Lost Study Permit in Canada: Replacement Guide
By Narek Mirzoyan, RCIC # R1005184, LSO # P12490. | Last reviewed by Narek Mirzoyan, RCIC # R1005184, LSO # P12490, on 2026-07-29.
A lost study permit in Canada can feel urgent, especially when school or travel is approaching. But the missing paper is not the first question.
Check the permit's expiry date. If it remains valid, request a replacement through IMM 5009. The replacement does not extend your status or authorize travel.
If the permit expired, stop before using IMM 5009. You may need an extension or restoration review instead.
TL;DR
• Use IMM 5009 to replace a lost, stolen, or destroyed study permit that remains valid.
• The current replacement fee is $30, but confirm the amount before paying.
• Losing the paper permit does not change its expiry date or create a new period of status.
• A study permit is not a travel document, although missing status proof can complicate re-entry.
• An expired permit requires extension or restoration analysis, not replacement of a valid document.
Table of ContentS
1. What to Do When You Lose Your Study Permit in Canada
2. Lost, Stolen, Destroyed, Expired, or Outside Canada
3. What to Do Immediately After Losing Your Study Permit
4. The Official Replacement Process
5. Required Documents and Forms
6. Application Fees and Processing Times
7. Travelling Outside Canada with a Lost Study Permit
8. Common Challenges and Urgent Processing
9. Prevention Tips for Future Protection
10. How Mirzoyan Immigration Services Can Help
11. Frequently Asked Questions
Key Takeaways
• Confirm the study permit's expiry date before choosing the replacement route.
• IMM 5009 can replace a valid temporary resident document through a paper application.
• Guide 5545 expects two accepted identification copies and the applicable supporting records.
• Current instructions request a police report number, while IMM 5009 permits an explanation when none is available.
• IRCC does not promise an eight-week or one-month maximum for replacement processing.
What to Do When You Lose Your Study Permit in Canada
Start with the expiry date, not the missing paper. IRCC can replace a current and valid study permit through the IMM 5009 process.
If the permit expired, IMM 5009 cannot create or restore student status. Review the study permit extension and restoration options before studying or working.
Losing the paper permit does not itself cancel a valid permit. Your right to study still depends on the underlying validity and every permit condition. The replacement copy gives you official proof of that existing document.
Lost, Stolen, Destroyed, Expired, or Outside Canada
Choose the route that matches the document's validity and your present location.
| Situation | Correct route | Main evidence | Travel implication |
|---|---|---|---|
| Valid permit was lost or stolen | Request a replacement with IMM 5009 by mail | Accepted identification, fee receipt, and police report number or explanation | The missing paper can make student-status proof harder at the border |
| Valid permit was destroyed or damaged | Review Guide 5545 and request a replacement with IMM 5009 | Accepted identification, available document copy, explanation, and fee receipt | A replacement is not a passport, TRV, or eTA |
| Permit expired before any extension application | Assess restoration and a new study permit | Expiry date, study history, and restoration records | The expired permit does not support entry as a student |
| Extension was filed before the permit expired | Use the pending extension and maintained-status rules | Expired permit, submission confirmation, fee receipt, and account messages | Re-entry may be as a visitor until the extension is approved |
| You are outside Canada without the paper permit | Check travel documents and gather proof of the valid permit | Passport, TRV or eTA, permit copy, enrolment, and IRCC records | A border services officer makes the final admission decision |
What to Do Immediately After Losing Your Study Permit
• Record when and where you last had the document.
• Check whether your passport, TRV, eTA, or other identity records are also missing.
• Save any scan, photo, approval letter, or account message that identifies the permit.
• Confirm the permit number, issue date, and expiry date, when available.
• Report theft or identity misuse to the appropriate police service.
• Obtain a police report number, or prepare the explanation requested in IMM 5009.
• Download the current IMM 5009 and Guide 5545 from IRCC.
• Gather the two accepted identification copies listed in the current guide.
• Pay the current fee and print the official receipt.
• Use tracked mail and retain proof that IRCC received the package.
• Review any travel plans before leaving Canada without the original document.
Contact your school's international student office if it needs interim proof. A saved scan and replacement receipt may help explain the situation. They do not extend the permit.
The Official Replacement Process
IRCC uses a paper application for replacement of a valid temporary resident document. The application goes to the Operations Support Centre at the address in the current guide.
1. Read the current IRCC Guide 5545.
2. Download the current IMM 5009 form and document checklist.
3. Complete Parts A, B, and C unless the form states otherwise.
4. Select `Replacement of a valid temporary resident document`.
5. Identify the study permit by number or by its issue and expiry dates.
6. Give a Canadian mailing address for a replacement of a valid temporary resident document.
7. Add the police report number or the explanation requested by the form.
8. Attach the accepted identification copies and the official fee receipt.
9. Sign and date the application.
10. Mail it to the current address and keep the tracking record.
An incomplete package or incorrect fee can be returned without processing. Do not use an old saved form without checking the current IRCC page.
Required Documents and Forms
Use the checklist included with the current IMM 5009. Guide 5545 identifies these core items:
• A completed, signed, and dated IMM 5009.
• One accepted government-issued photo identification copy.
• A second accepted government-issued identification copy, with or without a photo.
• The study permit number or its issue and expiry dates.
• The police report number for a lost or stolen document.
• A brief explanation when no police report number is available.
• The official IRCC fee receipt.
