How to Apply for a Canadian Student Visa

Do you intend to finish high school or further your education in Canada? You must acquire a Canadian student visa, which serves as your temporary student visa for the country. Each year, more than 500,000 applicants from all around the world are accepted and given international student visas to study in Canada. International students travel from all over the world to study in Canada. Over 130,000 foreign students opt to study at Canadian universities each year. Canada is appealing to students in addition to being a highly well-liked tourism destination. It is a well-developed nation with excellent teaching practices and worthwhile degrees.

Canada offers a wealth of opportunities in addition to having a top-notch educational system and a dynamic culture. Because of this, many individuals desire to enroll their kids in Canadian elementary or secondary schools, and many adults want to begin their university or graduate studies there. The students need a study visa and study permission in order to be able to do this.

Typically, a study permit must be requested before traveling to Canada. A study permit application can sometimes be made from within Canada. You may be able to apply in some circumstances at the port of entry when you enter Canada. In order to give you the best opportunity of acquiring a Canadian study permit, we will cover all you need to know about student visas in Canada in this post.

What is a Canadian Student Visa?

A Canada Student Visa is the visa needed for international students wanting to enroll in a program in Canada. This permit, which is a type of Temporary Resident Visa (TRV) allows students to study in Canada for a temporary period of time, and typically indicates the educational institution they are attending and course of study. It needs to be for a designated learning institution (DLI) and there’s a fee of C$150 for the application.

The holder of a Canada student visa may begin their academic career in Canada. Students require a study permit in addition to their visa, which is essentially the same as a Canada visitor visa or an electronic travel authorization (eTA). Therefore, the Canadian student visa combines an eTA and a study permit or a visiting visa and a study permit.

Understanding the Canadian Student Visa

The study permit grants legal authorization for a person to study at a Designated Learning Institution (DLI) in Canada. When applying for a study permit, a foreign national should be aware that there are eligibility requirements that must be met when submitting the study permit application. As well, there are certain conditions that must be met throughout the student’s time in Canada. They are as follows:

• Always be enrolled in a DLI. DLIs are schools or universities which are approved by the provincial or territorial government to allow them to host international students. You can follow this link to check if a university is a DLI.
• Be working to complete your study program.
• Meet the requirements of the student visa.
• Stop studying if you do not meet the requirements of the student visa.
• Leave Canada immediately once your study permit expires.

However, the study permit will not allow you to get Canadian-issued documents or Canadian government benefits such as health benefits. It will however create an easier path for you to be able to apply for Canadian citizenship if that is your goal.

Who Needs a Canadian Student Visa?

Whatever your country, you will need a visa to attend a Canadian high school, college, or university if you choose to enroll in a course of study there. All foreign students who wish to attend Canadian universities and who require a visitor visa or an electronic travel authorization (eTA) must get a student visa and permission. The permit does not provide you entry into Canada by itself, but when used in conjunction with an eTA or a tourist visa, it enables you to begin your studies.

However, there are a few instances where you might not need a study visa to study in Canada, for example:

• If your study program is less than 6 months in Canada, you will only need a visitor visa or eTA, but not a study permit on the condition that you complete the program in 6 months or less. If you cannot complete the short program in 6 months, then you will need a study permit.
• If you’re taking a short self-improvement class or learning about a general interest.
• Children or family members of the private staff of accredited foreign representatives.

Canadian Student Visa Requirements

You’ll need to prepare a few documents in advance for your visa application. Your financial situation will play a big role in whether or not your study visa is approved. The Canadian government must be able to verify that you have the resources to sustain yourself while you are in school, whether through savings or a sponsor like a parent.

In general, the following are required to submit an application for a Canadian Study Permit:

• Admission letter from a DLI
• Results from a medical exam and police check
• Two passport-sized photos of yourself
• Proof you can financially support yourself throughout your studies
• You may also need to provide your biometrics. You would need to do this at an approved Visa Application Center in your country.

Canadian Student Visa Application Process

You must first submit an application to an authorized learning institution to get a Canadian study permit. After being approved, you can submit an application for a study permit. You must submit certain supporting documents with your application and adhere to all rules and regulations established by the Canadian government. The entire procedure for applying for a Canadian student visa is detailed here.

1. Get an admission letter from a designated learning institution (DLI)

To start, you must submit an application to a Canadian university that has been approved by the relevant provincial or territorial authority and obtain an acceptance letter. Before you can begin the application process for a student visa to Canada, you must make up your mind as to where you want to study there. You’ll receive an acceptance letter after being admitted to a Canadian university, which you’ll need for the visa application. Then, determine if you require a Canadian student visa. To determine whether you require a study visa or permit, utilize the official Canadian study permit tool.

