How to Check If a Canadian School Is a Designated Learning Institution Before You Apply
By Muntasir • Published Sep 18, 2026 • Updated Sep 18, 2026 • Study Abroad
Only schools on the official Designated Learning Institutions (DLI) list can enrol international students on a study permit. Search the school by name on the Government of Canada DLI list, confirm its DLI number matches your offer letter, and check its status before you accept or pay any deposit.
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Every DLI has a unique number in the format O + 11 digits (e.g., O19279717512), printed on your official letter of acceptance.
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Not every private college or training centre in Canada is a DLI, even if it markets itself to international students.
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Check the list again close to your application date, since designation status can change.
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Quebec institutions appear on the same list but also need a Certificat d'acceptation du Quebec for your application.
Why DLI status matters
A Designated Learning Institution is a school approved by a Canadian province or territory to host international students. Only a letter of acceptance from a DLI supports a valid study permit application. If you enrol at a school that is not designated, IRCC will refuse your study permit even if the school itself is legitimate for domestic students.
This matters for ASEAN applicants comparing offers from multiple Canadian colleges and universities, since agents and school websites do not always make DLI status obvious. Confirming it yourself, directly on the government list, protects your application and your tuition deposit.
How to check the list
Go to the official Designated Learning Institutions list on canada.ca. It is searchable by institution name and by province or territory.
Search for the exact school name on your offer letter. Large university systems sometimes have multiple listings for different campuses, so match the campus, not just the university brand.
Note the DLI number shown next to the result. It follows the format O12345678901 (the letter O followed by 11 digits).
Compare that number to the DLI number printed on your letter of acceptance. The numbers must match exactly.
If the school does not appear on the list, or the number does not match, contact the school's international office before paying any deposit or accepting the offer.
Before you commit
Check the list again shortly before you submit your study permit application, not only when you first receive an offer. Designation status can change, and IRCC and provinces update the list periodically. A school that is designated today is not guaranteed to stay that way for years, though active students already enrolled are handled separately from new applicants.
If your school is in Quebec, DLI listing is not the only step. You still need a Certificat d'acceptation du Quebec (CAQ) from the province in addition to your study permit application, since Quebec manages its own acceptance process alongside the federal DLI system.
Common mistakes to avoid
Do not rely on a school's own marketing claim that it is authorized for international students. Verify it yourself on the official list. Also do not confuse a DLI listing with automatic eligibility for the Post-Graduation Work Permit, since PGWP eligibility depends on your specific program and school combination, not just DLI status. Check both separately before you decide where to study.