What it is
Study permit or student visa: which one do you actually need?
The short answer
They are two different documents. A study permit authorises you to study in Canada; a visitor visa or eTA authorises you to travel there. Most applicants need both, and they are issued together after approval. The permit itself is not what you show at the airport, which is why people who assume otherwise book flights before they can actually fly.
What each document does
The study permit names your institution and the length of your programme, and it is what makes studying lawful once you arrive. The visa or eTA is a travel document; without it you cannot board.
You apply once. If the permit is approved, the travel document is issued alongside it, and the physical permit is handed to you at the port of entry rather than posted in advance.
What this changes about your timeline
Approval is not arrival-ready. Between the decision and the flight sit the passport request, the travel document and, for some applicants, biometrics. Build weeks into the plan rather than days.
It also changes what your letter of explanation has to argue, because the officer assessing it is deciding on the permit and the travel document together.
Terms people mix up with these
A Provincial Attestation Letter is neither of these; it is a prerequisite from the province. A GIC is a funding instrument, not a document of status. Getting the vocabulary right matters when an officer asks a question about one and you answer about another.
Related questions
Is a study permit the same as a student visa?
No. A study permit authorises study in Canada; a visitor visa or eTA authorises travel there. Most applicants need both, and both are issued after a single application is approved. The physical permit is given to you when you arrive rather than before you fly.