Many international students prefer to get an undergraduate or graduation degree in Canada because of its quality education. To study in any of the Designated learning institutions (DLIs), you need to secure a Canada study permit. Canadian territories and their respective provincial governments have approved DLIs to host international students after securing a study permit.
Application for a Canadian Study Permit
Candidates need to visit the Canadian government website to submit an online form which needs the following details:
- DLI's acceptance letter for the candidate. Make sure to get the acceptance letter six months before enrollment in case of admission to primary/ secondary schools. This must be done one year in advance for enrollment in post-secondary courses.
- A valid passport.
- Two photographs of passport size. The name and date of birth have to be mentioned on the back.
- A valid debit or credit card is needed for payment of fees, supporting international payments in India.
- You should have proof of financial support for studying in Canada. You can provide any of the following for this:
- Proof of a student loan to cover the course fees.
- Bank statement of the previous four months.
- A bank statement that is convertible to the Canadian dollar.
- Evidence showing payment of tuition and housing fees.
- Evidence of funding/scholarship from the educational institution.
- A person supporting you financially should produce a letter stating the same.
- Proof of bank account in Canada with the candidate's name and required funds already in it.
- A participating Canadian financial institution should provide a Guaranteed Investment Certificate (GIC) to the candidate.
- An explanation letter stating the reason for studying in Canada and that the candidate is aware of their responsibilities as a student.
- Upon application submission and fee payment, a biometric registration might also be required. In this case, the application processing will start only after the submission of the biometric details. The candidate will be provided with a list of centers in their home countries where it can be done.
Things to Take Note of While Applying for a Canadian Student Visa
Keep all the documents mentioned above ready. Carefully go through the instruction guide for study permit applications for foreign nationals. Start by registering on the Canadian government IRCC website. All the questions have to be answered besides uploading the required documents. If needed, complete the biometric registration. Keep track of the application on the IRCC website.
- On acceptance of the application:
- Candidates will get a visa for entry to Canada.
- A letter of introduction will be provided to the candidate, which must be brought along while entering the country physically. Canada will issue a study permit after entering the country.
- In case of rejection:
- A letter will be provided stating the reasons, which can be any of the following.
- Lack of evidence for financial support.
- Failure in the medical examination, if any.
- The primary purpose of moving to Canada was not for studying.
- Lack of enough evidence supporting the candidate's willingness to leave the country upon completing the study program.
Your study permit is different from a Canadian visa. Upon approval of the study permit, a candidate will be issued a visitor visa or an ETA, i.e., electronic travel authorization, that allows them entry to Canada.
Application Fees and Duration of Processing
The application fee for a Canadian study permit is 150 CAD. It takes about ten weeks to process the applications of foreign nationals for a Canadian student visa. It doesn't include the time for completion of biometrics registration.
On applying through Direct Stream, the processing time can be reduced to just 20 days. It needs the following:
- DLI's acceptance letters.
- Proof of payment of first-year tuition fees.
- Should have CAD$10,000 GIC.
- Certificate of medical examination or police verification before application.
- The IELTS score must be six or higher.
- Transcripts of recent secondary or post-secondary school.
Conclusion
Your approved study permit will be issued by a border services officer as stated on the Government of Canada website. The border officer will scan your permit reference number found in the letter of introduction sent by the visa office to issue your approved study permit.
