Canada Study Visa: How to apply for Study Permit Pilot Project after IRCC rejection?

The pilot project necessitates the rejection of the study permit application and agreement from both IRCC and the student, enabling judges to rule on leave and judicial review simultaneously.

International students need a study permit before starting their studies in Canada. However, many study permit applications get rejected by the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC).

The Canadian Federal Court has initiated a pilot project to expedite the process of requesting judicial review for rejected study permit applications. The Study Permit Pilot Project began on October 1, 2024.

If you were denied a study permit by IRCC, you may be eligible to participate in the Federal Court’s Study Permit Pilot Project.

The pilot project requires rejection of the study permit application and agreement from both IRCC and the student, allowing judges to rule on leave and judicial review simultaneously without a hearing.

The Applicant and the Respondent will not be allowed to use affidavit evidence. Affidavits are used to introduce new evidence and that is not allowed under the Study Permit Pilot Project.

You have to file all your documents using the Court’s Electronic Filing System (E-Filing). There is no additional fee to opt into the Study Permit Pilot Project. However, filing any application for leave and judicial review costs $50.

Students who applied in Canada have 15 days from the day they receive their study permit application refusal while students who applied from outside Canada have 60 days from the day they receive their study permit application refusal.

How to opt into the Study Permit Pilot Project

You have to file an Application for Leave and Judicial Review using Form IR-1. There are three places where you have to mention the Pilot Project in your application.

First, in Form IR-1, you must write in bold “SIMPLIFIED PROCEDURE – STUDY PERMIT PILOT PROJECT” above the title of the form. Second, in Form IR-1, you must write “The Applicant consents to proceeding under the SIMPLIFIED PROCEDURE – STUDY PERMIT PILOT PROJECT” above your signature. Remember to also include your Study Permit Application Number and your Unique Client Identifier (UCI) that you received from IRCC in Form IR-1. Third, in step 3 of E-Filing write “SIMPLIFIED PROCEDURE – STUDY PERMIT PILOT PROJECT” in the “handling instructions.”