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8 Simple Steps to Obtaining a Canadian Study Permit

BrainGain magazine brings you a step-by-step guide to obtaining a study permit in Canada.

BY Cherryy Chauhan | 21-12-2016

Once you receive the university’s acceptance letter, the next step is obtaining the student visa to the country. Students must pay careful attention to this step to ensure a smooth and successful application.
In Canada’s context, if your course is longer than a duration of six months, you’ll need a study permit. BrainGain magazine brings you a step-by-step guide to obtaining a study permit in Canada.

Refer to the Designated Institution List on the Citizenship and Immigration Canada website to check if you can apply for study permit. If your school is not listed in the DIL, you cannot apply for a study permit in Canada.
Apply for the permit online on the Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) website. While applying online, you must have access to a scanner or camera for creating electronic copies of the documents to upload, and a credit card. For applying on paper, visit your nearest Visa Application Centre or Canadian embassy for an application package which contains the application guide and other forms.
For online applications, you will need to answer a few questions on the CIC website to prove your eligibility. If eligible, you’ll be given a personal checklist code. Print out the page containing the code, which will also include the application guide, details about estimated tuition fees, and a list of documents required.
To apply for a study permit in Canada, the following documents are imperative:

✓ Proof of acceptance: Original letter of acceptance from the school you plan to attend
✓ Proof of identity: A valid passport and two recent passport sized photographs
✓ Proof of financial support: Proof that you have sufficient funds to support yourself in Canada
✓ Letter of explanation: You may apply for a Canadian study permit even if you don’t need one right away. In such cases, a letter of explanation is required to explain your future endeavours.
To finally send off the application, create a MyCIC account by entering the personal checklist code to fill in your details and pay the fees. Then you will receive a personal document checklist form to cross-check if all the documents and forms are attached with the visa application.
Final step is to submit the completed application to the CIC website.
Once the visa office receives your application, it may request some additional documents, such as the medical (health check-up) and security (police verification) information of the candidate.
The processing time for study permit varies in accordance with the course you apply for. Generally, for Indian candidates, it’s estimated around 2 weeks.