Canada is a country in North America. Apart from being a very popular tourist destination, Canada is more attractive to students. It is a highly developed country with a great teaching methodology and valuable degrees. Due to this reason, numerous people want to enroll their children’s in Canadian primary or secondary schools while adults also want to begin their undergraduate as well as postgraduate programs there. To be able to do this, students must have Canadian study visa and study permit as well. In this article, we discussed about Canadian study visa and study permit in more detail.
1 What is student visa?
Canada Visa allows international students who want to begin their higher studies in Canada. The visa for international students is primarily the same as Canada Visitor Visa or an Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) but international students also requires a study permit. So, we can say that Canada international student visa is a combination of either a visitor visa and a study permit or an eTA and a study permit.
Canada study visa will only allow you to begin your studies in Canada called Designated Learning Institutions (DLI) whereas Canadian study permit will allow you to reside in Canada during your studies at Designated Learning Institutions.
1.1 Visa Requirements
- Valid passport
- Clean criminal record
- Candidate need to write a declaration letter to Government of Canada where you need to explain why they issue you a visa and study permit.
- Two photographs
- Medical examinations
- Proof that you can cover all the expenses during studying in Canada
2 Who needs a Canadian Study Permit?
International students who intend to study in Canada for a period of more than 6 months then you will most likely require a study permit. Canadian study permit alone doesn’t allow you to enter Canada. Therefore, you will also need to obtain a visitor visa or eTA, it gives you permission to begin your studies in Canada. To apply for Canadian study permit, you will need the following
- Valid passport
- You must fill and sign a Visa Application Center consent form.
- Must have a proof of sufficient funds to pay all expenses including costs of living, tuition fees and return transportation once completing your studies.
- A letter of acceptance from an authorized learning institution in Canada.
- Clean criminal record.
- To meet personal health requirements.
- Show a proof that your stay in Canada is temporary and you will return back to you home place after the completion of your studies.
- You must submit copies of your current immigration status in Canada.
3 Financial Requirements for Canadian Study Visa
If you want to obtain Canadian student visa or study permit then you must have sufficient funds to pay your tuition fee and living costs. You will also require additional funds if your family members accompanying you. For students, there are two types of fund requirements –
Students who are studying outside of Quebec must have following funds to prove that they can cover their studies in Canada
| International persons coming to Canada | Amount of funds required per year (in addition to the tuition) | Amount of funds required per month (in addition to the tuition) |
| Student | $10,000 | $833 |
| Ist family member | $4,000 | $333 |
| Every additional | $3,000 | $255 |
Students who are studying in Quebec must have following funds to prove that they can cover their studies in Canada
| International persons coming to Canada | Amount of funds required per year (in addition to the tuition) | Amount of funds required per month (in addition to the tuition) |
| Student | $11,000 | $917 |
| Ist family member (above 18 years old) | $5,100 | $425 |
| Ist family member (under18 years old) | $3,800 | $317 |
| Every additional member accompanying you (above 18 years old) | $5,125 | $427 |
| Every additional member accompanying you (under18 years old) | $1,903 | $159 |
4 Cost of Canadian Study Visa
During applying for Study Visa, You must have to pay application fees per person along with your family members. If you are applying online then don’t submit an application form without submission of fees and if you submit paper application without the submission of fees, then your form will not be processed. The fees are shown below
| Application form (per person) | CAN$ |
| Study permit | $150 |
| Biometrics fee | $85 |
| Biometrics fee for a family (two or more applicants) | $170 |
5 Validity of Canadian Student Visa
- The validity of Canadian Student Visa is up to the length of study program.
- Additional 90 days will provide you for leaving Canada or to apply for extending your Canada study visa.
6 Can I work by getting Canadian Student Visa?
Yes, you can work but there are certain conditions. However, students are allowed to work in these following instances –
- On-campus work if they are enrolled in a full-time program
- Complete co-ops or internships if they are needed for their program curriculum
- Off-campus work if your study permit allows and you work only less than 20 hours per week
7 Does Canadian Student Visa allow you to visit your home country in holidays?
Yes, Canadian Student Visa allows international students to visit their home country in holidays. However, when they return back to Canada they must show a valid visa or eTA and their study permit. So, before you travel out of Canada, make sure that your documents are valid and even if they are not, apply for extensions before you travel.
To summarize the above work, we can conclude that if you want to study in Canada then you must have Canadian study visa and study permit as well.
