Changing DLI before or after arrival? (Urgent)

[ali_121]

Hey guys, I'm an international student and I've received my study permit and visa approval.

About a month ago, I got a better offer for a new university, so should I change DLI's from now or can I land first, then show my old university that I used for the study permit, then do the change once I get my permit? and would that cause any problems? as I'm enrolled in the new university too.

 

[Naturgrl]

You need a new study permit if you want to change schools now. IRCC changed rules and you need to be ”actively” studying in the university attached to your study permit. So complete a semester or year at the current school and then change schools.

 

[ali_121]

You need a new study permit if you want to change schools now. IRCC changed rules and you need to be ”actively” studying in the university attached to your study permit. So complete a semester or year at the current school and then change schools.

If I change it once I land and get the permit, what would happen?

 

[wonderbly]

If I change it once I land and get the permit, what would happen?

To change it after you land, you will need to transfer DLI on your GCKey. IRCC will pick that up and cancel your study permit if you didn't actively start studying before transferring. If you do not update your DLI on your GCkey, your old school is obligated to report to the IRCC that you are a not registered, this will result in your SP being cancelled rendering you out if status.

Your options are to reapply for your SP (which I also recently had to do in order to change DLI) or attend your current school for a while then transfer.

These are the new rules from December 2020.

 

[Naturgrl]

IRCC has changed the rules. You can’t change it when you land. You must start studying at the school listed on your study permit then change after a semester or a year OR get a new study permit.

https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/study-canada/change-schools.html

 

[ali_121]

To change it after you land, you will need to transfer DLI on your GCKey. IRCC will pick that up and cancel your study permit if you didn't actively start studying before transferring. If you do not update your DLI on your GCkey, your old school is obligated to report to the IRCC that you are a not registered, this will result in your SP being cancelled rendering you out if status.

To change it after you land, you will need to transfer DLI on your GCKey. IRCC will pick that up and cancel your study permit if you didn't actively start studying before transferring. If you do not update your DLI on your GCkey, your old school is obligated to report to the IRCC that you are a not registered, this will result in your SP being cancelled rendering you out if status.

Your options are to reapply for your SP (which I also recently had to do in order to change DLI) or attend your current school for a while then transfer.

These are the new rules from December 2020.

But there's an option on my online application that says "transfer schools" and I've already done it twice and notified them. And even my university's immigration lawyer told me that there is no probelm with changing it before arrival. So shouldn't that all be okay?

 

[wonderbly]

But there's an option on my online application that says "transfer schools" and I've already done it twice and notified them. And even my university's immigration lawyer told me that there is no probelm with changing it before arrival. So shouldn't that all be okay?

Wrong move. Expect your SP to be cancelled and IRCC to notify you of such. If you travel with your current SP/visa, expect to be turned back at the border. That's what has happened with people who transferred their DLI before travelling to Canada.

IRCC ain't playing around on this rule change.

 

[Naturgrl]

But there's an option on my online application that says "transfer schools" and I've already done it twice and notified them. And even my university's immigration lawyer told me that there is no probelm with changing it before arrival. So shouldn't that all be okay?

No. You need a new study permit as per the link. What university has their own immigration lawyer on staff?

 

[rogelcorral]

But there's an option on my online application that says "transfer schools" and I've already done it twice and notified them. And even my university's immigration lawyer told me that there is no probelm with changing it before arrival. So shouldn't that all be okay?

Totally your choice to go ahead, especially since your “university’s immigration lawyer” said there will be no problem. But as @wonderbly and @Naturgrl already mentioned, rules have changed recently. If I were you, I wouldn’t risk it and would just follow the current IRCC rules. But that’s just me.

 

[ali_121]

Totally your choice to go ahead, especially since your “university’s immigration lawyer” said there will be no problem. But as @wonderbly and @Naturgrl already mentioned, rules have changed recently. If I were you, I wouldn’t risk it and would just follow the current IRCC rules. But that’s just me.

No. You need a new study permit as per the link. What university has their own immigration lawyer on staff?

On this link it mentions:

While you don’t need to change your study permit, you do have to tell us when you change post-secondary schools. Find out how to tell us that you’ve changed your post-secondary school.

https://www.cic.gc.ca/english/helpcentre/answer.asp?qnum=487

So I'm pretty confused cuz a lotta people are giving me different answers.

