Applying with a IRCC secure account

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) offers different accounts depending on the type of application you are submitting. Most student applications must be submitted using the IRCC secure account.

Step 1: Create or open your IRCC account  

• Go to the IRCC homepage.
• Click on “IRCC sign in” in the upper right corner.
• Click on “Sign in to your existing account”.
• Requests from students must be made using the IRCC secure account (GCKEY or Sign-In Partner).

If you do not have an IRCC secure account or if you lost your username or password, please create an account: 

• Click on “Register for an account”
• Follow the instructions to create your account
• Keep your username, password, and recovery question for future use

You may not use another person’s IRCC secure account to submit an application unless you have the appropriate authorizations.

Step 2: Submit your application 

• Once you have started an online application, you will have 60 days to complete it. 
• Accept the terms and conditions once you have logged into your IRCC account. 
• Select “Apply to come to Canada” under the “Start an application” section. Do this even if you are alreday in Canada.  
• If you have already checked your eligibility with the “Come to Canada” tool, which is rarely the case, enter your personal reference code. Otherwise, select “Visitor visa, study and/or work permit” under “Determine your eligibility and apply online”.
• Answer the questions to determine whether you are eligible to apply. 
• Once on the “Your document checklist” page, upload all the requested forms and documents, making sure to follow the instructions below.
• Pay the fee and submit your application once all the documents have been attached. 
• Within a few minutes or hours of submitting your application online, you will receive a confirmation of receipt for your application and a payment receipt for the fee in your IRCC account. Save these on your computer. The Registrar’s Office may ask you to provide this confirmation.

Instructions for uploading your forms and documents

• Pay attention to the accepted file formats and sizes.  
• For each requested document, you must provide a single file that is no larger than 4 MB.  
• If you cannot open the forms with your browser (Chrome, Firefox, Safari, etc.), download the PDF that will not open and save it to your computer, then open it with Adobe Acrobat Reader (not your browser).
• Validating your form before uploading it will create barcodes. After validating, you can save the form. If the “Validate” button does not generate barcodes, use a different computer; this is a more common problem with Apple products. 
• Do NOT sign the application form. Forms that need to be validated with a barcode do not need to be signed. All other forms must be printed, signed, and scanned before being uploaded.
• If you need more space to answer the questions in a section, print and complete the page or section, scan it, and include it with your application by uploading it to the “Optional Documents” section as “Client Information”. 
• Any documents that are not in English or French must be accompanied by an official translation.