A Designated Learning Institution (DLI) is a Canadian educational institution that has been approved by a provincial or territorial government to host international students. A study permit in Canada authorises the holder to study only at the DLI named on the permit — enrolment at a non-DLI institution is not authorised under a standard study permit. The DLI plays a central role in the Canadian study permit system: only DLIs can issue the acceptance letters required for a study permit application, and the DLI is the institution to which the Provincial Attestation Letter (PAL) allocation is tied. As of November 8, 2024, students can no longer change DLIs by notifying IRCC through their online account — a change of DLI requires applying for a new (amended) study permit. This page explains what DLIs are, why the DLI designation matters, how to verify DLI status, and the rules for changing DLIs or programs.

For the current searchable DLI list and study permit conditions, refer to the IRCC designated learning institutions page and the study permit conditions page.

• Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations, s 220.1 — study permit conditions; the holder of a study permit must be enrolled at a DLI and must actively pursue their studies
• IRPR, s 216(1)(c) — a study permit may be issued only where the applicant holds an acceptance letter from a DLI
• IRPR, s 220.1(1)(a) — the study permit is condition-specific to the named DLI; as of November 2024, changing the DLI requires a new study permit
• IRCC: Designated learning institutions in Canada — canada.ca/dli-list
• IRCC: Changing your school or program — canada.ca/change-schools

What is a DLI

A Designated Learning Institution is an educational institution in Canada — including universities, colleges, CEGEPs, trade schools, and some private institutions — that has been approved by a provincial or territorial government to enrol international students on a study permit. DLI designation is a provincial/territorial function: each province or territory maintains its own list of approved institutions, which is then compiled by IRCC into the national DLI list.

Not all Canadian schools are DLIs — a student who enrols at a non-DLI institution while on a study permit would be violating the conditions of their permit. Before accepting an offer of admission, international students should verify that the institution is on the current IRCC DLI list at canada.ca/dli-list.

DLI designation and study permit applications

The DLI is central to the study permit application process:

• Only a DLI can issue the acceptance letter (letter of acceptance) required as part of the study permit application — the letter must be from a DLI for the study permit application to be valid
• The DLI name is included on the issued study permit — the student is authorised to study at that specific institution
• The PAL (Provincial Attestation Letter) — required for most new post-secondary study permit applications from January 22, 2025 — is tied to the province or territory where the DLI is located; if the student's DLI is in Ontario, they need an Ontario PAL

Study permit conditions — enrolled at named DLI

The study permit conditions require that the holder:

• Be enrolled at the DLI named on the study permit
• Actively pursue the program of studies (maintain satisfactory academic standing)
• Leave Canada when the permit expires or when studies are completed

A student who is no longer enrolled at their named DLI — for example, because they withdrew, transferred, or completed their program earlier than expected — may no longer meet their study permit conditions. Students who withdraw from their program should seek advice on their status.

Changing DLIs — new study permit required since November 2024

Before November 8, 2024, study permit holders could change their DLI (transfer to a different institution) by notifying IRCC through their online account. This procedure was eliminated on November 8, 2024. Since then:

• A student who wants to change DLIs must apply for a new (amended) study permit — the new study permit will name the new DLI
• The new study permit application for a different DLI (or a different level of study) generally requires a new PAL/TAL from the province or territory of the new DLI (where the PAL/TAL requirement applies)
• Students who accepted an offer from a new DLI and have a new acceptance letter but have not yet applied for a new study permit should not begin studies at the new institution until the new study permit is approved

Changing programs within the same DLI (at the same level of study) does not require a new study permit — but changing the level of study (e.g., from a diploma to a degree at the same institution) does require a new permit and a new PAL/TAL from January 22, 2025.

PAL and the international student cap — link to DLI

The PAL/TAL system introduced from January 22, 2025 allocates study permit spaces to provinces and territories. Key interactions with the DLI:

• The PAL is issued by the province or territory where the DLI is located — a PAL for an Ontario DLI is not valid for a DLI in British Columbia
• Students applying to a DLI in any province or territory (other than for the PAL-exempt categories) must first obtain a PAL before applying for a study permit
• PAL-exempt categories (as of 2026): master's and doctoral degree students at public DLIs (from January 1, 2026); primary and secondary school students; certain other categories listed on the IRCC PAL page

For PAL details, see the provincial attestation letter page.

PGWP eligibility and DLI status

The Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP) is only available to graduates of eligible programs at specific DLIs. Not all DLIs produce PGWP-eligible programs — IRCC maintains a separate list of PGWP-eligible institutions. Students who plan to apply for a PGWP after graduation should verify PGWP eligibility before accepting an offer. For PGWP details, see the PGWP post-2024 page.

The November 2024 change to require a new study permit for DLI changes (rather than just an online notification) represents a significant tightening of the conditions governing international students. Before this change, a student who wanted to transfer from one institution to another could do so relatively easily with a notification — the new requirement adds processing time and cost (study permit extension/amendment fees) and means students may experience gaps in their authorisation to study if they do not plan the transfer carefully. Students who receive an offer from a new institution should apply for the amended study permit before withdrawing from the current institution. The proliferation of requirements since 2024 — PAL, DLI-lock, level-of-study restrictions — reflects Canada's effort to manage the volume of international students following a period of significant growth. For current DLI list, change-of-school rules, and PAL requirements, refer to the IRCC designated learning institutions page and IRCC change schools page.