Study Permit for applicants from Pakistan

Source: IRCC processing times, updated October 26, 2026

• The Student Direct Stream ended at 2:00 p.m. ET on 8 November 2024; applications are now processed in the regular study permit stream, which accepts a Guaranteed Investment Certificate (GIC) as proof of funds. Pakistan was an SDS country.
• Islamabad visa office checklist (IMM 5829, February 2026): bank statements for the 12 months before you apply, with explanations for recent large deposits.
• Joint or business accounts must show all account holders know the funds are for study.
• Include a copy of your national identity card, police certificates, and employment letters or explanations for any study gaps.
• Use Family Information Form IMM 5645. 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and travel (applications on or after 1 September 2026); any older dollar figure printed in a visa office checklist is superseded by the IRCC website. (The Islamabad checklist still prints an older CAD $10,000 figure.)

Biometrics

Give biometrics (fingerprints and photo) at a visa application centre in Islamabad, Karachi or Lahore 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: Islamabad, Karachi, Lahore.

Official IRCC page

Medical exam

Pakistan 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

The Islamabad study checklist requires a police certificate from each country where you lived 6 consecutive months or longer since age 18. The visit checklist does not list one upfront.

Pakistan's certificate: Police Character Certificate or Police Clearance Certificate (Provincial police authorities (procedures differ by province; in Punjab, any Police Khidmat Markaz centre)).

Official IRCC page

• ircc.canada.ca/english/information/applications/student.asp?countrySelect=PK
• ircc.canada.ca/english/pdf/kits/forms/imm5829e.pdf
• canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/news/notices/end-student-direct-stream-nigeria-student-express.html
• 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
• Ghana
• India
• Kenya
• Nigeria
• Philippines
• South Africa

• Visitor Visa from Pakistan

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