Short answer
Canada has no single national deadline. Some university programs close between January and March, while others use earlier deadlines or rolling admission. Always check the exact institution, program, intake year and international-applicant deadline.
Detailed answer
Canadian institutions do not share one application deadline. Some university programs have main deadlines between January and March; colleges and individual programs may use rolling admission, earlier portfolio deadlines or separate international-applicant dates. After admission, study-permit processing time varies by application location, date and case, so an 8-to-12-week estimate must not be treated as fixed or guaranteed.
Build the timeline from the target program's official admissions page and IRCC's processing-time tool on the date of application. Include separate dates for supporting documents, portfolios, scholarships, deposits and acceptance of the offer.
Official sources
Last updated: 2026-09-01