 

[rogelcorral]

On this link it mentions:

While you don’t need to change your study permit, you do have to tell us when you change post-secondary schools. Find out how to tell us that you’ve changed your post-secondary school.

https://www.cic.gc.ca/english/helpcentre/answer.asp?qnum=487

So I'm pretty confused cuz a lotta people are giving me different answers.

If you look at the bottom of that page, it was last modified in 2018.

This is the latest (June 2021):

https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/study-canada/change-schools.html

Changing your school or program
Before you change your school or program, you must meet all the conditions of your study permit. This means you must be:

• enrolled at a designated learning institution (DLI) and
• actively studying while you’re in Canada

You need to contact us if you:

• are a post-secondary student changing schools
• have a co-op work permit and you’ve changed post-secondary schools to another co-op program or
• need to change conditions on your study permit

We may ask you to confirm your student status
If you have a study permit, you may receive an email from us. The email address will end in “@cic.gc.ca.” You must follow the instructions in that email, by the date indicated, to confirm you’re enrolled and actively studying in Canada.
If you change schools and don’t tell us
Your old school will report you as not being registered to study. If this happens:

• you’re breaking the conditions of your study permit
• you may be asked to leave the country
• this may prevent you from coming to Canada in the future
  • For example, you may not be approved for another study or work permit in the future.

Changing your DLI if you’re outside Canada
If you change your DLI before coming to Canada and you don’t let us know, you won’t be allowed to board your flight.
If your application is still in progress
You can tell us you changed your DLI by submitting a new letter of acceptance using the IRCC web form.
If your application has been approved
If your application for a study permit has been approved and you change your DLI, you must submit a new study permit application with a new letter of acceptance.
You must also pay all the fees for the new application.

 

[winlife]

@ali_121 This is what someone I know is planning to do. They are planning to enter Canada as usual. But after entering Canada and BEFORE the start of their course, they will change their DLI to another college. In short, they will change DLI before both their programs start and after entering Canada.

Since their course hasn't started, it is impossible to "actively study". And the previous college cant cancel the permit because the college hasnt even started. And also, both are post-secondary courses. Hence, they said this method is in compliant with IRCC rules. And worst case scenario, the DLI change will be rejected. But since the study permit is still valid, they can still study with old college in worst case scenario.

Anyway, I don't know if this will help you or not. I personally don't know much, I am just passing the information. Make your own judgement. Perhaps you can ask IRCC using webform. Or ask lawyers from both colleges.

 

[romrumrira]

if you come into canada and change, it's in grey area, so far i don't see any reported case for this. May b they will be more stricter next year or so..? since this is such a very new rule.

 

[wonderbly]

There was a poster on here in December who changed his DLI before travelling. 2 weeks later IRCC cancelled his SP and informed him not travel and that he should send them his new DLI's LOA and they will let him know how to proceed. I know that one of his last posts here in February/March was that 80-something days later he was still waiting for update from IRCC. You can search this forum for his thread.

Similar reports on twitter, FB and on Reddit about people changing DLI once they cross the border, only to get email from IRCC informing them their SPS and visa have been canceled, and they need to re-apply as they are now out of status.

Personally, when I requested a DL change (outside Canada) my previously SP was canceled and counterfoil became invalid.

The rules are available on IRCC's site and they keep hampering on it everywhere. Even if you succeed with changing it now once you land, what is the plan when you need to extend your SP or apply for pgwp? You might have just wasted years for nothing, when you could simply do it right from the beginning. . It's up to every individual to decide what risk they are willing to take.

Choice is yours.

 

[ali_121]

@ali_121 This is what someone I know is planning to do. They are planning to enter Canada as usual. But after entering Canada and BEFORE the start of their course, they will change their DLI to another college. In short, they will change DLI before both their programs start and after entering Canada.

Since their course hasn't started, it is impossible to "actively study". And the previous college cant cancel the permit because the college hasnt even started. And also, both are post-secondary courses. Hence, they said this method is in compliant with IRCC rules. And worst case scenario, the DLI change will be rejected. But since the study permit is still valid, they can still study with old college in worst case scenario.

Anyway, I don't know if this will help you or not. I personally don't know much, I am just passing the information. Make your own judgement. Perhaps you can ask IRCC using webform. Or ask lawyers from both colleges.

And what they did worked or no? cuz im also thinking of doing the change from inside of Canada.