ILAC Closes —
What Students Need to Do Now
On September 18, 2026, ILAC Education Group filed for bankruptcy protection and ceased operations immediately. All classes and programming have been cancelled. After nearly thirty years as one of the best-known names in Canadian language education, this is difficult news. This article sets out what ILAC students need to address now — study permit conditions, transferring schools, and tuition refunds — based solely on IRCC and provincial government sources. The language school, International College and High School are governed by different rules and carry different protections, so start by identifying which programme you were in.
What has been confirmed (September 18, 2026)
ILAC published the following on its own website:
"On Friday, September 18th, ILAC filed for bankruptcy protection and is ceasing operations, effective immediately. All classes and programming have been cancelled, effective immediately."
| Item | What the notice says |
|---|---|
| Date | September 18, 2026 |
| Action | Filed for bankruptcy protection; operations ceasing immediately |
| Classes | All classes and programming cancelled immediately — no teach-out or grace period mentioned |
| Trustee | KPMG Inc., Licensed Insolvency Trustee under the Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act |
| Reason given | Significant regulatory changes affecting the sector over the past three years |
| Student support | Says only that it is working with relevant regulators; further information to follow |
The notice contains no contact details, no FAQ, no refund instructions and no transfer arrangements. National media coverage began on September 19, but as of September 20, 2026 there is still no creditor notice from KPMG, no statement from the BC or Ontario regulators, and no IRCC announcement. The number of affected students has not been officially confirmed.
First, identify which programme you were in
This is the most important section. The three ILAC entities are governed by different rules and carry different protections. Two "ILAC students" can have opposite answers. All three websites now point to the closure notice, so treat all three as affected — but start by identifying where you were enrolled.
| ILAC (language school) | ILAC International College | ILAC Int'l High School | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Level | Language training (not post-secondary) | Private career college (post-secondary) | Secondary |
| Must apply for a new permit to change DLI (IRPR s.217.1) | Not covered — though IRCC does not address language schools explicitly | Covered | Not covered |
| 60-day service standard | Not available | Available | Not available |
| New PAL/TAL | Required | Required | Exempt |
| Provincial tuition protection | BC: must verify Ontario: none | Possible in both (must verify) | Not applicable |
Study permit conditions — the same for everyone
A study permit requires you to be enrolled at a designated learning institution (DLI) and to actively pursue your studies. When a school shuts down you can no longer meet those conditions through no fault of your own. IRCC rules state that you must end your studies if you no longer meet the requirements of being a student, and leave Canada when your permit expires.
Note also that while IRCC publishes guidance for students whose school loses its DLI designation, no separate guidance for a school that closes through insolvency was published as of writing. The existing guidance's option of "keep studying at this institution" simply does not exist when the school has shut down.
Moving to a new school — this depends on your programme
If you were in a post-secondary programme such as ILAC International College, the regulation in force since November 8, 2024 (IRPR s.217.1) requires you to apply for a new study permit when moving to a different DLI. Selecting "Yes" to the DLI-change question in the online application triggers a 60-day processing service standard.
If you were in a language programme, that provision does not cover you: the Canada Gazette notice that created it states that "the regulatory amendments apply exclusively to post-secondary DLIs and post-secondary international students." However, IRCC's student-facing pages do not address language schools explicitly, so if you were in a language programme, check the institution named on your permit and get advice before acting. Either way, the requirements to be enrolled at a DLI and to actively pursue studies continue to apply.
The exception that lets you start while your application is pending
IRCC allows you to begin studying at a new school while your application is being processed if all three of the following are true:
- You have not left Canada since receiving the letter of acceptance (LOA) from the new DLI
- You continue to meet the conditions of your previous study permit
- Before you completed your programme, the DLI you were studying at closed, discontinued your course or programme, was placed on the suspension list, or lost its designated status
All three must be satisfied, and "closed" is an express trigger. So once you hold an LOA from a new school and have filed your application, you may start classes without waiting for the decision.
A caution on scope. This guidance is written around post-secondary study permit extensions, and IRCC does not state whether it extends to language-programme students. If you were in a language programme, confirm before relying on this exception to start classes.
And do not leave Canada after receiving your new LOA — departing breaks the first condition.
