Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) relaunched its online Application Status Tracker on October 14, 2026. After almost five months offline, families waiting for a Canadian study permit can once again see, step by step, where an application stands — without guessing or relying on second-hand updates.
What the Application Status Tracker shows
Once IRCC has sent an acknowledgement of receipt (AOR), the tracker displays four parts of the file:
- Eligibility – whether the officer has reviewed the application against the program requirements
- Medical exam – whether a required medical exam has been completed
- Background verification
- Biometrics – fingerprints and photo
Each part is marked Not started, Waiting on you, In progress, Completed or Exempted, and the file as a whole shows as received, in progress or closed. IRCC updates the information daily.
Who can use it
The tracker covers study permits, work permits and visitor visas, as well as some permanent residence streams (Express Entry and spousal or dependent-child sponsorship). Only the principal applicant, a sponsor, an authorized representative or a person with written authorization can sign in. For a student under 18, this is usually the parent who manages the file together with their education advisor.
How to sign in
- Open the tracker on the official canada.ca IRCC website.
- Sign in with a GCKey or a supported Canadian bank login.
- Enter the application number and the student’s Unique Client Identifier (UCI) from the acknowledgement of receipt.
If IRCC has not yet issued an acknowledgement of receipt, the file will not appear in the tracker. That is normal in the first days after submission.
Why it was offline
IRCC switched the previous version off on May 14, 2026. A ministerial briefing note from late September said the tool had been taken down to fix outdated information and potential security weaknesses.
What it means for families
For parents sending a teenager to a Canadian high school, the most useful status is “Waiting on you”: it signals that IRCC needs something — often biometrics or a medical exam — and acting quickly can save weeks. The tracker does not replace the official IRCC account messages, so keep checking both.
At Canadian Edu Centre we follow every family’s file through the same steps. In our student portal you can see your personal plan, upload documents and message your advisor in one place.
Sources
Planning a Canadian high school year? Book a free pre-assessment and an advisor will map out the study permit timeline for your child.