If you wish to pursue post-secondary education in Canada, you are generally required to apply for a study permit. For this, you need to meet several eligibility criteria, one of which is a letter of acceptance from a Designated Learning Institution (DLI) in Canada. All DLIs have a unique DLI identification number: you will need to provide this number on your study permit application form.

A DLI number is not required in the following circumstances:

• The student is attending an elementary or high school, all of which are automatically designated
• An accompanying family member of an international student or worker has obtained an open study permit
• The student is entering a Quebec post-secondary educational institution that is provincially designated but does not have a DLI number

What if the school loses its designated status?

Educational institutions are required to maintain certain eligibility criteria of their own in order to be regarded as DLIs. If a school fails to meet these criteria, it can lose its status. This unfortunately affects individuals who have applied for study permits for those institutions.

If the school you were intending to enroll in loses its DLI status before the study permit has been issued, your options are to submit a letter of acceptance from another DLI, or to withdraw your application. If you allow the application to be processed without changing the DLI, it will be declined.

If, on the other hand, the school loses its DLI status after your study permit has been issued, you may study there until your permit expires. At that point, you will need to transfer to another DLI if you wish to renew your study permit.