Every year, Canada experiences a massive inflow of international students as the educational system offers many opportunities. With over 130,000 students entering Canada annually, the cultural advantage is also robust to accommodate this number.
If you want to do research, international collaborations or make notable publications, you can trust the Canadian academic system to help foster such achievement.
Want to study in Canada already? Read on to see how to get your study visa and the best route.
1. Start by applying to a preferred Canadian University
The first significant step is to look through the different Canadian Universities and select the one that offers your course. Once you apply and get accepted to study, the school will send an acceptance letter which is the primary document for processing the study visa.
2. Check your eligibility status for a Canadian student visa
Some countries do not need a student visa to study in Canada.
If you are in any of these criteria, you won’t need a study permit to study in Canada:
The applied study program will not take up to six months
You have a family member in the department of foreign affairs, Trade and Development
You are a foreign armed force member
You are a citizen of any country with an Indian status which is Canadian registered
With a study permit, you cannot travel or enter Canada like a regular visa. This means you have to do such movement with a travel visa or when you register for an Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA).
3. Begin the Student visa process in Canada
Your acceptance letter will be needed to apply for your study permit. Below are the steps to take for the application:
Visit Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) website to apply for the student visa (Or send it via post if the online application proved abortive)
Provide the acceptance letter you receive, which must be from a Canadian government-recognized institution.
Provide the necessary proof for financial capacity to support your Canadian studies.
Confirm a criminal-free record by showing documents that prove it
Provide medical documents of the medical examination required
Interestingly, if a family member has a work permit or is processing one, you can get an advantage of faster processing of your visa. Also, you can extend or renew your study permit if any of the following applies to it:
The program you applied for has been extended
You had to change university
You intend to proceed with further studies
Once your studies have finished, you have up to 90 days to leave the country as your visa would have expired. During this period, you can explore the country and travel or start applying for a work permit.
4. Get all the essential documents for your Canadian student visa
The primary documents you will be needing are:
Application form (Filled with the correct details)
The original copy of the University acceptance letter
Passport photographs (2 copies)- make sure to add your name and date of birth to the back of the passport
Your Valid travel document/passport. This doesn’t apply to you if you are a resident or a citizen of the USA
Provide a financial document proof of about 10,000 to 11,000 CAD, which is the minimum to show you can take care of yourself
A letter of intent
Study permit fee payment document (The fee is about 150CAD)
Certificat d’acceptation du Québec (This is for those planning to live in Quebec)
5. Pass the required language exam
You must show the Canadian government that you can speak and write English fluently, which will involve writing the acceptance test. However, if you are from an English-speaking country, you won’t need to write these tests. The accepted tests are TOEFL iBT, PTE Academic, IELTS Academic, and C1 Advanced.
6. Go for the Bio metric appointment and interview
Not all countries require a biometric appointment before granting a study visa. Regardless, you might need to pay about 85 CAD, the biometric fee, which is not the same as the application fee (150 CAD). Also, the interview is based on the local application center and the applicant’s situation. If there is no disparity in the information provided, there won’t be any need for the interview.
6. Wait for your Canadian study permit
You would have to wait for a maximum of 90 days before you will get the study permit issued. It can happen faster, but that will depend on the country you are applying from and the stream. You can use the direct student stream to apply if you are in India, China, Pakistan, Senegal, Morocco, Vietnam, and the Philippines.