Canada is one of the most preferred destinations for higher education by applicants from India. It is one of the very few countries whose immigration laws have been designed to make the process of moving to the country easy for those seeking residence or places of study from other countries across the world. Although a lot of students from India prefer to study in Canada, very few of them are well aware of the provisions of a Canadian student permit.

This article aims to provide you with complete information about the Canadian student permit process. Before diving straight into the details, here is an overview of the student permit process to study in Canada.

Understanding the Canada Study Permit Application

International students who want to study at any Designated Learning Institutions (DLI) in Canada need to obtain a Canada study permit.

The study permit functions differently from a visa because it serves as a separate authorization document.

Your study permit approval will result in either a Temporary Resident Visa (TRV) or an electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) based on your citizenship and travel method. The study permit enables students to pursue their academic studies in Canada while also permitting them to work under specific circumstances.

Duration and Extension of Canada Study Permit

Your study permit remains valid throughout your entire academic period and extends for 90 days following your program completion. The additional 90 days enable you to stay in Canada for work permit applications or to finalize your departure from the country.

Students who need to extend their study permit must submit their application from within Canada before their current permit expires.

Students should initiate their extension application process at least thirty days before their study permit reaches its expiration date. Your study authorization remains active for continued learning under existing terms until your new permit processing is finished.

The system provides students with flexible education continuity while they decide whether to pursue a post-graduate work permit (PGWP) for Canadian work experience.

Cost of Applying for a Canada Study Permit

The Canada study permit application requires a CAD 150 payment, which students need to submit to the Canadian embassy or IRCC when they apply. Students need to pay additional expenses, which include:

  • The biometric fee amounts to CAD 85 for students who need to provide biometric data.
  • The cost of a medical examination at a clinic varies based on the specific clinic.
  • The police clearance certificate process requires payment of fees, which depend on your home country.

The Canadian student visa process requires all applicants to pay these essential fees before their application becomes eligible for full processing.

Canada Student Visa Requirements

The Canadian Immigration Department has set certain requirements that all candidates must fulfil in order to have a fruitful tenure when they travel to study in Canada. It is essential that students fulfil the following Canada student visa requirements in order to avoid facing any legal hassles during their course of study in Canada.

You can study in Canada if you:

  1. Are enrolled at a designated learning institution (DLI)
  2. Prove you have enough money to pay for your:
    • Tuition fees
    • Living expenses for yourself and any family members who come with you to Canada.
    • Return transportation for yourself and any family members who come with you to Canada.
  3. Obey the law, have no criminal record, and get a police certificate (if required)
  4. Are in good health and get a medical exam (if needed)
  5. Prove to an officer that you will leave Canada when your study permit expires.

While in Canada for higher studies, students must 

  1. Make progress towards completing their program
  2. Respect any conditions listed on their study permit
  3. Stop studying if they no longer meet the requirements and
  4. Leave Canada when their permit expires

Depending on your case, there may be conditions on your study permit, such as:

  1. If you’re allowed to work in Canada
  2. If you’re allowed to travel within Canada
  3. The date you must stop studying

Now that you have taken note of the Canada student visa requirements, let us move on to understanding one of the most crucial parts of the Canada study permit process - documentation. The following paragraphs will give you a Canada student visa checklist of the documents you need to submit before you apply for a Canada student permit. In addition to that, details about each of these documents are also included.

Canada Student Permit Process: Canada Student Visa Checklist of Required Documents

Documentation is a crucial part of any student visa process. The process of getting a permit to study in Canada requires candidates to submit the correct documentation. If candidates fail to do so, their application for a permit to study in Canada can be rejected. The documents mentioned in the following list are to be submitted by students at the time of applying for a study permit to study in Canada.

  1. Proof of acceptance 
  2. Proof of identity
  3. Proof of financial support
  4. A letter of acceptance into Canada
  5. A Letter of explanation
  6. Certificat d’acceptation du Québec (for those who wish to study in Quebec)

Let us try and understand the relevance of certain documents that are to be compulsorily submitted by candidates to the government in order to qualify for a Canada study permit. 

A Letter of Acceptance to Study in Canada

All the candidates who have applied for a permit to study in Canada must possess a letter of acceptance from any of the designated learning institutions. While applying for their Canada study permit application, students are expected to upload the original acceptance letter, along with their application.

Proof of Identity

Candidates must provide the following documents, which will help prove their identity to the Department of immigration in Canada.

  1. A valid passport
  2. Two recent passport-sized photographs. The candidate must write their name and date of birth on the back of each photo.

Proof of Financial Support

Before applying for a study permit to study in Canada, students must submit proof of their finances. It is important for the immigration department of the Canadian government to understand that the students who come to Canada are capable of taking care of their expenses, which are likely to be incurred during their course of study in Canada. The following documents are some of the acceptable forms of proof of funds at the Canadian embassy. It is very crucial that students submit these forms that reflect the fulfillment of Canada student visa requirements.

