Changing University or Course While on a Student Visa: Rules in Australia, the UK and Canada
By Muntasir • Published Apr 04, 2026 • Updated Aug 08, 2026 • Visas & Student Mobility
Switching university or course abroad almost always means paperwork with immigration, not only with your new school. Whether you need a brand new visa depends on the destination and how big the change is.
🇦🇺 Australia: need a release letter to leave your provider before 6 months of your course, unless there is a valid exception. A new visa is only required if you drop to a lower course level or your current visa will not cover the new course.
🇬🇧 UK: any new sponsor institution means a new CAS and, in most cases, a brand new Student visa application.
🇨🇦 Canada: your study permit names your school. Changing schools requires updating your status with IRCC before you switch, not after.
In every destination, your current institution must report the change, so tell them before you act, not after.
Why this is an immigration decision, not only an academic one
Your study visa is tied to a specific course, institution, or both. Change either one without following the correct process and you risk a visa condition breach, even if your new school is a genuine upgrade. Australia, the UK and Canada each handle this differently, and getting the process backwards, switching first and sorting the visa later, is the most common mistake ASEAN students make.
Australia: release letters and CoE levels
If you want to leave your current provider before completing six months of your principal course, you generally need a release letter from that provider. Providers rarely grant early release, and usually only for reasons such as serious illness, the death of a close family member, a major disaster in your home country, or another traumatic event. After six months of your principal course, you can change provider without a release letter.
Whether you need an entirely new visa depends on your new Confirmation of Enrolment (CoE):
If your current visa validity still covers the new CoE and your new course sits at the same Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) level or higher, you do not need a new visa. Your provider reports the change to the Department of Home Affairs directly.
If you move to a lower AQF level course, or to a non-AQF course such as an ELICOS English program, you need a new student visa even if you stay with the same provider.
If your current visa expires before your new course finishes, you also need a new visa.
From 1 January 2025, students applying for a new student visa from inside Australia must include a CoE with their application. Full detail is on the Study Australia official guidance on changing course or provider .
United Kingdom: a new sponsor means a new visa
Your current Student visa is tied to the institution that issued your Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS). If you want to study somewhere else, you cannot simply enrol there on your existing visa. You need a new CAS from the new institution before you can apply for a fresh Student visa, and you must submit that application within 6 months of receiving the new CAS, according to the official GOV.UK Student visa switching page .
Once you are ready to move, you submit a withdrawal request through your current institution's student portal. Your current sponsor then reports to UK Visas and Immigration that they are no longer sponsoring you, and you switch your sponsorship to the new institution once your new visa is granted. Applying from inside the UK, you can usually submit the new application up to 3 months before your new course starts.
Changing course within the same institution is more flexible, since your sponsor stays the same, but any change still has to be reported and may still require a fresh CAS depending on the course level. Confirm the exact process with your international student office before you commit, since UK rules are administered per-institution under Home Office sponsor guidance.
Canada: your permit names your school
A Canadian study permit lists the designated learning institution (DLI) you are approved to attend, and you are required to remain enrolled there until you complete your studies. As of 8 November 2024, this is enforced more strictly: if you want to change institutions, you need to apply for a new study permit before switching, not after you have already started at the new school.
This applies even if your new school is also a DLI in good standing. Attending an institution not named on your permit puts you out of compliance with your conditions. Details are on the official IRCC study permit conditions page .
Side-by-side comparison
| Question | Australia | UK | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Need approval to leave current provider? | Yes, before 6 months, via release letter | Yes, via withdrawal request through the portal | Yes, must update your permit before switching |
| Need a brand new visa/permit? | Only if course level drops or visa will not cover new course | Yes, in almost all cases, new sponsor means new CAS and new visa | Yes, apply for a new study permit before you move |
| Who reports the change? | Your provider, to the Department of Home Affairs | Your current sponsor, to the Home Office | You, through your permit application, and your DLI |
Before you switch anywhere
Talk to your current institution's international office first. They confirm exactly what your visa conditions require before you take any step.
Get written confirmation of your new offer and course level before you request release or withdrawal.
Never stop attending your current course until your transfer and any new visa or permit are approved.
Keep every email and letter from both institutions. You need this paper trail if immigration ever questions the gap.