How to apply for a Canadian student visa

In recent times, Canada has attracted a huge volume of Indian students who wish to pursue higher education in the country’s prestigious universities. The country’s diverse, tolerant and liberal culture makes it an ideal place to work, study or live in. In order to fulfill your academic dreams in Canada, you will be required to obtain a study permit. Canada’s study permit acts as the Canadian visa for Indian students. This permit can be renewed from within Canada, in case you decide to continue your studies, further, it allows students to take up part-time on-campus employment at their college or university. In this article, we shall discuss the process of Canadian visa requirement and how to comfortably acquire Canadian visa for Indians, particularly academicians.

Who needs a student permit?

In Canada, a student permit is required for every individual who wishes to take academic, professional or vocational training at a designated learning institution (DIL) of the country. It must be noted that a student permit is not required under the following circumstances: -

1. If the program you intend to study is less than 6 months.
2. If you serve in a foreign armed force.
3. If you are associated, family or staff, with a foreign representative to Canada.

Requisites for a Canadian student permit

1. Letter of acceptance: An acceptance letter issued by the institute you’ve been admitted should be obtained first. You should ensure that your college or university is a Designated Learning Institute (DIL), as these are the only institutions recognized by the Immigration Department.
2. Proof of funds: According to present standards, you would be required to prove that you have sufficient funds to cover your living expenses, tuition fee and return fair for your home country. The Immigration Department rules out a minimum availability of $10,000 for every year of your stay in Canada.
3. Valid Passport: In order to apply for a Canadian visa for Indians, it is crucial to hold a passport that should be valid for the entire duration of your stay.
4. Statement of Purpose: Before applying for a study permit, you should have your ‘Statement of Purpose’ at hand. Basically, it is an essay highlighting the intention of your trip and the reason why you’ve chosen a particular DIL. Though an optional document, we strongly recommended you to submit the same.
5. Temporary Resident Visa (TRV): Canadian visa for Indian students i.e. the study permit also requires them to possess a Temporary Resident Visa. You needn’t worry about Try, as its application process goes simultaneously with the study permit application.

What are the documents needed?

Apart from the documents mentioned above, there are some other documents, mainly pertaining to your academic skills, that are required to be uploaded online along with your application for Canadian visa for Indian students. You must have scanned copies of these in order to smoothly finish the application process: -

• Attested copies of Xth, XIIth and if applicable, Graduate Degree
• To establish your eligibility criteria for pursuing the course, certified copies of your TOEFL, IELTS, GMAT score or other relevant tests need to be submitted
• Two academic reference letters from reputed authorities are required to be submitted and if applicable, two reference letter from former employers are required.
• You should upload your Resume or CV and any other certificates and/or achievements of extracurricular activities are advised to be submitted.

Procedure for a student permit

It is important to note that VFS Global Services are the designated Visa Application Centers (VACs) for the Canadian visa for Indians. Their assistance is required throughout the process. Therefore, you will be required to fill out the VFS Consent Form that shall be attached to your application.

1. 1.The first step requires you to acquire a Canadian Student Visa application package. This can be accessed either from the CIC (Citizen and Immigration Canada) Website or by directly contacting India’s Canadian embassy or consulate.
2. On the CIC website, you will need to answer a few questions to determine your eligibility for online application as well as documents that would be needed by you.
3. If found eligible, you will obtain a personal checklist code that is valid for 60 days. This code is required to submit your application online; please print the same for future reference. An application guide estimated tuition fee and list of required documents would also be given on this page.
4. Next, you will need to create a MyCIC account. Here, upon entering your personal checklist code, you will receive a document checklist that permits you to upload and send various essential documents to the CIC.
5. Once the application is complete, you will be required to pay the fee via a credit card. Following this, you can successfully submit your application to the CIC.
6. After this, you need to visit the nearest VFS office to hand over the complete application and to pay the service charges. You will receive a receipt containing your unique tracking number to check the progress of your application online.
7. You will be notified by the Government of Canada if your application is approved. Following this, you will be issued a Letter of Introduction and temporary residence visa. Please note that the processing time takes 3-4 weeks.
8. Canadian visa requirement also needs Indian students to face a visa interview. Additionally, the Canadian Immigration requires students to also undergo a compulsory Immigration Medical Examination from a list of empanelled doctors only, and they ask for a Police Clearance Certificate.

Things to keep in mind

1. To apply online, please ensure that you have a printer or scanner readily available for the entire duration of the applying process.
2. In online applications, the fee payment can only be made via credit cards; debits cards are not accepted by the system.
3. Keep a copy of all your documents and certificates with you. In case of theft or loss, these copies will be extremely useful.
4. In case you change your course or coursework provider, please ensure to inform the immigration department at the earliest.
5. The validity date is mentioned on your permit so you should take care of not extending your stay, without official renewal. In case of extension, ensure to do the same at least 30 days before the original expiry date.

Reasons for rejection

Following are some of the reasons that could lead to rejection of your application for a Canadian visa for Indian students: -

1. Inadequate proof of financial stability and/or lack of sufficient funds to support your stay.
2. Inability to prove that you will return to your home country after your program ends.
3. If the visa office fails to comprehend the choice of your program.
4. If the visa office questions the credibility of your Letter of Acceptance.
5. Discrepancies in any other documents, such as travel or identity proof.
6. Failure of medical examination or Police Clearance Certificate.
7. Filling incorrect or false information in the application form.

Canada is a wonderful country to pursue higher education. You can be sure to enhance your career after acquiring education from Canada; the best aspect is that you can work in this country! Just be mindful of the process for Canadian visa for Indian students, and you will be successful in obtaining a study permit. If not for academic reasons, do visit the country once through the Canadian tourist visa!