How to apply for a Study Permit in Canada?

how-to-apply-for-study-permit

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When the idea of studying in another country (like Canada) appears in your mind, you don’t necessarily think about every detail. Sure, the first thing you think is WHERE to move to live, study and work, WHAT to study and HOW MUCH it will cost. But after you sort all that out, you still need to have the government’s permission to study. It’s part of the process, and a crucial one.
Without a Study Permit, you won’t be allowed to enter the country at the airport or at the borders.
This is a small guide to make this process a little easier for you:

What is a Study Permit?

The study permit is a document issued by the Canadian government that allows foreign nationals to study at designated learning institutions in Canada.

Who can apply?

You can come to Canada to study if you:

  • Are enrolled at a Designated Learning Institution, like CIRA College (DLI #O142484375262),
  • Have a valid Passport or travel document,
  • Qualify as a fully vaccinated traveler,
  • Prove you have enough money to pay for your tuition fees, living expenses, etc.
  • Have no criminal record,
  • Are in good health (you might be required to have a medical exam),
  • Prove to an officer that you will leave Canada when your study permit expires

Where to apply?

The best way to apply to Canada as an international student is through Canada.ca’s IRCC website. The whole process can be made online at https://www.cic.gc.ca/

First, you must create a Canada.ca IRCC account here:
https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/application/account.html

We recommend you create a GCKey account.

GCKey-study-permit

To create your account, accept the Terms and Conditions, enter your information and create your Security questions and answers.

Some things to remember:

  • To apply you need to get the Letter of Acceptance from CIRA College.
  • CIRA College is located in Vancouver, BRITISH COLUMBIA
study-permit-dli

Finally, you can apply for a Study Permit!

You must have:

  • Access to a scanner or camera to create electronic copies of your documents to upload, and
  • A valid credit card to pay with after you submit all the documents.
study-permit-payment

You should start your application as soon as you get the Letter of Acceptance from CIRA College. It can take up to 3 months to get a study permit, depending on the country where you are applying.

What documents do I need?

You need these documents to apply for a study permit:

  • Proof of acceptance (Part of our application process, which you can find here (https://ciracollege.com/how-to-apply/). After confirmation of a Security Deposit, our Admissions Team will issue you an official Letter of Acceptance, which you will use to apply for your Study Permit application. Include the original or electronic copy of your letter with your study permit application)
  • Proof of identity (a valid passport or travel document + 2 recent passport-size photos)
  • Proof of financial support (You must prove that you can support yourself through financial records)
  • Plus any other documents IRCC asks you to provide
study-permit-documents

Check the formats the documents must be sent in:

study-permit-documents-format

How much $$$ to apply?

For every Study Permit, there’s a Fee of $150
Biometrics: $85

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Minimum funds needed to support yourself as a student: CAN$10,000*

*BUT you don’t need to PAY that money, you just have to show you or a relative has them. Bank statements are the way to go to show proof of funds. If you end up using them or not, that’s another story).
Third-party fees: you may have to pay for medical exams, police certificates, language testing and document translations if IRCC asks for such documents.

To avoid processing delays, pay your biometric fees at the same time as your application processing fees, using the same method of payment.

After you apply

  1. Biometrics and photos when you get an email asking for them.
  2. Wait for the process to complete

How much time does it take to get my Study Permit?

It varies by country. You can check your expected times here https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/application/check-processing-times.html

In your case, you should fill the questions with these options:

  • Select an application type: TEMPORARY RESIDENCE (visiting, studying, working)
  • Which temporary residence application? STUDY PERMIT (from outside Canada)

To check the status of your application, check here
https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/application/check-status.html

See you soon in our classroom in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada!

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