Canada Student Visa (Study Permit) from Dubai and the UAE

Canada study permit at a glance (2026)

The current rules for students outside Quebec applying from the UAE. Each has changed since 2024, so check the date on anything you read elsewhere.

Comparing countries first? See Canada vs Australia vs UK from Dubai, the UK student visa and the Australia student visa.

What changed since 2024, and why older advice is out of date

Much of what you'll find online was written before these changes. If an article mentions a fast-track stream, a 20-hour work limit, or a funds figure older than September 2026, treat it as history.

• The Student Direct Stream (SDS) ended on 8 November 2024. Everyone, including applicants from the UAE, now goes through the regular study permit process.
• Canada caps study permits. For 2026, IRCC plans to issue up to 408,000, of which 155,000 are for newly arriving students. Provinces share out their spaces through PAL/TAL letters.
• The off-campus work limit is now 24 hours a week during term. Older permits that say 20 hours are read as 24.
• Since 21 January 2025, only spouses of students in certain programs can get a family open work permit.
• The PGWP now has a language minimum, and college graduates who applied for their study permit on or after 1 November 2024 must have studied in an eligible field.
• The living-funds amount went up on 1 September 2026, from CAD 22,895 to CAD 23,448 for one person.

Requirements for applicants living in the UAE

IRCC's basic test has three parts: you are enrolled at a DLI, you can pay tuition, living costs and the trip home for yourself and any family who come with you, and you satisfy an officer that you will leave Canada when your study permit ends.

Letter of acceptance from a DLI

Only a designated learning institution can issue a letter of acceptance that works for a study permit. IRCC now asks schools to confirm that each letter is valid, so check the school on IRCC's DLI list before you pay any deposit.

PAL/TAL: what it is and how to get one

A PAL or TAL is a letter from the province or territory where you plan to study. It confirms you have been given one of that province's study permit spaces. You don't apply to the province yourself. Your school tells you how to request it, and in most cases you first need to accept the offer and pay part or all of your tuition.

Two details catch people out. The letter is linked to the school you are applying to, and in most cases it has to be used in the year it was issued. Master's and doctoral students at a public DLI have not needed a PAL/TAL since 1 January 2026, and students going to Quebec need a Quebec Acceptance Certificate (CAQ) instead. There are a few other exemptions, so ask your school or us before assuming you are one of them.

Proof of funds

For applications made on or after 1 September 2026 to study outside Quebec, a single student must show CAD 23,448 for one year of living costs. That figure doesn't include tuition or travel, which you must show as well. With one family member coming along, the amount is CAD 29,192, and IRCC publishes a full table for larger families. The amounts are updated every year.

IRCC accepts several kinds of proof, including bank statements for the past 6 months, a GIC, proof of a Canadian bank account in your name, proof of a scholarship, or a letter from the person or institution giving you the money. When a parent in the UAE is paying, we suggest their statements show a steady history, with any large recent deposit explained in writing.

Language tests

For the study permit itself, your school sets the English score it wants. Look further ahead, though. The PGWP later asks for CLB 7 in all four skills if you studied for a university degree, and CLB 5 for a college program. A score that gets you into a program may not be enough for the work permit after it. Our IELTS and PTE pages explain both tests.

Biometrics, medicals and police certificates

IRCC tells you in writing if you need to give biometrics, take a medical exam or send police certificates. The request letter says where to go and by when. Keep a copy and meet the deadline it gives.

Step by step from Dubai

1. Shortlist schools and programs. Check that each school is a DLI and, if you want to work in Canada afterwards, that the program is eligible for a post-graduation work permit.
2. Apply to the school and meet its academic and English requirements.
3. Receive your letter of acceptance. IRCC asks schools to confirm each letter is valid.
4. Get your PAL/TAL. Accept the offer, pay the deposit the school asks for, and request the letter through the school (or a CAQ for Quebec). Master's and doctoral students at a public DLI skip this step.
5. Gather funds and documents. You'll need proof of funds, your passport, transcripts, a study plan and language results.
6. Apply online through your IRCC account.
7. Give biometrics and do a medical exam if IRCC asks, by the deadline in the request letter.
8. Wait for the decision. Answer any request for more documents quickly and keep an eye on your account.
9. Travel to Canada. Carry your documents, because an officer at the port of entry checks them before you start your studies.

Study → Work → PR: how the route works

Studying in Canada doesn't lead to permanent residence by itself. A study permit is temporary, and to get one you have to convince an officer that you will leave Canada when it ends. PR is a separate application made later, on its own merits, and there is no promise that it will succeed. Here is the usual sequence.

1. Post-graduation work permit

After a program of at least 8 months at a PGWP-eligible DLI, studied full time, you apply within 180 days of confirmation that you finished. A program of 2 years or more can give a PGWP valid for 3 years, and master's graduates can get 3 years even from a shorter program. You can only ever get one PGWP.

2. Skilled work in Canada

The Canadian Experience Class (CEC) needs at least 1 year of skilled work in Canada (1,560 hours, in TEER 0 to 3 jobs) in the 3 years before you apply. Work done while you were a full-time student, including co-op terms, doesn't count, so in practice the clock starts after you graduate. The language minimum is CLB 7 for TEER 0 or 1 jobs and CLB 5 for TEER 2 or 3.

3. Express Entry or a provincial program

Once you meet the CEC rules you can enter the Express Entry pool, or look at a Provincial Nominee Program (PNP). Being in the pool is not an invitation. IRCC invites the highest-ranking candidates who fit each round, and it states that entering the pool doesn't mean you will be invited.

For some people, applying for PR directly from the UAE is the shorter path. The Federal Skilled Worker Program needs 1 year of continuous skilled work in the last 10 years, which can be in the UAE, at least CLB 7, 67 points on its selection grid, and an Educational Credential Assessment for foreign degrees. Our Express Entry guide for UAE residents and Canada PR points calculator help you compare the two routes. For the wider picture, start at our Canada hub.

Key documents checklist

The document list inside your IRCC account is the one that counts. It is built from your answers, so it can differ from this list.

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