This thread covers a common bind: PPR/visa arrives just after the last allowed start date, and the college defers the seat to the next intake.
What group members advised:- You can change your course after getting the visa — as long as you stay at the same DLI. A member in the same situation confirmed switching to a different course in the same college after visa approval was fine.
- Changing the DLI (institution) is different: you would have to apply for the visa again. So picking "a different college" to get an earlier start date means restarting the visa process — usually not worth it.
- If you defer your intake but keep the same course and DLI, members discussed informing IRCC; the safe move is to keep documentation of the deferral and notify IRCC of the new start date.
- A similar course at the same college with an earlier start was the option the applicant leaned toward — it avoids both the re-application and a long wait.
Note: this thread also asked whether IRCC accepts General IELTS for academic admission — that part went unanswered; check the college's admission requirements directly (IELTS validity and academic-vs-general requirements are set by the institution).
The practical takeaway: after approval, same-DLI course changes are low-friction; DLI changes mean a new visa application.