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4 months of silence on your study permit application — what should you actually do?

Canada • Study Permit • study 0 views
By VisaBuddies Communityvia community — compiled from public visa forums

Step-by-Step

An applicant who had heard nothing from IRCC for 4 months on their study permit application asked what to do.

What the group said:
  1. Long silences of 4–5 months are not unusual — one member reported getting a response only after 5 months of waiting, suggesting this isn't necessarily a sign of a problem with the file.

  2. Check your school's deferral deadlines just in case. The practical, actionable advice: while waiting, keep an eye on your intake deadline so you have the option to defer your program start date if the decision doesn't come through in time.

  3. You're not alone in this — several members in the thread reported the same 4-month wait, reinforcing that long processing times were common during this period rather than isolated to one file.


Takeaway: a multi-month silence doesn't necessarily mean something's wrong — but proactively check your school's deferral options so a slow decision doesn't force you to miss your intake entirely.

Dos, Don'ts & Tips

  • Do: Check your school's deferral deadline while waiting on a long-pending study permit decision, so you have a fallback if it doesn't arrive in time.
  • Tip: Waits of 4–5+ months were reported as common by multiple applicants during this period — not necessarily a sign of a problem.

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