What happens behind the scenes after you submit a study permit application?

Most of the study permit process is waiting.

You completed biometrics three weeks ago. Your IRCC account hasn't changed. Your application status still says "In Progress," and the processing-times page tells you to wait somewhere between six and twelve weeks.

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What's actually happening behind the scenes?

This article is a walk-through of the processing flow stage by stage— what your file is being checked for at each step in the process, when to expect status updates in your account, what each update actually means, and which signals are worth paying attention to.

The clock starts at biometrics, not at submission

Most study permit applicants need to give biometrics.

IRCC's help centre confirms that you have 30 days from the date on your Biometric Instruction Letter (BIL) to give your biometrics*, and that the time you take to give your biometrics is not counted in the published application processing times.

In practical terms, the published processing-time clock begins once IRCC has received your biometrics. Everything before that — the BIL window, your Visa Application Center (VAC) appointment, the courier delay — doesn't count against the published time.

*If you cannot give your biometrics within the allotted 30-day window, you can use the IRCC web form to explain your situation.

Stage One: Completeness check and initial intake

In your first week post-biometrics, your file goes through a completeness check to confirm that every required document is present and that fees are paid.

If your file is incomplete, IRCC will return it without processing or request the missing documents. If it passes the completeness check, the file moves to substantive review, where actual processing of your application, including eligibility and security checks, occurs.

Status update expected at this stage: Once IRCC has confirmed your application is complete and has added it to the processing queue, you will receive an Acknowledgement of Receipt (AOR), in the form of an email with your application number, confirming that processing on your application has begun.

On the online portal, the status under “Review of eligibility” may update to “In Progress”.

Stage Two: Eligibility review

Your file enters eligibility review, where IRCC checks whether you meet the legal requirements for a study permit, including acceptance at a designated learning institution (DLI), sufficient funds, ties to your home country, and the intent to leave Canada when your status expires.

The official "Study permit: After you apply" page on Canada.ca explains the post-application process and what IRCC will do during this period.

Status update expected in this window: your "Review of eligibility" line may change from "In Progress" to "Completed." If your file is straightforward, processing can move quickly at this stage.

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Stage Two: Background and security checks (running in parallel)

While eligibility review is happening, IRCC also runs background checks in parallel. This includes criminal, security, and identity verification. For applicants from certain countries, IRCC coordinates with partner agencies for more in-depth security screening.

For study permits, background checks can slow the process considerably. It's not unusual to see your eligibility line go to "Completed" comparatively quickly, while the background check stays "In Progress" for weeks longer.

Stage Three: Medical exam (if applicable)

Not every study permit applicant needs a medical exam.

The official government page on medical exam requirements for temporary residents explains who needs one and how the results are used. The IRCC help centre also has a dedicated answer on whether students need a medical exam.

Typically, these exams are required when you spend more than six months in Canada, and if any one of the following conditions applies to you:

You have lived in or travelled to more than one designated country or territory for six months or more (in a row) in the year before you come to Canada; or
You are a medical student, or you will work in jobs where public health must be protected, such as healthcare, or professions in which you come into close contact with children, the elderly, or those in poor health.

If you do need one, the medical exam results are valid for 12 months for temporary residents. If IRCC doesn't finalize your application within that window, they'll ask you to redo the exam.

Reading your IRCC account: what each status line actually means

For a typical study permit application, you'll see five lines indicating what stage processing has reached:

Review of eligibility.
Review of medical results.
Background check.
Biometrics.

Each of the above lines can have one of five statuses:

Not started — IRCC has not begun processing at this stage.
In Progress — IRCC is still reviewing that section. Could be one day in; could be three months in.
Completed — IRCC has finished reviewing that section.
Waiting on You — IRCC needs additional information or documents from you. Check your account messages immediately.
Exempted — You don't need to complete that section for your application type.

The final decision line stays "Not Started" until the other lines are resolved. The moment it switches to "Completed" — even before you see an email — is when a decision has been made.

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When delay is unusual

Each country has its own published processing-time window. See the government's Check processing times page for the latest published times. The published study permit processing time derives from how long it took IRCC to process the bulk of recently-approved applications.

Plenty of applications take longer than the published times. If your application has exceeded the posted time by only two or three weeks, your situation isn't unusual. If you find yourself waiting four or more weeks longer than the published time, you might consider requesting GCMS notes through the ATIP process in an attempt to get more information on the potential source(s) of the delay.

Signs your decision may be close

There are a few status changes that may precede a final decision:

Your eligibility line moves to "Completed", and your background check line also moves to "Completed" on or near the same day.
Your biometrics line shows "Completed" — which is required before the final decision can be issued.
You receive a "Request for additional information" message that you respond to, and the request line moves to "Completed."

It should be noted that while the above represents common trends, each application is processed on a case-by-case basis, with significant variances possible.

Do's and Don'ts while waiting

Do not submit a web form asking for an update unless your file is past the published processing time. The standard response will just quote the time back at you. IRCC's Contact page explains the webform process and timing.

Do not open a second study permit application while your first is in process. Duplicate applications trigger an additional manual review, which could slow your file further.

Do not pay agents, "consultants," or any person or organization promising to expedite your application. There is no fast-pass mechanism inside IRCC, and IRCC's page on immigration fraud lists this as a common scam.

Do keep your contact information current. If IRCC sends a "Waiting on You" request and you miss the response window, your application can be refused for non-response.

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