Canadian Study Permit

Before you come to Canada, you must apply for a study permit. In some cases, you can apply for a study permit from within Canada. In other cases, you can apply when you arrive in Canada at the port of entry. To study in Canada, you will need a Canadian Study Permit (or student visa), which, depending on your home country, will be either an Electronic Travel Authorisation (eTA) or a Temporary Resident Visa (TRV).

A Canadian Study Permit is not a visa, but is a permit which allows you to study in Canada. If you hold a study permit, you must remain enrolled and make progress towards completing your course. Study Your study permit allows you to stay in Canada, but you need an Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) or Temporary Resident Visa (TRV) to enter the country. Once your study permit has been approved, you will receive an eTA or TRV automatically.

ELECTRONIC TRAVEL AUTHORISATION (eTA): A recent requirement for visa-exempt, non-U.S. foreign nationals. Your eTA is valid for five years or until the passport you used to apply for the eTA expires (whichever is sooner) and can be used to travel to Canada many times.

TEMPORARY RESIDENT VISA (TRV): A Temporary Resident Visa (TRV) is for students who have been accepted into a designated learning institution and are unable to apply for the eTA.

Prepare:

A letter of acceptance from a designated learning institution (DLI) you’ll be attending
A valid passport or travel document
Two recent passport-size photos
Proof of financial support
A letter of explanation (helps the visa officer to understand you and your goals to study in Canada)
Québec Acceptance Certificate (CAQ), If you plan to study in Quebec for longer than 6 months
Custodian Declaration (If you are under the age of 17)

You can prove your funds with:

Proof of a Canadian bank account in your name, if you've transferred money to Canada
Guaranteed Investment Certificate (GIC) from a participating Canadian financial institution
Proof of a student or education loan from a bank
Your bank statements for the past 4 months
A bank draft that can be converted to Canadian dollars
Proof you paid tuition and housing fees
A letter from the person or school giving you money, or
Proof of funding paid from within Canada, if you have a scholarship or are in a Canadian-funded educational program

STEP 1: Get your documents ready

STEP 2: Apply online

STEP 3: Pay your application and biometrics fees

STEP 4: Submit your application

STEP 5: Check your application status

Note: If you need an Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) or Temporary Resident Visa (TRV), it will be issued automatically at the same time as your study permit. You don’t need to apply separately or pay another fee.

You will need an acceptance letter from your educational institution, and a valid passport or travel document. You must also prove that you have enough money to pay for your tuition fees, living expenses and return transportation for yourself and any family members who come with you to Canada, that you have no criminal record and will not be a risk to the security of Canada, to be in good health, and to convince an immigration officer that you will leave Canada at the end of your studies.

To prove you can financially support yourself and any accompanying family members, you may be asked to provide: documentation of a student/education loan from a financial institution, bank statements, a bank draft in convertible currency, proof of payment of tuition and accommodation fees, a letter for the person or institution providing your funding, and proof of funding paid from within Canada if you have a scholarship or are enrolled in a Canadian-funded educational program.

After arranging all your documents, you will have to apply for your student visa application online using the CIC official website. You can apply for a student visa for Canada three months before your intended date of travel to Canada. The date when your application fee is paid is your application date. Concerning your application’s status, if your visa application is successful, you will be updated through emails.

#2 How much does it cost?

A Canadian study permit costs 150 CAD & the Canadian Visa Application can be processed through both offline and online methods. For the online mode, the student visa processing fee can be paid through credit card. After submitting your visa application, you will have to pay an additional biometric fee of 85 CAD.

#3 How do you apply?

If you are applying for a study permit, you must apply online, whether you are outside of Canada or already in Canada.

You are only eligible to apply on paper if you

have a disability that prevents you from applying online
hold an identity or travel document for non-national residents, refugees or stateless persons

It is recommended that you apply for a study permit as soon as you have a letter of acceptance from a Canadian college or university. It can take up to 3 months to get a study permit, depending on the country where you are applying.

#4 What can you do with a student permit?

If you are a full-time student, you can work while studying in Canada (as long as your course lasts longer than 6 months). But first, you will need to apply for a Social Insurance Number (SIN) - this can be done in just a few minutes online, for free. You can work either on-campus or off-campus. If you get a job off-campus, you’ll be able to work 20 hours per week - and full-time during school breaks.

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Canadian Study Permit

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