Study Permit for applicants from Ghana

Source: IRCC processing times, updated October 26, 2026

• Accra visa office checklist (IMM 5815, February 2026) suggests applying in May or June for September intake and in September or October for January intake.
• Do not send your original passport with the application; you need it for the medical exam.
• Bank statements or bank book covering the past 4 months plus proof of a reliable source of funds; sponsors in Canada must add status, employment and their latest CRA notice summary.
• A one-page study plan answering IRCC's set questions, a current school letter and last year's transcript.
• Ghana was not part of the former Student Direct Stream. Proof of funds: IRCC's current living-cost figure for one student outside Quebec is CAN$23,448 a year plus tuition and travel (applications on or after 1 September 2026); any older dollar figure printed in a visa office checklist is superseded by the IRCC website.

Biometrics

Give biometrics (fingerprints and photo) at a visa application centre in Accra after paying the biometrics fee; biometrics given for a visitor visa or study permit stay valid for 10 years, and IRCC cannot issue a visa or permit beyond their expiry date.

Visa application centres: Accra.

Official IRCC page

Medical exam

Ghana is on IRCC's list of countries where an immigration medical exam is required for stays over 6 months, so most study permit applicants (and visitors staying more than 6 months, including super visa applicants) need an exam by an IRCC panel physician; your own doctor cannot do it. Find a panel physician.

Official IRCC page

Police certificate

IRCC does not list a police certificate as an upfront requirement for a visitor visa or for a study permit from this visa office; IRCC may ask for one during processing, for example if you declare a criminal record. Certificates are only available to people who lived in Ghana for 3 months or more.

Ghana's certificate: Police Clearance Certificate (Ghana Police Service, CID Headquarters, Accra).

Official IRCC page

• ircc.canada.ca/english/information/applications/student.asp?countrySelect=GH
• ircc.canada.ca/english/pdf/kits/forms/imm5815e.pdf
• canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/study-canada/study-permit/get-documents/financial-support.html
• canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/application/medical-police/medical-exams/requirements-temporary-residents/country-requirements.html

Checked against these pages on October 11, 2026. Visa offices update their checklists; always use the version linked from your application.

• Bangladesh
• Cameroon
• Egypt
• India
• Kenya
• Nigeria
• Pakistan
• Philippines
• South Africa

• Visitor Visa from Ghana

• Study & workPlanning an application year: intakes, deadlines and the permit calendarThe admission calendar and the study permit calendar are separate, and they collide. How to plan an application year backwards from the day classes start.September 19, 2026
• Study & workWriting a study plan a visa officer will actually believeA study plan is not an essay about loving Canada. What the officer is testing when they read it, and the mistakes that make one fall apart.September 30, 2026
• Study & workWhy study permit applications get refused, and what a good reapplication looks likeThe refusal letter is a checklist, not the reasoning. What officers must be satisfied of, the real grounds, what GCMS notes are, and how to reapply properly.September 19, 2026