Canada guide · verified 2026-07-04
Canada Student Visa: Process, Documents and Funds
Student visa (study permit)
Canada's 'student visa' is the study permit, applied for online through the IRCC secure account (GCKey). The old India-specific fast track, the Student Direct Stream, was permanently discontinued on 8 November 2024; all Indian applicants now go through the standard study-permit process, with biometrics given at a VFS Global Canada Visa Application Centre.
Application channel
Online via IRCC secure account (GCKey), then biometrics at VFS
Paper applications are only accepted in narrow exception cases (e.g., disability preventing online use). India has no separate expedited stream since SDS ended.
Study permit application fee
CAD $150 per applicant (2026)
Biometrics fee
MandatoryCAD $85 per person (valid 10 years; skip if already on file)
Family of 2+ applying together: capped at CAD $170 total.
Biometrics location in India
MandatoryVFS Global Canada Visa Application Centres
Centres operate in New Delhi, Chandigarh, Jalandhar, Chennai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Pune and Kolkata. A prior appointment is mandatory; sending someone else in your place is not permitted.
Medical exam
MandatoryRequired for most study permits over 6 months
Must be done by an IRCC-approved panel physician (not any local doctor), panel physicians in India are listed on IRCC's panel-physician finder. Results are valid 12 months.
Assemble the study-permit file
MandatoryCore documents: valid passport, Letter of Acceptance (LOA) from a DLI, PAL/TAL (unless exempt), proof of financial support, passport-size photos, the completed application forms, and, where requested, a statement of purpose, academic transcripts, and language test results. Indian applicants should also be ready to explain their study plan and ties to India; refusals for '(not satisfied applicant will leave Canada)' are common when this is thin.
Create an IRCC secure account and submit online
MandatoryRegister a GCKey account (or use a Sign-in Partner), complete the online study-permit application, upload documents, and pay the CAD $150 fee plus the CAD $85 biometrics fee. The portal is the standard, and effectively only, route for the vast majority of applicants.
Cost: CAD $150 (permit) + CAD $85 (biometrics) = CAD $235Give biometrics at a VFS Global centre
MandatoryAfter submitting online, IRCC issues a Biometric Instruction Letter (BIL); the applicant has 30 days from the BIL date to attend a VFS Global Canada Visa Application Centre in person for fingerprints and a photo. Book the appointment as soon as the BIL arrives, slots fill up near intake deadlines.
When: Within 30 days of the Biometric Instruction LetterComplete the medical exam with a panel physician
MandatoryBook the immigration medical exam with an IRCC-approved panel physician (a basic health check, blood test, and chest X-ray). This can be done anywhere in the world, not necessarily in India, but for most Indian applicants it is most convenient locally. Results are valid for 12 months, so time it close to filing, not too early.
Cost: Roughly ₹5,000 to 9,000 in India (clinic-set, confirm locally)Wait for a decision, then receive the Port of Entry (POE) Letter of Introduction
MandatoryIf approved, IRCC issues a POE Letter of Introduction (LOI) by email, this is NOT the study permit itself. The actual study permit is issued by a Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) officer at the port of entry when the student lands, based on the POE letter and the passport.
You get: POE Letter of Introduction, present this at the Canadian port of entry to receive the physical study permit.
IRCC permanently stopped accepting Student Direct Stream and Nigeria Student Express applications at 2:00 p.m. ET on 8 November 2024. Any reference to SDS, its GIC-based fast track, or its faster processing time for India is now OUTDATED, treat it as historical. All Indian applicants use the standard study-permit process described above, with standard (not expedited) processing times.
Most approved applicants also need a valid Temporary Resident Visa (TRV) or Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) to board a flight to Canada; IRCC typically issues these together with the study-permit approval. The physical study permit itself is only issued at the port of entry, not before departure.
Sources
- Study permit: About the process, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC)
- Study permit: How to apply, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC)
- End of the Student Direct Stream and Nigeria Student Express, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC)
- Canada Visa Application Centre India, FAQ, VFS Global (authorized by IRCC)
- Citizenship and immigration application fees: Fee list, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC)
- What is a port of entry (POE) letter?, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC)
Where this fits
This is one step of the full Canada journey: admission, tests, application, visa, money, arrival and stay-back, every figure cited to an official source.
More on Canada
Bramica is independent and takes no commission from any university, recruiter or agency. This page is information, not immigration advice. Rules, fees and thresholds change; confirm the current requirement on the official source before acting on it.