Student visa
Once you have applied for and received a “Letter of Acceptance” from a Designated Learning Institution (DLI) in Canada, you must then make arrangements to apply for a visa to travel to Canada to study there.
Every student who wishes to study in Canada must first apply for a Study Permit. The Study Permit allows international students to study at DLIs. But your Study Permit is not a visa. To be able to enter Canada, you will also have to apply for and be successfully granted a Temporary Resident Visa (TRV) or an Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA), depending on your nationality.
If you’re studying in Quebec, you must also apply for a Quebec Acceptance Certificate (CAQ).
Citizens of the following countries can apply through the “Student Direct Stream (SDS)” to benefit from faster processing of their Study Permit :
- China
- India
- Morocco
- Pakistan
- Philippines
- Senegal
- Vietnam
However, you must note that even if you are a citizen of one of the above countries but are residing in another country, you cannot benefit from applying under the SDS stream. You must then apply through the regular stream.
The following do not need a Study Permit to study in Canada :
- If you are studying in Canada for 6 months or less
- Family or staff of foreign representatives
- Members of foreign armed forces
- Registered Indians in Canada
- Minor children in Canada
You can still choose to get a Study Permit even if you do not need one, if you plan to continue studying after finishing your short course or if you wish to work on-campus or off-campus. Applicants must note that if you intend to continue to study later in another program, you should apply for a Study Permit. This will allow you to apply to extend your stay as a student from within Canada. Otherwise, you will have to apply for a Study Permit from outside Canada.
All international students will need to give their Biometrics once they have applied for their Study Permit and have been intimated in writing to do so. Depending on your nationality, you may also have to give your medical examination results and/or a Police Certificate in order to obtain your Study Permit and TRV.
Study Permits are normally valid for the duration of your course + 90 days. The 90 days extra period that you get on your visa is for either preparing to leave Canada or to apply for an extension of your visa or another category of visa that you may be eligible for. It is calculated from the date you receive a notification of program completion from your school. If you are taking a prerequisite course to get admission into your main course, your Study Permit will be valid for the length of your prerequisite course + 1 year. When you are accepted into your main course, you must then apply to extend your visa.
Your visa will allow multiple entries into Canada. In other words, you can leave & return to Canada as many times as you want. However, you must show proof of continuing enrollment in your course and continuing validity of your visa every time you return to Canada.
International students must make note of the fact that their Study Permit and visa can be cancelled if they do not do the following :
- Make continuing progress in their course
- Successfully complete their course
- Adhere to all conditions on their Study Permit
- Leave Canada when their Permit expires
If you are registered as a full-time student at a DLI and hold a Study Permit, you may be able to work on-campus or off-campus. Your Study Permit will contain a condition allowing you to work while studying. If you do not hold a study permit, you cannot work while you are studying in Canada. In this case, you need to apply for a work permit.
International students must inform the Immigration Department everytime there is a change in any of your personal circumstances.
Applying for your Study Permit and TRV can involve many documents that must be compiled, prepared to exact specifications and submitted in compliance with existing immigration laws and requirements. A mistake can break your dreams of an international education & life of opportunities.
Contact Us to ensure that you are successful in realizing your dreams.