Proven Steps to get a student Permit in Canada (2022)
The student visa in Canada has many advantages , including allowing you to work while you study. This article will serve as a guide to start your project as an international student
First things first, to obtain a student permit in Canada, you must be enrolled in a course at a college or university, so the first step is to choose the degree, postgraduate degree or academic project that best suits your profile and your professional goals.
Steps to get a student permit in Canada
Below we will explain step by step your process to obtain a student permit in Canada.
1. Enrollment
The procedure for registering may vary depending on the institution, the length of stay in the country or the type of studies in which you are going to register.
The usual turnaround time for an English course is 1-2 days , while for a higher education program it is usually 4-6 weeks.
We advise you to:
- – Start your paperwork 6 months in advance , if it is at the College or University
- – And 3 months in advance for English courses. In this case you can also go with a tourist visa or Work and holiday
2. Confirmation documents (Offer Letter)
When you enroll, you will receive an official document from the school showing the economic conditions and the way in which the course you have chosen for your training is paid for.
Once these conditions have been accepted, you will have to pay for the study program directly to the school or university. We will give you some good advice so that you can save when making the transfer to the institution.
3. Confirmation document (Proof of acceptance)
This document is issued by the academic institution that you have chosen to carry out your studies and certifies that the registration has been carried out correctly.
It contains an individual reference number and is the most important requirement to start all visa procedures.
4. Visa application
For Spaniards, Canada allows the visa process to be carried out through an online portal . Here you will have to include your data, the data of the school and justify that you have enough money to cover the costs.
You must justify your financial capacity, that is, show that you have enough money to cover the price of plane tickets, course and cost of living in Canada.
You can also present a letter of financial sponsorship written by whoever is responsible for your expenses (833 CAD per month, approximately 600 EUR/month).
The visa fee is CAD150/€100.
5. Biometric data
Once you finish paying for the visa, you will receive the instructions to manage the biometric data (85 CAD) and you will receive a letter that you will have to take to the Canadian embassy in Madrid .
For biometric data, it is not mandatory to make an appointment at the embassy, but if you do not live in Madrid, we recommend that you call to request it.
6. Medical examination
They are not mandatory, unless there are special circumstances to be determined based on the information of each student. So you will only have to do it if they require it.
7. Visa approval
The duration of the process usually takes a week. It is important to request it at least 8 weeks before the start date of the course , starting from the moment they have your biometric data.
8. Health insurance
You need to take out student health insurance that covers you for as long as you are going to stay in the country. You can contract this insurance through us, but we remind you that it is necessary to have it before applying for the visa.
When is a student visa needed in Canada?
To study in the country of the maple , a student visa in Canada is not always necessary.
Depending on the duration of your trip and whether or not you want to get temporary jobs, there are other permits in addition to the Canada study visa.
For you to understand, we explain the cases below!
Study in Canada 4 to 6 months
If you do not want to work and study in Canada for more than 6 months, you do NOT need a Canadian study visa.
Instead, apply for a visitor visa or a Working Holiday Visa, which allow you to take short courses in Canada, beware! In the following sections, we talk about each one.
Visitor Visa
Cost: CAD100.
The visitor visa is a student visa in Canada to reside in the country for 6 months and take courses that do not last more than that time.
However, it is the Immigration agents who determine if you stay more or less weeks. To process it, meet these requirements:
- Have a legal and valid passport.
- Be in a good state of health.
- No criminal record or immigration problems.
- Prove that, when your trip is over, you leave Canada.
Hey, are you a citizen of Chile, Mexico or Spain? In that case, apply for an Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) .
The permit is electronic and has a cost of 7 CAD* nothing more. Like the visitor visa, it is a student visa in Canada to study for no more than 6 months.
*Prices are for reference and may vary.
Working Holiday visa
Cost: CAD250.
The Working Holiday visa is a Canadian student visa valid for 1 year, and in that time, you are allowed to search for jobs in Canada with unlimited hours too!
Some of the requirements are these:
- Be a citizen of one of the eligible Hispanic countries: Chile, Costa Rica and Spain.
- Have a legal and valid passport.
- Not be under 18 or over 35 years old at the time of processing the visa.
- Have 2,500 CAD* to pay for the first months of your stay.
- Take out international medical insurance before or after applying for the visa.
Study and work in Canada
Do you want to study and work in Canada? In that case, you need a study permit , which is the student visa in Canada.
The duration is 6 months until the end of your course plus an additional 90 days to leave the country or renew it. In addition, it authorizes you to work 20 hours a week!
Study in Canada to apply for permanent residence
To immigrate to Canada and obtain permanent residence by studying, there are 2 requirements. One, not to take English classes or study French, but to do higher studies.
Two, have a student visa in Canada that allows you to apply for a Post Graduation Work Permit.
When your student visa in Canada expires, apply for this permit to work for 8 months to 3 years depending on what Immigration approves of you.
Then, participate in the Canadian Experience Class, one of the Express Entry immigration programs to process permanent residence.
What courses are taken on a student visa in Canada
Canada schools offer very interesting courses in the main Canadian cities . We select 3 that are the most popular among international students.
Courses to study in Canada English and French
In Canada, there are schools to study English and French that offer intensive and general courses. Both programs are taken with native speakers for 15 to 30 hours per week.
The difference between one and the other is the duration and that, to take 3-month courses, it is enough to have a visitor visa.
A useful and attractive alternative to study English with the Canadian student visa are the official exam preparation programs .
The academies offer specialized advice to pass the IELTS or TOEFL successfully. As you know, they are hard tests, so some classes are not bad.
Courses to study and work in Canada
The only way to study and work on a student visa in Canada is to enroll in a university or college to take Career Programs .
Both programs authorize you to work 20 hours per week as we told you above. Although, on vacation, it’s full time!
If you already have a degree, there are very good master’s degrees in Canada, but if you want to professionalize yourself, take a Career Program with your Canadian study visa !
The courses are like a university degree, but shorter. They last a few months and offer internships to gain qualified experience.
In addition, you have a wide range of options to choose from! However, one of our recommendations is always these Hospitality courses .
This is a highly demanded career, so you can get a job almost as soon as you graduate and have unstoppable professional growth.
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