Fill out the Online application for temporary selection for studies form. 

2. Gather your documents: 

• The academic documents you will need to apply for a CAQ renewal are your official transcript and an attestation of registration, which you can request online or in person from the Registrar’s Office. You can request the official version of these documents from the Registrar's Office.

• The other documents you will need to submit are listed in the document checklist that you received after submitting your application online. You can also find more information on the Ministère de l’Immigration, de la Francisation et de l’Intégration (MIFI) website. 

3. Submit your documents through the Arrima platform. 

The official processing time is 25 working days. Note that this period starts only after the MIFI has received all the documents required to process your application. 

If your application is accepted, you will receive approval. You can then apply to renew your study permit. 

For more information, visit the MIFI website.

Note: You will not receive any other notice or document from the MIFI confirming that your application has been approved.

It is imperative that you apply to renew your study permit BEFORE it expires. The application to renew your study permit must be submitted online (with some exceptions) from within Canada. If your application is accepted, you will receive your new study permit at your Canadian address.

Note: Your study permit normally expires on the same date as your CAQ, unless your passport expires before that date. If your passport is expiring soon, you will need to renew your passport before applying to renew your study permit. 

Submit your application via your IRCC secure account. Depending on your situation, the documents you will need to submit with your application will be more or less the same as those you submitted with your CAQ application.

One of these documents is an attestation of registration. You can order this document online or in person from the Registrar's Office. You can also request the official version of this document from the Registrar's Office.

Processing times vary and depend on when you submit your application. 

For more information, visit the IRCC website.

Maintained status

If you submitted a renewal application before your study permit expired, but your permit has now expired, you have maintained status. This status allows you to continue your studies while your application is being processed, as long as you remain in Canada. It also authorizes you to work under the same conditions as your expired permit.  

Note: If you leave Canada while your application to renew your study permit is still being processed, you will lose your maintained status.

Restoring your status

Did you apply for renewal of your study permit after it expired? You can apply to restore your status after your permit has expired; however, you cannot study or work while your application is being processed.

Note: If you end up in this situation, you will be unregistered from your term.

Lost or stolen study permit 

You will need to apply for an immigration document replacement.

Request to amend your study permit 

Did immigration officers make a mistake when issuing your study permit? You can request an amendment. 

Note: If you are responsible for the error or if a change has occurred since your permit was issued, you must apply for a renewal instead.