Changing Schools/DLIs

Yes.  You need to apply for a new study permit to attend a post-secondary school, like NAIT.

NOTE:  If you finish your secondary studies early, your study permit will no longer be valid 90 days after you complete your studies, regardless of the date that is shown on your study permit.

No.  You can keep studying at your school with your current study permit as long as you are still meeting your study permit conditions and your study permit is valid.

NOTE:  If you are changing programs, you must start your new program within 150 days from the day that you stopped studying.  If you do not, you must change your status or leave Canada.

Yes.  You need to apply for a new study permit.  

If you apply for a new study permit from within Canada, you will have to submit the online application to Change Conditions, Extend My Stay, or Remain in Canada as a Student.  Within this application, you must include a letter explaining why you’re changing schools.

NOTE:  If you are changing schools, you must begin studies at your new DLI within 150 days from the day that you stopped studying at the previous institution.  If you do not, you must change your status or leave Canada.

Yes.  If you are applying to extend your study permit for a different school or level of study than your current study permit, you will need to include a PAL in your application.  You can request a PAL through the webform (www.nait.ca/help > ‘Admissions’ category > ‘Provincial Attestation Letter Request’ subcategory).

If your NAIT program has a co-op work placement, you must apply for a new co-op work permit.  Check to see if your program requires a co-op work permit here.  Request a co-op work permit letter through my.nait.ca/contact – International category.

IRCC has announced that you can attend the new DLI while your study permit application is being processed if one of the following scenarios applies to you:

Scenario 1:  

• You have been accepted to a DLI for the Winter 2025 or Spring 2025 semester (starting from January 1, 2025 to May 1, 2025) and
• You have applied for a new study permit, and
• You have a study permit that remains valid and that doesn’t have the DLI name printed on it, and
• You meet all your existing study permit conditions

Scenario 2:  

• Before you completed your course or program of study, you find yourself in one of the following situations with the previous DLI:
  • It closed
  • It discontinued the course or program of study
  • It was placed on the suspension list or
  • It lost its designated status.

                  and

• You stayed in Canada since you received your Letter of Acceptance from the new DLI, and
• You continue to meet the conditions of your previous study permit

If neither of the above scenarios applies to you, you cannot start studying at the new DLI until you receive a new study permit.

NOTE:  If you are experiencing study permit delays, you may be able to request your admission be deferred to a future term.  You can review NAIT’s deferral information here.

If your original study permit is valid, you still have legal status in Canada.

If you have time to submit another study permit application to IRCC before the start of school, feel free to contact an International Academic Advisor through the webform in the NAIT Portal (my.nait.ca/contact – International category) for tips on how to strengthen your application.

If you do not have time to submit another study permit application or no longer want to study at NAIT, you can request a refund. You can find NAIT’s refund processes here.

Yes.  If you submitted your study permit extension application before your current study permit expired, you have maintained status and are allowed to remain in Canada while you wait for your study permit application to be processed.

No.  If you followed IRCC’s instructions to transfer your DLI in your IRCC account prior to November 8, 2024, you do not need a new study permit.  Similarly, if you followed the instructions provided by IRCC and transferred your DLI using IRCC’s webform between November 1-15, 2024, you do not need to apply for a new study permit.