How to Request a Refund from a Canadian University

In most cases, yes. Canadian institutions commonly refund tuition fees, minus an administrative charge, once you submit the official IRCC refusal letter — but the exact policy and fee are set by each Designated Learning Institution (DLI), not a single federal rule.

IRCC officers assess whether they're satisfied you're a bona fide applicant who will comply with your study permit conditions and leave Canada when authorised to, as part of every application — though Canada does not use a single formally named test the way the UK or Australia does. A refusal on this basis is still treated as a standard study permit refusal for refund purposes.

No. Unlike Australia's ESOS Act or New Zealand's Code of Practice, Canada has no single federal refund law for higher education. Refund entitlements come from each institution's own policy and, in some provinces, provincial regulation.

DLIs occasionally withdraw an offer or a Letter of Acceptance if a program becomes oversubscribed or an administrative issue arises on their end. This isn't the student's fault, and most institutions' published policies treat it as grounds for a full refund — confirm the specific outcome with your institution's international office in writing.

Requirements such as the Provincial Attestation Letter (PAL) system and proof-of-funds thresholds have changed several times since 2024 — most recently on 1 January 2026, when Master's and Doctoral students at public DLIs became exempt from the PAL requirement entirely (IRCC Ministerial Instructions, effective for the 2026 study permit cap year). If a genuinely new requirement introduced after your offer means you can no longer qualify, raise it with your institution's international office in writing — this is assessed against your specific Letter of Acceptance.

This varies significantly by institution. Published policies show figures ranging from roughly CAD $500 to $2,500, so always check your specific Letter of Acceptance and refund policy before assuming an amount.

Most DLIs require the official IRCC study permit refusal letter, your Letter of Acceptance, and proof of the tuition payment you made — some also ask for the original refusal document rather than a scanned copy.

Yes. DLIs commonly set a window — examples found in published policies range from around 5 to 10 business days into the semester to roughly 30 days from the refusal letter — so check your institution's policy immediately after refusal.

In some provinces, yes. Ontario's Private Career Colleges Act, 2005, for example, entitles international students at registered private career colleges to a refund if written notice of a study permit refusal is given before half the instruction hours have passed — the college may retain the lesser of 20% of total program fees or CAD $500, with the balance refunded within 30 days.

Most published policies apply a sliding scale tied to how much of the term has passed, or simply state that withdrawal after the term begins is not eligible for a refund — check your specific institution's schedule, since this varies significantly more in Canada than in Australia or New Zealand.

Raise it first, in writing, with the institution's international student office or registrar. Depending on your province and institution type, unresolved disputes may then go to the relevant provincial consumer-protection or private-training regulator.

Your NOC was issued against your specific offer, so if you plan to apply elsewhere afterwards you'll typically need an updated NOC referencing the new offer — check current requirements on the MoEST portal directly. If you took an education loan, redirect the refunded amount toward it promptly to limit interest accruing on funds no longer needed for their original purpose.