How to check the DLI list in Canada before your study visa

To check the DLI list, open IRCC's designated learning institutions list on canada.ca, pick a tab and a province, then search your college's name or city. If the school and your campus appear, note the DLI number, which starts with the letter O. A Canada study visa (study permit) needs an offer from a DLI, and a separate column shows post graduation work permit eligibility.

This article is general information, not immigration advice on your case. Personalised Canadian immigration advice is given only through Via Nova's licensed RCIC partner, a regulated Canadian immigration consultant.

What is a DLI for a Canada study visa?

A designated learning institution (DLI) is a school that a provincial or territorial government has approved to host international students. IRCC says you need a letter of acceptance from a DLI to apply for a study permit, the document most Pakistani families call the Canada study visa.

Two details from IRCC's page are worth knowing:

• All primary and secondary schools in Canada are DLIs, but they are not on the list. The list covers public and private post secondary schools.
• DLIs have duties. Post secondary DLIs must verify letters of acceptance and report on the enrolment of their international students. A DLI that does not comply can be suspended from accepting international students.

How do you check the DLI list, step by step?

1. Open the list. Go to the "Designated learning institutions list" page on canada.ca. Use only the official canada.ca address, not a copy on an agent's website.
2. Choose a tab. "Public and private DLIs" shows every post secondary DLI. "Offers PGWP eligible programs" adds a PGWP column. "Graduate degree programs at public DLIs" shows public schools whose master's and doctoral programmes need no provincial attestation letter (PAL) for applications made after 1 January 2026.
3. Select the province or territory where the school is.
4. Search by school name or city.
5. Read the whole row. It shows the DLI name, DLI number, city, campus and whether the school is public or private.
6. Copy the DLI number. IRCC asks you to write it under "Details of intended study in Canada" on your study permit application.

Then repeat the search in the PGWP tab. A school can be a DLI and still offer no programme that leads to a post graduation work permit.

What does a DLI number look like?

Every DLI number on the list, checked on 15 October 2026, is the letter O followed by digits, most often 11 or 12 of them. Two examples from the list:

The same number can appear on several rows, one for each campus or city. IRCC encourages post secondary DLIs to put the DLI number on every letter of acceptance. If yours shows one, match it with the list and check that your campus city appears too. If the number is not on the list, ask the school in writing before you pay anything.

Is my college a DLI, and is it PGWP eligible?

These are two separate questions, and many students only ask the first.

In the PGWP tab, the "Eligible programs" column shows one of three answers for each campus:

• Yes: the school offers programmes that can lead to a PGWP.
• No: the list shows no PGWP eligible programme at that campus.
• Details: a link to a page that sets the conditions. For some private institutions it names the only programmes that qualify and says any other programme at that school is not eligible. For curriculum licensing campuses it says you will not be eligible if you start there on or after 15 May 2024.

When we checked on 15 October 2026, most private college campuses showed "No" in this column, while most public campuses showed "Yes". So read the row; never assume.

Even a "Yes" is not a promise. IRCC's DLI page says not all programmes at a DLI are PGWP eligible, and you must also meet every PGWP requirement yourself.

What are the PGWP rules for your programme?

For a post graduation work permit, IRCC's eligibility page (last modified 24 June 2026) asks that you:

• complete a programme of at least 8 months at a PGWP eligible DLI;
• keep full time student status in each semester, with part time study allowed in your final semester;
• apply within 180 days of confirmation that you completed your programme.

The language and field of study rules then depend on your programme:

The language rule applies to PGWP applications made on or after 1 November 2024. Our guide to studying in Canada without IELTS lists the tests IRCC accepts for it.

How do you check the field of study rule?

Eligible fields are linked to jobs in long term shortage. To check yours:

1. Find your programme's 6 digit CIP code (Classification of Instructional Programs). The college website or admissions office can give it to you.
2. Search that code on IRCC's "Field of study requirement" page.
3. Your code must be on the eligible list when you submit either your study permit application or your PGWP application.

IRCC's page says: "For 2026, we won't add or remove any eligible fields of study." That freeze helps students choosing a 2027 intake, but check again before you accept an offer, since the list can change in later years.

What are the red flags before you apply for a study visa?

Watch for these before you accept an offer or pay a deposit:

• The school or campus is not on the list. Without a letter of acceptance from a DLI, you cannot get a study permit for a post secondary programme.
• The PGWP column says No. If working in Canada after graduating matters to you, choose a campus where the list shows PGWP eligible programmes.
• A public college name taught at a private campus. Under a curriculum licensing agreement, a private career college delivers a public college's programme. IRCC says these programmes are not PGWP eligible in most cases. The exceptions only cover students who began by 15 May 2024 (within the same province) or by 31 January 2023 (between provinces).
• A college programme outside the eligible fields. A diploma in a field not on the CIP list will not lead to a PGWP if your study permit application was made on or after 1 November 2024.
• Mostly online study. For lock in dates from 1 September 2024, at least 50% of your programme must be completed in class in Canada, and online study from outside Canada after 31 August 2024 does not count towards the PGWP length.
• A letter of acceptance from an unofficial source. Since 1 December 2023, post secondary DLIs must confirm every letter of acceptance directly with IRCC. If the school does not confirm it in time, IRCC returns your application. A letter the school never issued will not pass this check.
• Promises of a guaranteed visa or work permit. Only IRCC decides, and a school's place on the list guarantees neither.

If you are worried about refusals in general, our guide to Canada study visa refusal reasons explains what officers look for.

What else should you check on the list?

Two more points affect timing and paperwork:

• PAL exemption. Since 1 January 2026, students starting a degree granting master's or doctoral programme at a public DLI listed in the graduate tab do not need a provincial attestation letter. You still need the letter of acceptance and the other documents. Our Canada study permit guide covers PALs, funds and the Islamabad checklist.
• Quebec. If the school is in Quebec, the list links to separate details, and the province has its own requirements, including the CAQ.

Not sure where you stand?

If you have an offer and cannot tell whether the campus, programme or field of study works for your plans, send your offer letter, your grades, budget and your plans after graduation to a Via Nova counsellor on WhatsApp at +92 316 4448062. We will check the list with you and tell you honestly what we find. Our counsellors help with programme choice and documents through our Canada study visa service from our Lahore office or online, and personalised Canadian immigration advice is given through our licensed RCIC partner.