Over 150,000 international students are admitted to Canada yearly from all over the world to study.  There are about 97 universities and over 100 colleges in Canada that offer various types of program opened to international students. Canada offers many advantages to international students in terms of globally recognized quality education, conducive multicultural environment for studying, ability to work while studying, post-graduate work permit after graduation and a number of pathways to becoming permanent resident at the expiration of your post-graduate work permit.   

Student Visa/Study Permit – any program of study in Canada that is more than six months in duration requires a study permit for most international students. As an international student, you need to apply for a study permit, if your study permit application is successful, a travel visa will be issued along with your permit. The travel visa enables you to enter Canada, while the study permit allows you to study while in Canada.

Study Permit Eligibility – to apply for a study permit, the following documents are required: proof of acceptance into a program of study by a Designated Learning Institute, proof of financial support- money to support yourself and any accompany family member, proof of identity-passport or travel authorization, explanation letter – a letter to show why you want to study in Canada and understanding  of your responsibility as a student, custodian declaration if you are a minor and other documents depending on your country of origin or country that you are applying from.

Application Process – prior to applying for a study permit, you need an acceptance letter from one of the Designated Learning Institutes (DLI). A DLI is a school approved by provincial or territorial government to accept international students into various program of study. Check here DLI for a list of approved schools. Note that all primary and secondary schools in Canada are approved, so they are not in the list. However, if you are planning to study in a higher institution, make sure the name of the school you are applying to is in the DLI list. In addition to you getting accepted by a DLI, you may also need to take a language test in English (studying outside Quebec) or French (studying in Quebec ) as a proof of language proficiency if your native language is not English or French, depending on where you plan to study. Make sure to check the requirement from the school you are applying to because each school has different sets of requirement for admission and language test.

We can help you with school search, application to schools, advice on what options are available to you on funding and the study permit and visa process from start to when you arrive in Canada.