Switching institutions after your study permit is approved is possible, but timing matters:
- Change your institution only after you arrive in Canada. If you switch before entering the country, you generally need to submit a brand-new study permit application tied to the new institution's Letter of Acceptance, rather than simply updating your existing one.
- Once in Canada, changes between designated learning institutions (DLIs) are handled differently and are generally more straightforward than restarting the permit application from abroad.
- Plan around this timing rule if you're considering a different city or school (e.g., moving from a Nova Scotia program to one in Brampton) — decide before you travel whether it's worth applying fresh or waiting until you land to make the switch.
In short: pre-arrival changes usually require a new application; post-arrival changes follow a different, generally simpler process.