Tuition — Vancouver campus (British Columbia)
British Columbia operates a Student Tuition Protection Fund through the Private Training Institutions Regulatory Unit. If a certified institution ceases to hold its certificate before students complete their programmes, those students may file a refund claim.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Deadline | Within one year of the date the institution ceased to hold a certificate — the trustee cannot extend this |
| Form | Tuition Refund Claim Based on Institution Ceasing to be Certified |
| Preferred remedy | Where a comparable programme exists, students may train out at another institution and the refund is paid to it |
| Cash refund | Where no comparable programme exists or special circumstances apply; student loans are repaid first |
| Contact | PTI.StudentSupport@gov.bc.ca |
If you were at a BC campus, email the address above and ask three things: (1) was the institution certified, (2) on what date did it cease to hold its certificate, and (3) is your programme covered. A missed deadline cannot be reopened.
Tuition — Toronto campus (Ontario)
Ontario's Training Completion Assurance Fund (TCAF) has a narrow scope. It covers only fee-paying students who signed a contract and were enrolled in approved programmes at career colleges registered under the Ontario Career Colleges Act, 2005. General language schools fall outside that Act.
| Deadline | What it governs |
|---|---|
| 14 days | Return the student claim form to be considered for training completion (teach-out). Miss it and only a refund remains available |
| 6 months | Deadline to file a refund claim, from the day the Superintendent officially confirms the closure |
| 90 days | Pre-approved travel and dependent care expenses, after completing training |
| Processing | Typically 6–24 months |
| Contact | TCAF-PCC@ontario.ca |
Because the six-month clock starts from the Superintendent's official confirmation, it has probably not started yet. The 14-day window, by contrast, runs fast from the moment notice is sent — if the email address the school had on file is one you no longer use, check it now.
What to do this week
- Secure your documents first. Save the enrolment contract, receipts, payment records, letter of acceptance, attendance and transcript records, and all correspondence with the school as PDFs or screenshots. Once the student portal goes dark this is hard to recover, and every claim rests on it.
- Establish which entity and programme you were in. Everything that follows depends on which column of the table above applies to you.
- Check your permit's expiry date, the institution named on it, and its conditions.
- Research new DLIs and confirm they can issue an LOA and a PAL/TAL. The PAL/TAL is the practical bottleneck.
- Contact the provincial regulator. BC: PTI.StudentSupport@gov.bc.ca (establish the certificate cessation date). Ontario: TCAF-PCC@ontario.ca.
- Watch for KPMG's notices. Where no provincial protection applies, filing as a creditor in the bankruptcy is the only route.
- Postpone travel outside Canada. Leaving after you receive a new LOA removes the ability to start classes while your application is pending.
What is not yet known
For accuracy, here is what has not been established:
- The scope and legal position of each of the three entities — the notice does not distinguish them
- Whether any teach-out will be arranged — the notice does not mention one
- ILAC's BC certification status and the date any certificate ceased
- KPMG's process for students and creditors — nothing published as of September 20
- Official positions from the BC and Ontario regulators — nothing published as of September 20
- The number of students and staff affected — no official figure
- Whether IRCC will issue guidance specific to this closure — none so far
This article will be updated as official information is confirmed. We will not fill the gaps with speculation.
A closing note
For almost thirty years ILAC was where students from around the world took their first steps in Canada. Countless people learned English there, made friendships, and found the starting point for their studies and careers. It has long been a respected name in this sector, and this is difficult news — not least for the teachers and staff who spent years supporting those students.
What matters now is not to panic, but not to wait either. Secure your records, establish which programme you were in, check your permit status, then look for a new school — in that order. Above all, remember that the answer depends entirely on which ILAC entity you were enrolled with. For an overview of study pathways in Canada, see our study services.
ILAC — Community Message (2026-09-18)
IRCC — Your conditions as a study permit holder in Canada
IRCC — Change your school, program or status as a student
IRCC — Provincial/Territorial Attestation Letter (PAL/TAL) & exemptions
Canada Gazette II, SOR/2024-219 — IRPR s.217.1 (change of DLI); scope stated as post-secondary only
BC — Private Training Institutions Regulatory Unit: Tuition Refund Claims
Ontario — Career college closures & Training Completion Assurance Fund
This article is general information based on ILAC's published notice and official IRCC, British Columbia and Ontario sources as of September 18, 2026. It is not legal advice for any specific case. The situation may change quickly — please confirm the latest official announcements from the relevant authorities before making decisions. (Sources re-verified: September 20, 2026)