  1. Proof of a Canadian bank account in the student’s name.
  2. GIC from a participating financial institution.
  3. Proof of an education loan from a bank.
  4. Bank statement for the past four months.
  5. A bank draft that can be converted into Canadian dollars.
  6. Proof of payment of tuition and housing fees.
  7. A letter from the person/school providing the money.
  8. Proof of funding paid from within Canada if you have a scholarship or are in a Canadian-funded educational program.

Students who come from countries like India, Pakistan, China, Sri Lanka, Morocco, the Philippines, Senegal, and Vietnam can fast-track their process by applying to a university that comes under the SDS program. Such students may present a GIC from any of the participating financial institutions as proof of fulfillment of Canada student visa financial requirements. 

  • The purchase of a GIC account and depositing the tuition fees have to be done before a student applies for a Canadian student visa.
  • When loan applicants approach banks with this requirement, many bank officials, due to their ignorance about the changing policies of international embassies and educational institutes, happen to deny issuing the loan amount for the same. Hence, make it a point to ask your assigned loan manager whether they will be transferring the said amount through wire transfers.

Students who had applied for a Canadian education loan through WeMakeScholars did not face this problem, as our financial officers have been at the core of many important decisions taken by our partner banks regarding education loans. If any issues arise, our team can speak with the bank manager and sort it out for you. The Canadian student visa financial requirements state that candidates need to arrange for at least CAD 10,000 as their living expenses for a year of their course of study in Canada.

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Letter of Explanation

A letter of explanation is another crucial part of the Canadian student visa requirements. It helps the visa authorities to understand the candidate’s goals after they receive their study permit for Canada. It explains two major points that are integral to the process of getting a permit to study in Canada.

  1. Why a candidate wants to study in Canada
  2. Applicants applying for a Canada study permit have complete knowledge of their responsibilities once they arrive in the country for their higher studies.

Health Insurance

Foreign nationals who wish to study in Canada must ensure that they have comprehensive health insurance that takes care of their medical expenses during their entire course of study in Canada. This is an important document that all students must possess before applying for a study permit for Canada.

Also, read about the Importance of Loan Insurance in Abroad Education Loan

How to Apply For a Student Permit in Canada?

The Canadian student visa requirements are pretty simple and easy to understand. However, a lot of candidates tend to miss out on important information regarding the Canadian student visa process as they seldom care to pay attention to details. The following steps are involved in the Canada study permit process. Some students can apply for a study permit from within Canada. In other cases, they are allowed to apply at the time of entering the country. However, in the majority of cases, the embassy prefers students who apply for a study permit online. The process involves the following steps.

  1. Gather your documents. Ensure that you have all of the documents mentioned above before you begin the process of applying for a permit to study in Canada. If officials find any of it to be missing, your file could be sent back.
  2. Read the instruction guide before proceeding to fill out your form seeking a permit to study in Canada. 
  3. Prepare your answers for the online tool. Students are expected to provide answers to certain questions before proceeding to fill out their form. 
  4. Gather information about the fees you have to pay for the following.
    1. Submitting biometric information to the embassy or consulate
    2. Taking a medical exam
    3. Police certificates
    4. Language testing
    5. Services at a visa application centre

Create your online account and sign in. You can use your account to:

  1. Pay your fees
  2. Submit your application
  3. Check your status

What Happens After You Apply?

As soon as they submit their application,

  1. Students are required to submit their biometrics. Post submitting their online application, the embassy or consulate will send an email stating the directions that students need to follow in order to successfully submit their biometric information.
  2. The study permit application is processed.
  3. The embassy may also ask students to go to an interview with its officials.

After Approval, the embassy will send a letter of introduction to the selected students. This is not a study permit. The study permit will be issued to students at a later date, along with the student visa or an Electronic Travel Authorization.

Read about Abroad Studies Education Loan: What to do if Your Visa is Rejected?

Documents to be Submitted After Arriving in Canada

Students are required to keep the following documents handy in order to have a smooth transition to Canada.

  1. Valid passport/travel document
  2. A letter of introduction
  3. Copy of a valid letter of acceptance from your institution
  4. Proof of financial support
  5. Letters of reference
  6. Valid electronic travel authorization if applicable.

Major Reasons Behind Rejection of a Study Permit Application by the Embassy?

Some of the major reasons provided by the embassy for rejection of an application for a permit to study in Canada are as follows. 

Applications are rejected if students fail to

  1. Show proof that they have enough money to support themselves while studying in Canada
  2. Pass their medical exam, if they needed to get one
  3. Convince the visa officer that their main purpose in Canada is to study or
  4. Convince the visa officer that they will leave Canada at the end of their study period.

Conclusion

Getting a Canadian study permit is also a crucial step for students who are considering studying in Canada. With proper documents, proof of funds, and attention to detail, the process can go quite smoothly. Make sure to apply early, as well as meet visa criteria, and check periodically for changes in rules so that you experience a hassle-free study tenure in Canada.