• IMM 5476 if a representative is appointed.
• Required translations and translator documents for material not in English or French.
IRCC does not accept a school identification card, bank card, credit card, SIN card, or tax return as identification for this package.
A letter of enrolment or saved permit copy can explain your situation. Do not label either document as universally mandatory unless the current checklist requires it.
Application Fees and Processing Times
As of July 27, 2026, IRCC lists a $30 fee for a Verification of Status or replacement document request. The fee is per document and is non-refundable. Confirm the current fee in Guide 5545 before paying.
IRCC says processing times can change. The guide does not promise an eight-week period or a one-month maximum. Check the current processing-times tool and plan for mailing time.
When IRCC Allows an Urgent Request
Guide 5545 lists three urgent situations:
• Service Canada will close a pension file without proof of immigration information.
• Family death or serious illness requires immigration proof to obtain a travel document.
• Missing immigration proof creates immediate loss of employment or an employment opportunity.
Mark the envelope `URGENT` only when one listed criterion applies. Include every required supporting record identified in the guide. A planned trip or school deadline is not listed as a standalone criterion. IRCC returns an unsupported request to the regular queue.
Travelling Outside Canada with a Lost Study Permit
A study permit is not a travel document. It does not replace a passport, visitor visa, or electronic travel authorization.
IRCC says a returning student normally needs a valid passport and the applicable TRV or eTA. The student must also show a valid study permit or approval, attend a DLI, and meet every entry requirement. A border services officer makes the final decision.
Without the paper permit, carry:
• A clear scan or photo of the permit.
• The permit number, issue date, and expiry date.
• The IMM 5009 package, fee receipt, and delivery proof.
• Current IRCC account messages and approval letters.
• Current DLI enrolment evidence.
• Your valid passport and applicable TRV or eTA.
These records can explain the missing document but do not guarantee admission. Review IRCC's current student travel rules before departure.
If a study permit extension remains pending, IRCC may admit you only as a visitor. In that situation, you cannot study until IRCC approves the extension.
Common Challenges and Urgent Processing
You do not know the permit number. Enter the issue and expiry dates when available. Add any saved approval letter or account record that helps identify it.
You do not have a police report number. IMM 5009 permits a brief explanation. Guide 5545 still asks for a police report number, so explain the gap clearly.
Your permit already expired. Do not use the replacement route as an extension. Review whether a timely extension or restoration process applies.
You moved after mailing the package. Update IRCC promptly. The guide requires a Canadian mailing address that remains valid during processing.
Your school or employer needs proof. Provide the available scan, submission record, delivery proof, and current status documents. Each organization decides which interim records it accepts.
You need urgent processing. Compare your facts with the three listed criteria. Marking an envelope `URGENT` does not create eligibility or guarantee faster processing.
Prevention Tips for Future Protection
• Scan both sides of each new immigration document.
• Store encrypted copies in two secure locations.
• Record each document number, issue date, and expiry date.
• Keep the original in a consistent, protected place.
• Carry the permit only when an institution or trip requires it.
• Set reminders well before the expiry date.
• Keep your IRCC account and email address current.
• Destroy an invalid copy after IRCC replaces or extends the permit.
A personal scan helps prove what was issued. It does not become an official replacement document.
How Mirzoyan Immigration Services Can Help
A missing document can involve replacement, extension, restoration, or travel. The correct route depends on the permit's expiry date and your current position.
Mirzoyan Immigration Services provides flat-fee advice and representation for immigration-document and study-permit matters. Through One on One Advisory, questions go directly to Narek Mirzoyan, RCIC # R1005184, or Vahe Mirzoyan, RCIC # R514223. Intake staff do not answer file-specific immigration questions.
An RCIC can review the permit record, expiry date, status history, replacement package, and planned travel. The review can identify the correct application and the records that support it.
Review the lost or damaged permit replacement service. For advice about your facts, book a consultation or call 1-888-636-2122.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does it take to get a replacement study permit?
There is no reliable fixed period for every replacement. IRCC says processing times can change, and its guide does not promise a maximum. Check the current processing-times tool before applying and allow for mailing. A complete package, correct fee, and valid Canadian mailing address help avoid a return, but they do not guarantee timing.
How to get a digital copy of a study permit in Canada?
IRCC does not provide an online replacement simply because you can view account messages. A scan or photo you saved is useful evidence, but it is not the official replacement. If your valid study permit was lost, stolen, or destroyed, use IMM 5009 and the current paper application process.
What happens if I lost my study permit in Canada?
Confirm the permit's expiry date, save any scan, report the incident where appropriate, and review Guide 5545. If the permit remains valid, complete IMM 5009, pay the current replacement fee, and mail the package. If it expired, the issue is extension or restoration, not replacement of a valid document.
Can I enter Canada without my study permit?
A study permit is not a travel document, so it does not replace your passport, TRV, or eTA. IRCC still expects returning students to show a valid permit or approval and meet every entry requirement. A missing paper permit can complicate proof at the border. Admission is always decided by the border services officer.
Can I see my study permit online?
You may see application status and IRCC messages online. However, an account screen is not automatically an official study permit copy. Keep any approval letters and saved scans. For a lost, stolen, or destroyed valid study permit, follow the IMM 5009 replacement route.
This article provides general information, not legal advice. IRCC forms, fees, addresses, processing times, and travel rules can change. Review the current official instructions and obtain advice about your facts before acting.