2. Apply for the permit online or download an application package

Following receipt of the acceptance letter from the school, you should apply for a student visa, often known as a study permit in your country of residence. However, whether you are outside of Canada or are currently within, you must apply for a study permit online. If you have a disability that prohibits you from applying online or if you have a valid identity or travel document for a refugee, stateless person, or non-citizen resident, you may only apply on paper.

Before traveling to Canada, you must submit an online application for a student visa through Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC). If you are unable to submit the documents online due to a slow internet connection, send the visa application materials by mail.

3. Pay the fee for your application and keep the receipt

Make sure you have all the documentation needed for your nation, including evidence that you have paid the study permit fee (150 CAD). It is important to have a qualified immigration representative check your application before submission because immigration officers reserve the authority to deny study permits if they believe an applicant has not complied with all rules.

4. Have a medical check-up from a panel physician registered in your country

You might need to visit a visa application center in your country to get your biometrics taken, depending on your nationality. The cost for biometrics is 85 CAD. In addition to the standard visa application fee, there is also this cost (150 CAD). Some nations are excluded from this biometrics requirement. Thus the inhabitants of those nations won’t even need to go to an application facility.

You might also get a call for an interview, depending on your particular circumstances. For employing their services, local visa application centers will charge a nominal cost.

5. Receive a decision on your application

The processing period after submitting your application for a study visa in Canada may be up to 90 days, however, it normally goes more quickly. This is also based on the circumstances in your country of origin. Come to Canada if your study permit is approved! Please be aware that you will not be issued a study permit for Canada until you reach a Canadian Port of Entry (POE). The Canadian government will give you a Port of Entry Introduction Letter if your permit is accepted. When you arrive in Canada, present this letter to the immigration official in order to acquire your study permit.

Student Direct Stream

Furthermore, residents of some countries may apply through the Student Direct Stream to get their permits faster. faster. Fees start at 150 CAD and the processing time is usually around 20 calendar days.

You can apply via the Student Direct Stream if you are a legal resident in one of these countries:

• Antigua and Barbuda
• Brazil
• China
• Colombia
• Costa Rica
• India
• Morocco
• Pakistan
• the Philippines
• Senegal
• Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
• Trinidad and Tobago
• Vietnam

Canadian visas for student dependents

If your spouse or child under 18 needs to join you while you study, they can also apply for a visa. Your spouse may submit an application for an Open Work Permit that is good for the same number of years as your studies program. It only permits them to work while they are in Canada. It does not require them to have a job before arriving. If you have a child joining you while you are studying in Canada, the child may enter the country as a visitor as long as you show documentation of your study permission and study program.

How long is the Canadian Student Visa valid?

Generally speaking, you are permitted to remain in Canada while holding a study permit. You can see when your permission expires by looking at it. You can ask for an extension in particular circumstances. Only the duration of the study program and an additional 90 days are covered by the validity of a student visa for Canada. You can use these 90 days to get ready to leave Canada or to submit an application to renew your study visa.

Therefore, you will need to extend your study permit if you do not finish your program within the term that it is valid. You will only get an additional 90 days if you finish the program before the study permit expires, after which you must leave Canada.

You must produce documentation from your institution, such as a letter, email, or other document announcing your graduation, or a copy of your degree, diploma, or certificate, as confirmation that you have finished your program. Your program will be considered complete on the date one of them was issued. At which point the additional 90 days you have to prepare to leave Canada will start.

Working while you study in Canada

You are now eligible to work on or off campus for up to 20 hours per week during university semesters and full-time during breaks like the winter or summer holidays, all without the need for a work visa. This will help you support yourself while you are a student in Canada.

To qualify, you must:

• Have a valid study permit
• Be a full-time student
• Be enrolled at a designated learning institution at the post-secondary level or, in Quebec, a vocational program at the secondary level
• Be studying in an academic, vocational, or professional training program that leads to a degree, diploma, or certificate that is at least six months in duration.
• You will also need a Social Insurance Number (SIN) from Service Canada to work in Canada or to receive benefits and services from government programs.

However, you could desire to continue working in Canada after receiving your educational degree. If this is the case, you’ll need to apply for a post-graduation work visa. Three years are allowed for this. It is simpler to obtain a Post-Graduate Work Permit (PGWP). Whose duration is determined by the length of your studies program when you hold a student visa.

It might be challenging and confusing to study in Canada as an international student. There are many schools and programs from which to pick. And applications for study permits are frequently rejected because they do not adhere to regulatory regulations. But it may be made easy with the help of this manual and other web resources. For more comprehensive information, you may also visit the Canadian Immigration and Citizenship Commission’s official website.