FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
In this article I.I.G Immigration trying to answer for common questions about applying for a student visa to help make your visa application quick and easy.
It is important that you keep up to date with the current visa requirements. This will help guarantee visa application success for your chosen destination.
You can’t apply for a student visa until you’re accepted on to a course in that country. So, if you haven’t already done so you need to submit an application for the course you wish to study. Not only that, but you must ensure the course meets the country’s visa requirements. Your student visa acceptance will be determined by a number of factors:
- Your country of citizenship
- Your chosen destination country
- The course you wish to study
- The institution you wish to study at
- How you plan to fund your study
Different countries have differing visa systems and acceptance procedures.
The eligibility for scholarships for international students aspiring to study in Canada is judged on the basis of outstanding academic grades and exceptional English Proficiency scores. Scholarships are mostly offered by the universities without any particular application based on the eligibility benchmarks but at some institutions the students need to apply for the same.
Generally on a student visa you are permitted to work up to 20 hours per week. You can only start working once your course has started.
The same rules usually apply for any dependents you may have.
You need to apply for a work permit only if your acceptance letter confirms that a co-op or internship placement is part of your program’s curriculum. In such a case the work permit will be processed as part of the application and the student will be issued SW visa.
The permanent resident visa is determined on a point based system. The work experience gained through the PGWPP will help you to garner valuable points to qualify for permanent residency in Canada.
SOME MORE QUESTIONS FOR STUDENTS
Canada study permit applicants need to prove they have sufficient funds to cover tuition fees, and financial capacity to support living expenses for the first year of study. This table shows minimum funds required to support yourself as a student and family members who come with you to Canada:
In Quebec, the financial requirements for prospective students are different. In addition to tuition fees, a prospective international student is required to show that he or she has the following funds, dependent on his or her situation.
Applicants interested in studying in Quebec need to first apply for a Certificat d’acceptation de Quebec (Certificate of Acceptance for Quebec, or CAQ) and then apply for a study permit.
A spouse or common-law partner of a valid study permit holder, who is enrolled full-time at a qualified post-secondary institution, may be eligible to apply for an open work permit. The open work permit for a spouse or common-law partner may be valid for the same period of time as the study permit, and as long as the study permit remains valid. In the study permit application, the applicant should indicate that the spouse will accompany him or her to Canada. If a spouse later decides to study in Canada, he or she should submit his or her own study permit application.
For an accompanying spouse to be considered eligible for an open work permit, the study permit holder must be enrolled full-time at a degree-granting post-secondary institution. Eligible post-secondary institutions include:
- public post-secondary institution, such as a college or university, or CEGEP in Quebec;
- private college-level school in Quebec; and
- Canadian private school that can legally award degrees under provincial law.
If a student is transferring from one Designated Learning Institution (DLI) to another, even if it is at the same level of study, he or she must notify Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship (IRCC) by updating his or her online account and ensuring that the school is a DLI.
The same applies for post-secondary students changing their level of study (i.e. from a bachelor’s to master’s program). Please check the conditions listed on the study permit to verify whether the permit restricts the holder from studying at a particular institution or program.
If a student transfers to a school, college, or university in Quebec, he or she will need to apply for a Certificate of Acceptance to Quebec (CAQ) and, if necessary, a new study permit. Primary students who are entering high school, as well as high school students who will move on to post-secondary education, must apply to modify their study permit.