Your school closed (ILAC and others): what happens to your study permit and how to move to a new school

By Prabhpreet Kaur Sangha, lawyer at Lawgical Law Corporation · Reviewed November 10, 2026

Published November 11, 2026

Prabhpreet Kaur Sangha is a lawyer at Lawgical Law Corporation, called to the BC bar in 2019, and a member of the Law Society of British Columbia.

Updated November 10, 2026: IRCC’s instructions on designated learning institutions (modified November 24, 2025), section 188 of the Regulations and BC’s Private Training Institutions notice on the ILAC Education Group checked that day.

In September 2026, the ILAC Education Group, one of Canada’s largest private language school groups, filed for bankruptcy and closed. In BC, four of its institutions (ILAC International College, International Language Academy of Canada, Tamwood Careers and Tamwood Language Centres) are no longer certified effective September 18, 2026. If your school closes, your study permit does not end on that day, but you can’t keep studying at a school that no longer exists, and IRCC will not renew a permit to attend it. The usual path is a new study permit for a new school. In some cases you can start studying there while that application is processed.

Lawgical Law Corporation, an immigration law firm in Surrey, Abbotsford and Vancouver, BC, helps students keep their status after a school closes; this guide is by Prabhpreet Kaur Sangha.

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What are the rules?

• Study permit holders: you must apply for a new study permit to study at a different school.
• Starting at the new school early: you can start while the new application is processed if you have stayed in Canada since getting the new letter of acceptance, have met your other permit conditions, and were affected before finishing your program because the school closed, dropped the program, was suspended or lost its designation (IRCC instructions on R189.1).
• What to send: a letter explaining the switch and proof of the closure.
• Short courses as a visitor: a course of six months or less, finished within your authorized stay, doesn’t need a study permit (IRPR s.188(1)(c)), so moving to another short course may not affect your status.

Why this needs a lawyer

One lawyer, one file, every step:

• checking whether you can start at the new school right away;
• a new study permit application with the explanation and proof IRCC asks for;
• restoration if your permit has expired;
• advice on how the change affects any PGWP or work rights.

Immigration lawyers are members of a provincial law society (in our case, the Law Society of British Columbia), and only lawyers can appear for you in the Federal Court.

What are my options?

1. Get a letter of acceptance from a new designated school.
2. Apply for a new study permit before your current one expires.
3. Start at the new school only if you meet the conditions above. If you don’t, wait for the new permit.
4. Make a tuition claim, even if you plan to transfer. In BC, students enrolled in an approved program when the school closed can claim from the Student Tuition Protection Fund within one year of the closure, so by September 18, 2027. Email the claim form, your enrolment contract, proof of payment, your letter of acceptance (international students) and any messages from the school to PTI.InstitutionClosure@gov.bc.ca. Students in a language program lasting more than six months or costing $4,000 or more in tuition should also file. If another school is appointed to deliver the program, you must transfer to it for any payment, and the payment goes to that school.
5. Toronto students: for ILAC International College career programs, ask Ontario’s Training Completion Assurance Fund (TCAF-PCC@ontario.ca) whether your program qualifies and respond quickly to any offer. For language programs, Languages Canada can arrange a replacement placement for eligible students, and money owed is claimed in the bankruptcy through the trustee, KPMG (ilac@kpmg.ca).
6. Pathway students: check that the new school has an agreement with the college or university you planned to attend.

A school closure at a glance

Worked example: the student mid-program

Example. A student from Brazil on a study permit was halfway through an ILAC program in Vancouver when it closed. She gets a letter of acceptance from another language school, which starts on Monday, January 4, 2027. She applies for a new study permit with a letter explaining the closure and a copy of the BC notice. Because she has stayed in Canada and met her conditions, she can start the new program while IRCC processes her application.

Mistakes I have seen

• I have seen students start at a new school without applying for a new permit.
• I have seen students leave Canada after a closure, losing the right to start at the new school early.
• I have seen students miss a tuition claim while focusing on their permit.

Frequently asked questions

Can I work while I wait?

Only if your permit allows it and you meet its conditions. Off-campus work rules depend on your enrolment. Get advice on your own permit.

Will this affect my PGWP?

Language programs don’t lead to a PGWP on their own. If you are in a pathway program, check the new school’s agreement.

Can I get my tuition back?

In BC, file a claim with the Student Tuition Protection Fund by September 18, 2027. In Ontario, it depends on the program: career programs may be covered by the Training Completion Assurance Fund, and other amounts are claimed in the bankruptcy.

Related guides

See our guides on changing schools without a new study permit, restoration after losing status and a study permit refusal.

What should I do right now?

Keep proof of the closure. Check your permit’s expiry date. Get a letter of acceptance from a new school and advice before you start there.

Book a consultation with our immigration lawyers in Surrey, Abbotsford or Vancouver, or online from anywhere.

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Sources (official)

• IRCC: Study permits, designated learning institutions (modified November 24, 2025)
• Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations, s. 188 (current to October 19, 2026)
• BC Private Training Institutions Regulatory Unit: ILAC Education Group closure notice
• Ontario: Career college closures

This article is general information, not legal advice. Every case depends on its own facts.