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Applying for a study permit with an active Express Entry profile: how members handled dual intent

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

Step-by-Step

Someone asked whether anyone got a study permit approved while active in the Express Entry pool. The thread turned into a useful debate on dual intent:

  1. Dual intent is legal. The anchor fact, stated plainly by a member: "IRCC allows dual intent." Wanting to study now and immigrate later is explicitly permitted — an active EE profile is not, by itself, a reason for refusal.


  1. A real approval, with no deletion and no declaration. One member's household had an active Express Entry profile (she was primary applicant) when her husband applied for a study permit. They didn't delete the EE profile and didn't declare dual intent — and he was approved.


  1. You aren't required to volunteer an active EE profile. Members pushed back on "expert" advice to delete the profile before applying: merely having an active profile doesn't need to be mentioned in the letter of explanation. Plans change; nothing obliges you to pre-declare immigration intent.


  1. But disclose actual immigration history. The important boundary one member drew: if you've had a refusal, missed an ITA deadline, or a PNP rejection, that history must be declared where the forms ask — those are facts on your record, not intentions.


  1. Be wary of consultants advising profile deletion. The thread's counterpoint: deleting the profile may have nothing to do with any subsequent approval, and advice to hide or pre-emptively dismantle legitimate plans is a red flag about the adviser.


Bottom line from the thread: keep your EE profile, answer all application questions truthfully (especially about refusals), and let the study permit application stand on its own merits.

Dos, Don'ts & Tips

  • Do: Declare any prior refusals, missed ITA deadlines, or PNP rejections — application history must be disclosed where asked.
  • Tip: Dual intent is legal: an active Express Entry profile doesn't need to be deleted or volunteered in your study permit application.
  • Don't: Don't follow advice to hide or delete legitimate immigration plans — truthful answers to what's asked is the standard.

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