An applicant who already had an offer for a 1-year Post-Graduate Diploma and an active Express Entry profile (no ITA received yet) asked whether they needed to withdraw the EE profile before applying for their study permit.
What the group confirmed:- Dual intent is allowed under Canadian immigration law — you're permitted to have both an active Express Entry profile (showing intent to immigrate permanently) and a study permit application (showing intent to study temporarily) at the same time. You don't need to withdraw your EE profile.
- Because of this, your Statement of Purpose becomes more important — it needs to clearly explain why the 1-year program is genuinely necessary for you, so the visa officer isn't left wondering if the study permit is just a backup plan.
Practical takeaway:- Don't withdraw an active Express Entry profile just because you're also applying for a study permit — dual intent is legally recognized.
- Put extra effort into your SOP to justify the specific program and its value to your career, since officers may scrutinize dual-intent cases more closely.
- If you do get an ITA before your study permit is decided, be prepared to think through how the two processes might interact for your specific timeline.