Why Apply for Canada Student Visa?

You have to follow the below steps to study in Canada. 

Step 1: Research Your Options

Before you shortlist the universities, decide what you want to study, where you want to live, overall cost, various opportunities etc.

Step 2: Select Universities

Shortlist the universities (about 10 universities should do) and study programs that meet your requirements and you want to apply for.

Step 3: Prepare for entrance exams

Prepare for the standardized tests like TOEFL/GRE/GMAT/IELTS etc. based on the requirements of the universities and colleges. Register for these tests in advance. While applying for the tests you should also plan for the time required in case you need to retake the test. You should complete these tests before September of the academic year you wish to apply.

Step 4: Finance your studies

Ensure that you have the money ready for your entire period of study in Canada along with accommodation, local travel, food, and other miscellaneous expenses. Decide on how you will finance your studies – personal savings, education loans, student scholarships, or assistantship.

Step 5: Apply to the university

Contact each university directly for the admission requirements. Every university has its own admission requirements. Complete the applications well before deadlines and send them.

Step 6: Confirm admission

Once you get your acceptance letters from the universities that you have applied to, choose the university you would like to study at. The next step is to pay a non-refundable deposit to the university to confirm your admission.

Step 7: Get a Study permit

Once you get admission confirmation done, you can apply for your study permit.

If a candidate decides to study in Canada, he will gain points in three areas-language, education, work experience, and additional points if he is young. Education in Canada can give valuable points for various immigration streams such as Express Entry or PNP streams.

Students are also allowed to work up to 20 hours per week while pursuing their course which helps them gain valuable Canadian work experience and add points to their CRS score.

Studying in Canada will help you get familiar with the culture, people, and language (English/French) which will help your social integration once you become a permanent resident.

To be able to stay in Canada and work after you graduate, you will require a Post-Graduation Work Permit. 

The study permit allows you to study in Canada, but you have to note that a study permit is not a visa. You cannot enter Canada with a study permit alone, so you have to apply for the Canada Study Visa.  

If your study permit is approved, a Canada visitor visa or an electronic travel authorization (eTA) will be issued along with the study permit. 

For a Canada Student Visa, you must get a minimum of 5.5 bands in each of the four IELTS segments for Undergraduate Courses, with an aggregate score of 6.0 or higher. Graduate courses require a score of 6.5 bands, with a minimum of 6.0 in each of the four parts to study in Canada.

In Canada, tertiary education consists of all types of formal teaching study programs past secondary schools. It can be academic, technical, vocational, or professional education. The programs are primarily offered by colleges, universities, and special institutes.

Universities in Canada have autonomy over academic matters. The Universities have the authority to set admission, planning of academic structure, graduation standards, and policies. It covers curriculam and strategies for teaching.
Colleges give training for applied technology and arts. They offer full-time and part-time diploma and study programs. Few of the colleges offer undergraduate degrees in the applied field of study. The colleges have a more career-oriented approach toward education compared to universities. It implies that they give practical training.

To be eligible for enrolment in a post-secondary education institution in Canada, you are required to:
• High school grades and certificate
• Proof of proficiency in English
The requirements are the same for both undergraduate and postgraduate study programs.

It depends on the curricula and requirements of the program. Usually, the postgraduate or Master’s degree takes one academic year. It includes a mandatory internship in the overall duration. Few of the Master’s degrees might take two academic years to complete.

The international students who wish to apply to Canadian institutions are asked to submit a personal statement and an essay. The content for these mentioned documents should emphasize why the applicant is suitable for enrolment in the chosen program.
The documents should be backed by proof of work experience/s if there are any. Documents such as certificates of extracurricular activity, reference letters, and other evidence of skills are always appreciated.

To answer this question, you must consider some deeper aspects like the general and specific requirements for getting a student permit to study in Canada. The ease of getting a Canada student visa depends on how well you meet the requirements and how smoothly you take yourself through the whole process. The latter is possible with assistance from an expert Canada immigration and overseas study consultant like Y-Axis.

There are some specific areas of clarity and scrutiny that immigration authorities in Canada will check you for during the application processing stage. Here are those factors and how they will affect the ease of getting a Canada student visa:

• IRCC will want you to prove that you are financially capable of paying for your trip to Canada, tuition fees, and miscellaneous expenses to live and study in Canada.
• It’s imperative that you convince and be transparent with IRCC as to your intention to leave the country once your visa validity expires. Of course, you may extend your student visa or stay in Canada after your studies in Canada through options like PGWP. But at the application stage, you have to make it clear that you are ready to leave Canada after your study visa expires.
• In certain cases, you may have to convince the IRCC that your choice of course of study is a genuine intention. You may also have to explain to them how it aligns with your qualifications.
• It may not be possible for you to get a Canada student visa if the school in Canada that issues a letter of acceptance to you isn’t registered as an educational institution in Canada. Any doubt on the part of the visa officer that your letter of acceptance is not genuine could end up in the rejection of the letter you presented.
• There are instances where your travel history record could influence the decision to grant you a student visa in Canada. The absence of a complete record of travel history or unclear identity documents can lead to IRCC refusing your application for a study permit.
• IRCC must also be convinced that you aren’t criminally and medically inadmissible to the country. If you clear this requirement with proper proof, it won’t affect your student visa application process.

Keep a checklist of these requirements and clear them to make your student visa process easier and more timely.

The cost of applying for a Canada student visa (study permit) is CAD150. However, that’s not the only cost you must consider when you are applying for this visa. The other costs include the following:

Minimum funds you, as a student in Canada, will need to support yourself (and the members of your family accompanying you):

Outside Quebec

In Quebec

For more information and assistance on Canada student visa, contact Y-Axis, the leading immigration, overseas study, and career consultant in the UAE.

Here are the requirements for a Canada student visa:

• You must qualify as a traveler who’s fully vaccinated.
  • If you are an applicant aged below 18 years, it isn’t mandatory for you to be fully vaccinated. You must study at a DLI (designated learning institution) and have a COVID-19 readiness plan that has received approval from Canada.
• You must be enrolled at a DLI.
• You have to prove that you have sufficient funds with you to meet payment requirements like
  • your tuition fees,
  • Expenses to live in Canada for yourself and any members of the family accompanying you to Canada, and
  • transportation to return, for yourself and any members of your family accompanying you to Canada.
• You must be obedient to the law in Canada. You mustn’t have a criminal record. You have to prove this by submitting a police certificate (as is deemed necessary).
• You must present proof that you are in good health. You must get yourself through a medical exam (as is deemed necessary).
• You have to present proof to a Canada immigration officer that you will leave Canada once your Canada study permit meets its expiry.

Among the documents that you must submit to apply for a Canada student visa are the following:

• Proof of identity
  • a valid passport/travel document
  • 2 recent photos (passport-size)
• Proof of financial support (one of the following)
  • Proof of a Canadian bank account in your name, in case you have transferred funds to Canada
  • Proof of a student/education loan from a bank
  • GIC (Guaranteed Investment Certificate) from a participating financial institution in Canada
  • A bank draft convertible to Canadian dollars
  • Your bank statements for the past four months
  • A letter from the school/person handing money over to you
  • Proof that you have made the payment for tuition and housing fees
  • Proof of money to fund you, paid from within Canada, in case you possess a scholarship or are in Canada as part of an educational program funded by Canada
• Letter of explanation, explaining
  • your reason to study in Canada and
  • that you understand what your responsibilities as a student are

Québec Acceptance Certificate, in case you want to study in Quebec for a period longer than 6 months