CanadaRoughly every two weeksExpress Entry draws
Category-based rounds favour healthcare, STEM, trades and French speakers. Cut-off scores move each round and nobody can predict them.
What matters when,
country by country.
Rule changes, fee revisions, intake windows and the filing cutoffs that actually decide whether you make a start date. Each item says what you need ready before it.
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United StatesDeadlineConfirmedUS fiscal year ends — some employment categories may run out
The September Visa Bulletin warned that EB-1 India, EB-2 and unreserved EB-5 could retrogress or become unavailable before 30 September as annual limits are reached.
What to doIf your priority date is current, file now rather than waiting for October.
United States guide -
United KingdomRule changeReportedUK immigration rules change from October
A set of changes to the UK immigration rules takes effect from October 2026, reported across five main areas.
What to doIf you are filing a UK application this autumn, check which version of the rules applies to your lodgement date.
United Kingdom guide -
CanadaIntake windowIndicative
January 2027 intake — application window closing at many colleges
Most Canadian institutions close January intake applications between October and early November. Filing the study permit after this leaves no room for a query letter.
What to doOffer letter and GIC should be done by now. Start the visa file this month.
Canada guide -
United KingdomThreshold changeReported
UK student visa maintenance requirement rises
The maintenance funds a student must show is reported to increase from November 2026. The funds must also sit in the account for the required consecutive period before filing.
What to doIf you file after this date, budget for the higher figure and start seasoning funds now, not in November.
United Kingdom guide -
AustraliaIntake windowIndicativeFebruary 2027 intake — CoE and visa filing window
Australian February intake visa applications are typically lodged from November to early January. India now sits at Evidence Level 3, so financial documentation takes longer to assemble.
What to doConfirmation of Enrolment and full financial evidence should be ready before you lodge.
Australia guide -
CanadaDeadlineIndicative
January 2027 intake — practical study permit filing cutoff
With processing running 8 to 16 weeks and heavier scrutiny on Indian applicants, a file lodged after early December is unlikely to decide in time for a January start.
What to doLodge by the first week of December, or plan for the May 2027 intake instead.
Canada guide -
GermanyIntake windowIndicativeSummer semester 2027 — university application deadlines
German public universities generally close summer semester applications in mid-January. The blocked account and APS certificate must both be in place before the visa appointment.
What to doAPS takes its own processing time. Start it a full semester ahead.
Germany guide -
IrelandIntake windowIndicativeIreland — spring and autumn 2027 application cycles
Irish institutions run rolling admissions with course-level deadlines. The Critical Skills occupation list is revised periodically and eligibility is checked at application, not at offer.
What to doConfirm your occupation is on the current list before you plan around the work route.
Ireland guide -
AustraliaIntakeIndicative
February 2027 intake begins
The larger of Australia's two main intakes. Visa grants for this cycle are decided through December and January.
What to doIf your visa is still pending in late January, ask the institution about a deferred start rather than assuming.
Australia guide -
INIndiaFinancialConfirmed
Indian financial year ends 31 March
ITR filings, salary credits and business turnover for the year close. Visa officers read these documents as the backbone of any funding claim.
What to doIf you are applying in 2027, this year's ITR and bank flow are what the officer will read. Keep them clean.
Route guide -
United KingdomIntake windowIndicative
UK September 2027 intake — applications open
Most UK universities open September intake applications from spring. Early applications get better course and scholarship availability, and a longer runway for the CAS.
What to doShortlist courses now; the CAS cannot be issued until you accept and pay a deposit.
United Kingdom guide -
CanadaIntakeIndicative
May 2027 intake — study permit filing window
Canada's smaller mid-year intake. Fewer programmes, but also fewer applicants competing for study permit approvals.
What to doWorth considering if the January window has closed for you.
Canada guide
Nothing upcoming for that country in this window. Pick another, or ask us — an unusual case often runs on its own calendar.
The cycles that never stop
These do not have a date. They run on a rhythm, and if you are in the pool you are affected by every round.
CanadaRoughly every two weeksUnited StatesPublished monthlyVisa Bulletin
The State Department publishes cut-off dates for family and employment categories, usually mid-month for the following month.
AustraliaMonthlySkillSelect invitation rounds
Invitations issued against points scores for subclass 189 and state-nominated streams.
United KingdomSeveral times a yearImmigration rules statements
The Home Office lays statements of changes before Parliament. Salary thresholds and sponsor rules move through these.
How to use this page
Three things worth knowing before you plan around any date here.
- Work backwards, not forwardsTake your intake date, subtract the processing range, subtract four weeks for building the file, subtract the time to season funds. That is your real start date — usually earlier than people expect.
- Filing cutoffs beat application deadlinesA university may accept your application in December. That does not mean a visa filed in December will decide by January. We show the date that actually governs the outcome.
- Tags are not decorationConfirmed comes from a government source. Reported comes from press. Indicative is a typical window. Never book a flight or pay a deposit against an indicative date.
About this calendar
What it covers and where the dates come from.
How exact are these dates?
Each item is tagged. Confirmed means the date comes from a government source. Reported means it has been reported by mainstream press but we have not seen the notification ourselves. Indicative means it is a typical window, not a fixed date — university deadlines in particular vary by institution and course.
Why do you show a filing cutoff that is not an official deadline?
Because the official deadline is not the one that matters. If processing runs twelve weeks and your course starts in January, the date that decides your outcome is when you lodge, not when the university stops accepting applications. We show both.
What if I miss a window?
There is almost always a next intake — Canada has January, May and September, Australia has February and July, the UK has September and January. Missing one is a delay, not an ending. Rushing a weak file to catch a window is what actually costs people a year.
Do you track these for your clients?
Yes. Once we take a file, the intake dates, document deadlines and appointment windows for that case are ours to watch, not yours.
Which of these dates is yours?
Tell us your target intake and we will work backwards to the date you actually need to start — and tell you plainly if it has already passed for this cycle.