Canadian Universities are one of the best choices for international students, especially those from India. All these students have to apply for the Canada study visa and the study permit in order to go there. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) is the agency that tracks and stores immigration and visa approval data. According to statistics published by the agency, nearly 51% of all Canadian study permit applications in 2022 were approved. Due to its lenient immigration policy and education-oriented nature, lakhs of international students apply for getting the study permit in order to visit and study in Canada.
Read the blog carefully and follow all the instructions to get your Canadian study permit and immigrate there for studying at the well-reputed and most prestigious Universities of Canada.
What is a Canada Study Permit?
A Canada Study Permit is a document issued to the international students in order to study at the Designated Learning Institutions (DLI) in Canada. Every foreign student needs a study permit to study in Canada. Make sure you have all the required documents before applying for a study permit.
Most of the time, many people are confused as to “Is Student Visa same as Study Permit?” The answer to this question is, “No.” The document that allows international students to study in Canada is called a study permit, not a study visa. The term “visa” refers to a document that allows you to enter Canada, and a “permit” allows you to take part in certain activities, such as work or study, while living in Canada. The study permit allows you to get educated from Canadian universities while a work permit allows you to get employment in Canada.
How to Apply for a Study Permit in Canada?
The study permit will give you the legal right to study at the Designated Learning Institutes (DLI) in Canada. When applying for a study permit, an international student should have to be aware that there are certain requirements which one must meet when submitting their study permit application in order to become eligible to go and study in Canada.
There are many steps involved in applying for a study permit, so it is best to plan in advance to ensure that your permit will be processed before your study period begins. The majority of Canadian educational programs begin their studies in September, January, or May, and a number of programs and courses offer intakes outside of those dates.
Since an international student is not allowed to apply for a study permit without an acceptance letter, they should check the beginning date and the application process for their universities and programs or course of interest in advance to make certain that they have sufficient time to get the acceptance letter and complete the study permit application.
Canadian Study Permit Requirements
There are two types of requirements which one must consider when applying for a Canadian Study Permit which are as follows:
Eligibility Requirements and Requirements While Studying in Canada.
- Eligibility Requirements:
You have to meet these requirements in order to become eligible to apply for the study permit in Canada.
- Letter of Acceptance: You should have a letter of acceptance from the Designated Learning Institutes (DLI) in order to apply for the Canadian Study Permit.
- Financial Support Evidence: You must provide all the documents as evidence in order to show that you have sufficient funds to pay for your tuition fees for the first year of study and living expenses for yourself. These funds will be registered in your name. You should attach your financial support evidence via bank statements. Doing this will show that you are financially strong enough to afford your visit and study in Canada.
- Supporting Documents: Extensive supporting documents must be submitted with every study permit application.
- Requirements While Studying in Canada:
After your study permit is approved and you are entering Canada as an international student, then you must meet the below mentioned requirements in order to maintain the credibility and authority of your study permit.
- You must always be enrolled at a Designated Learning Institution (DLI).
- You must make progress towards completing your program of study.
- You must respect all the conditions listed in your study permit.
- You have to stop your study if you no longer meet the requirements.
- You have to leave Canada when your study permit expires.
When you apply for your Canada study permit, the Visa officer will certify that you meet all these above mentioned requirements or not. If you are not able to meet these requirements, then they will refuse your study permit application and you will get rejected for the same.
Application Procedure
There are four steps that you must follow in order to obtain the Canada Study Permit. These steps are mentioned below:
- Examine Your Eligibility: You must ensure that you meet the eligibility requirements for a Canadian study permit. You should have an acceptance letter from the DLI, proof of financial support, etc which will depend on your country of citizenship and residence.
- Prepare Your Study Permit Application: If you meet all the eligibility requirements, then you can prepare for your study permit application. Make sure that you have collected all the essential documents. Immigration officers can refuse study permits if they feel an applicant is not meeting all the requirements. And if it happens, then your study permit application will get rejected.
- Submit Your Study Permit Application: You can either submit your study permit application via online mode by creating an account on the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) website or you can simply submit a paper-based application by arranging your documents in hard copy and mail it to the Visa Application Centre (VAC) allocated to your country.
- Canadian Port of Entry (POE): You have to keep in mind that you do not receive your Canadian study permit until you reach the Canadian Port of Entry (POE). If your permit is approved, the Canadian government will issue you a Port of Entry Introduction Letter, only then you will be allowed to enter and study in Canada. You must keep this letter with you and show it to the Immigration Officials when you will be visiting Canada in order to obtain your student permit.
The above mentioned steps are the application procedures which one must keep in mind and follow carefully in order to obtain their study permit for visiting and studying in Canada. If your study permit is approved, then it will be mailed to you.
Exceptions in Canadian Study Permit
Not all international students need a study permit in order to study in Canada. The following are some of the exceptions in the study permit requirements:
- Short-Term Studies: An international student does not require a study permit if they are completing a program of study with a duration of six months or less. If he/she takes longer than six months to complete a program, then they must obtain a study permit before the expiry of six months.
- Minor children in Canada: Minor children under the age of 18 or 19 (the age for minor children differs from province-to-province in Canada), do not requires a study permit to attend kindergarten, pre-school, primary or secondary school if they meet any of the following conditions:
- They (or their parents) are refugees or refugee applicants.
- They are in Canada accompanying a parent who is authorized to work or study.
- Members of foreign armed forces: A member of a foreign armed force who is in Canada on active duty does not need a study permit to study in a Canadian university. Anyway, their family members need to obtain a study permit.
- Studying in Quebec: Those interested in Quebec’s educational programs must have to obtain a Certificate of d’acceptation du Quebec (CAQ) first, before applying for a Canadian study permit.
How Will We Help You?
Studying in Canadian Universities is somehow confusing and has a complicated process. There are many programs and hundreds of well-reputed and top-ranked Canadian Universities which makes it confusing for the international students to choose among them. However, a lot of study permits usually get refused for not meeting the government requirements. Hence taking all these points into consideration, we at Eduplor are here to help you by all means possible. We have expert Educational Counsellors who assist students from beginning to end. You must take help from us and we will help and guide you throughout your selection procedure in the prestigious Canadian University.
We will help you in finding the best program in the best Canadian University which will suit your needs accordingly. Contact us and one of our training consultants will be in touch to assist you.