About 50% of the residents in Canada are college graduates. So, if you want to study abroad, Canada is the perfect destination offering a huge variety of course to students from all over the world. As per a study conducted in 2015, there were 1.7 million students registered in Canadian universities.  If you want to study in Canada you need to apply for study permit.

You don’t need to apply for study permit in the following conditions:

• If you wish to study in a short-term course or program which lasts for six months or less.
• If you are a family member or staff member of a foreign representative to Canada  
• If you are a family member of a foreign armed force  
• Foreign nationals who are registered Indians in Canada

If you want to study in Canada, you can choose on the type of course depending on the duration as listed below:

Eligibility Criteria for the Applicants:

If you want to apply for Canadian study permit, you need to meet the below mentioned eligibility criteria:

• You must have been accepted by a designated learning institution in Canada. You would be required to submit Letter of Acceptance from a Designated Learning Institution in order to submit an application for a study permit.
• You must prove that you have enough money to pay for your:
  • Tuition fees
  • Living expenses for yourself and any family members who come with you to Canada and
  • Return transportation for yourself and any family members who come with you to Canada

• You must be a law abiding citizen with no criminal record and not be a risk to the security of Canada. You may be required to submit police certificate.
• You must be in good health and willing to complete a medical examination, if necessary.
• You must convince an immigration officer that you will leave Canada at the end of your study.

Benefits of Student Permit Visa of Canada:

Canada is a popular student destination and attracts many international students from all over the world. There are many benefits of studying in Canada as compared to other destination such as United States, United Kingdom’s, Australia and France. Here is a list of such benefits:

• World class universities and colleges:
  • Every year, about 300,000 international students in Canada choose from over 10,000 undergraduate and graduate programmers offered across 92 universities and 175 community colleges. 97% Canadian universities offer diverse courses varying in size, scope and research-oriented courses.

• Affordable tuition fees:
  • Canada is often the preferred option over other commonwealth countries such as United States, Australia, United Kingdom, etc. It offers lower tuition fees for international students as compared to other countries.

• Work while you study:
  • Students in Canada have the advantage of being able to work while studying. If an international student has been enrolled in Canadian course and has a valid study permit he or she can:
    • Work up to 20 hours per week during regular academic sessions; and
    • Work full time during scheduled breaks such as the winter and summer holidays or spring break.

• Post-graduate work permit:
  • Canada offers the option of offering a work permit on completion of the study program for the duration of that program, up to a maximum of 3 years. Thus a graduate who has completed a four year study program could be eligible for three year post graduate work permit, while a graduate who completed a study program twelve months can be eligible for a twelve month post graduate work permit.

• Permanent Residency through Canadian Experience Class:
  • Skilled Canadian work experience gained through the Post-Graduate Work Permit Program helps graduates to qualify for permanent residence in Canada through Canadian Experience Class.

Checklist of documents for Student Permit Visa of Canada for Indian Students:

When applying for student visa, you must ensure that you have been accepted by a Canadian school, college, university or other educational institute; completed all the related forms online or paper based and attached the relevant documents. The list of documents required to be submitted along with Canadian study permit visa depends on the country of your nationality.

• Submit completed application forms:
  • If you want to submit an application for the study permit made outside of Canada, you need to fill the application form IMM 1294. Along with the study permit application, you need to submit Family information from IMM 5645 and statutory declaration of Common-law union form IMM 5409.
  • In case, you want to give authority to someone else to release personal information to a designated individual, you need to fill form IMM 5475.
• For Students under the age of 18 years, it is important to fill application form IMM 5646 to fill the Custodian Declaration.

• Pay Visa Fees:
  • You need to include application processing fee and any other application fees, such as biometrics fees, medical examination fees, etc.

• Passport :
  • A photocopy of the information page of your valid passport or travel documents which includes:
    • The Passport number,
    • The issuance and expiry dates,
    • Your photo name, date and place of birth
    • Two photos with name and date of birth written at the back side

• Letter of Acceptance:
  • In order to apply for study permit on official letterhead, show the exact amount of tuition fees you are required to pay, the anticipated starting and finishing dates and the date by which you need to register.
  • If you want to apply for universities in Quebec, you need to submit letter of approval from Quebec Ministere referred as “Certificat d’acceptation du Quebec”(CAQ).

• Proof Of financial support:
  • If the duration of your studies in Canada will be less than a year, proof of financial support for the duration of your studies in Canada.
  • If the duration of your studies in Canada will be more than one year, proof of financial support for the first year of your studies in Canada.

Processing time for Student Permit Visa of Canada:

Generally the processing time for a study permit application depends upon the country from which you are applying. There are two ways to apply for study permits; you can submit paper based or online application. The processing time of paper based application is more than time for processing online application. So, generally it takes 2-3 months approximately to process study permit.

Obligations for Student Permit Visa of Canada:

As per revisions made by Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) after June 1, 2014:

• Required enrollment and continuing attendance:
  • Study permit applicants are required to enroll in a course and continue attendance at a Canadian educational institute. Those unable to comply might get deported.

• Restrictions on eligible educational institutions:
  • Study permits can be granted to students who are admitted to authorize international study schools only. Eligible schools will be designated by the provincial and territorial governments.

• Allowance for Off-campus allowance:
  • You can work up to 20 hours of off-campus work per week during the academic term, and full time employments during breaks. It’s mandatory that permit holders must be studying for a degree, diploma, or certificate in an academic, vocational, or professional training program.

• Restrictions on Co-Op Work Permits:

• Co-op work permit will not be applicable to students whose program of study incorporates a co-op placement.

• Restrictions on time remaining in Canada upon completion of studies –

• Study permits will become invalid 90 days after the country until the permit expires. To stay in Canada legally after that period, the student is required to have a valid work permit.