Canada's 150-Day Study Leave Rule: Why a Valid-Looking Permit Won't Protect You (June 2026 IRCC Update)

What counts as an authorized leave from your studies?

An authorized leave is a break your DLI approves for a genuine reason. IRCC accepts reasons that include medical issues or pregnancy, a family emergency, the death or serious illness of a family member, and a school-initiated change such as a deferred program start or a change of institution. A break you take on your own, without your school approving it, is an unauthorized leave, and it puts your status at risk from the first day.

The reason matters as much as the paperwork. Taking time off to travel, to work more hours, or because you changed your mind about a program does not qualify. Your school decides whether to grant the leave, and IRCC can later ask to see that approval.

Can you work during an authorized leave?

No. Your permission to work, whether on campus, off campus, or through a co-op work permit, is suspended for the full length of an authorized leave, even if your study permit still shows that you are allowed to work. Working during a leave is one of the clearest ways to break the conditions of your permit, and after the June 2026 update it is one of the first things an officer is told to check. The safe rule is simple: if you are on an authorized leave, you are not working in Canada.

This catches many students off guard because the study permit card itself does not change during a leave. The card may still read that off-campus work is allowed up to the weekly limit. That printed condition does not apply while your studies are paused, and a co-op work permit is treated the same way, so a work placement cannot continue through a leave.

What happens after 150 days?

Once your authorized leave passes 150 consecutive days, your study permit is no longer valid for staying in Canada as a student. You then have three choices: resume full-time studies at a DLI, apply to change your status to another type such as a visitor or a worker, or leave Canada. If you do none of these and remain in Canada, you are out of status the day after the 150th day, regardless of the expiry date printed on your permit.

Being out of status is serious. It can lead to enforcement action, and it weakens future applications for a PGWP, permanent residence, or any other immigration benefit, because every later application asks whether you have always complied with your conditions.

How do you change to visitor status before the leave runs out?

If you cannot resume studies before 150 days, the most common option is to apply for a Visitor Record so you can stay in Canada legally as a visitor. You apply online through the change of conditions process, and you should submit it before your study permit stops being valid so that you keep maintained status while IRCC decides. A Visitor Record does not let you work or study, but it keeps you in the country lawfully while you plan your next step.

Apply through IRCC's process for changing conditions or extending your stay, set out in Guide 5552, or follow the steps to extend your stay as a visitor. If you submit before your current status ends, you benefit from maintained status and can stay in Canada while the application is processed. If you plan to leave and return, review IRCC's guidance on travelling outside Canada as a student before you book anything.

How does IRCC check whether your leave was authorized?

IRCC can audit your compliance at any time, and the June 2026 manual reminds officers that this power is real. An officer can ask for documents that prove your leave was genuine and approved, including an enrolment letter, your transcripts, a leave-approval letter from your DLI, a doctor's note, or a withdrawal letter from your school. These checks can happen during a routine review or when you apply for an extension, a work permit, or permanent residence.

Keep every document that supports your leave. If your school approved a medical leave, store the approval letter and the medical note together. If you cannot show that a gap was an authorized leave, IRCC can treat it as a period when you were not complying with the conditions of your permit.

What should international students do right now?

Plan any break around the 150-day limit, get your school to approve it in writing before you stop studying, and do not work during the leave. If a break will run long, file for a Visitor Record before your study permit stops being valid so you keep maintained status. Keep every supporting document. If your situation is complex, or a past gap might look like an unauthorized leave, speak to a Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultant (RCIC) before you submit your next application.

A few concrete steps:

• Confirm the start date of your leave and count 150 consecutive days from there.
• Get a written leave approval from your DLI before the break begins.
• Stop all work, including any co-op placement, for the entire leave.
• If you will not resume studies in time, apply for a Visitor Record early, while your status is still valid.
• Save enrolment letters, transcripts, leave approvals, and medical notes in case IRCC asks.

Go Far Global is a licensed RCIC firm in Toronto, and our consultants read every IRCC update directly from the source.

Frequently asked questions

What counts as an authorized leave from your studies?

An authorized leave is a break that your Designated Learning Institution (DLI) approves for a genuine reason. IRCC accepts reasons such as medical issues or pregnancy, a family emergency, the death or serious illness of a family member, and a school-initiated change such as a deferred start date or a change of institution. A break you take without your school approving it is unauthorized and puts your study permit at risk immediately.

Can I work during an authorized leave from studies?

No. Your right to work on campus, off campus, or through a co-op work permit is suspended for the entire authorized leave, even if your study permit still says you can work. The suspension lasts the full leave, and working during it breaks the conditions of your permit.

How long can an authorized leave last in Canada?

An authorized leave can last up to 150 consecutive days without affecting the validity of your study permit, as long as your DLI approves it and the reason qualifies. The count starts on the day you stop actively studying. If you have not resumed studies within 150 days, you must change status or leave Canada.

What if my study permit looks valid but I stopped studying?

The expiry date on the card does not protect you. If you stopped actively studying and your authorized leave has passed 150 days, you are out of status even though the permit card still looks valid. You need to resume studies, change to another status such as a visitor or worker, or leave Canada to stay compliant.

Can I change my status to visitor if I need more time?

Yes. You can apply for a Visitor Record to remain in Canada as a visitor. Submit the change of conditions application before your study permit stops being valid so that you keep maintained status while IRCC decides. A Visitor Record does not allow you to work or study.

Can I leave and come back to Canada if I have a study permit?

Yes, if your study permit is still valid you can usually re-enter Canada, but you also need a valid travel document for the trip back, either a visitor visa (Temporary Resident Visa) or an Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA), depending on your nationality. A study permit by itself is not a travel document. If you are on an authorized leave, leaving and returning does not reset the 150-day limit, which keeps counting while you are away.

Sources

• Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, Your conditions as a study permit holder in Canada
• Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, Guide 5552: Applying to Change Conditions or Extend Your Stay in Canada as a Student
• Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, Extend your stay in Canada as a visitor
• Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, International students travelling outside Canada and then re-entering