Canada Student Visa Requirements:Processing time and Renewal

Canada is a fantastic study abroad destination that continues to attract a good volume of students from around the world. While applying for and obtaining admission to top Universities in Canada requires you to submit excellent academic score, the decision to travel and study there is validated via a Study Permit. Regardless whether you seek to take academic, professional or vocational training at a university, college or a in Canada, you will be required to obtain a study permit before you travel to Canada. This student permit is issued to students the moment they arrive in Canada. However,for you to get there, a student has to apply for a Temporary Resident Visa which is issued by the Canadian High Commission and supported by Visa Application Centers. VFS Global Services at the moment are stipulated VACs for Canadian Visa. Also, it is not out of place for candidates to want to know the reason why their Canada Visa was rejected.

Eligibility criteria for Canada Student Visa

You are able to apply for a Canada Study visa if you satisfy the following criteria:

You have been duly accepted by a designated institute of learning in Canada.
You will be expected to show that you have sufficient funds to take care of your tuition fee and living expenses.
You need to also show proof that you have a decent background with no criminal record. Applicants are thus expected to produce a police certificate to authenticate this.
You will be required to do a health checkup and submit a medical certificate that shows that you are in good health.

In addition at the time of visa interview, you will need to convince the visa officer that you will leave Canada once your studies are over .

Which Documents are required for Canadian Student Visa?

Please note that you should apply for the student visa only after you receive the college acceptance letter. You should start the visa process around June if you are shooting for September intake. Find below the documents needed to apply.

Your Valid Passport

You will need a Valid Passport in order to be able to apply for a Study Permit. As of the Canadian High Commission, it is important that you possess a passport with validity that extends to cover your intended stay in Canada. To provide context, if you want to travel to Canada in September 2019 for a two-year program, your passport should be valid until at least September 2021.

Proof of Acceptance by a Canadian University

You will also need an acceptance letter from the university/Institute you are planning to attend. A Designated Learning Institute basically means the University which is licensed and recognized by the Immigration Department. (Here’s a list for you to check out). Note that if you are applying for Quebec, you will also need a CAQ which you would be duly informed.

Proof of Sufficient Funds

When you apply for a Study Permit, you would have to show proof of sufficient funds. As per normal standards, you would have to show that you would have sufficient funds to pay annual tuition fees and take care of your living expenses. The Canadian Immigration estimates that a student would need at least Canadian $10,000 for every year of his stay in the republic. Besides this, you will also have to prove that you have enough funds for a return fair as well.

4.Your Passport Size Photographs

Assuming you have opted for the offline application, you would require two passport sized photographs that conform to stipulated standards. For online application, you are expected to obtain a digital copy of the photograph which must not be more than 4MB. Other requirements are the usual neutral facial expression, plain background as well as no headgear (except for religious purposes). Do note the following:

Size of the image has to be at least 35 mm x 45 mm
Image has to be recent (not older than 6 months)

5.Your Immigration Medical Examination (IME)

Canadian Immigration stipulates that international students who hail from select countries to undergo a mandatory Immigration Medical Examination from empanelled doctors. Students are expected to book an appointment and check with the listed doctors for a mandatory medical examination, say a week before you kickstart your Visa Application. This is to afford the doctor sufficient time to validate and upload all required documents. Booking an appointment in advance with the nearest facility/ practitioner as per the list of empanelled doctors is highly encouraged.

Processing Time for Canada Student Visa

The processing time is basically the time used by the CIC for processing a visa application. It begins when the aspirant submits the application until the final decision day. That said, there is no specific time period indicated for processing a visa application. Applicants (both online and paper based) can access their applications through their MyCIC account.

Canada Study Permit Renewal

Inorder to stay in Canada, students are expected to possess a valid study permit. Suppose, your study permit expires before completion of your studies (program) then you will have to apply for renewal of study permit. Ideally, you should do so least30 days before your current permit expires. Candidates can equally submit their application through mail or online.