This is the million-dollar question that we get every day asked for: "What do I need to apply for a student permit to study in Canada"? Well, first of all, you need to obtain a Letter Of Acceptance (LOA) from a school, either language school, college, university, or any program that allows you to apply for a study permit. Remember that we mentioned in a previous post that only DLI institutions allow you to do this.
To apply for a study permit you need to just follow the instructions on the canada.ca page, where you will find the information needed. We will make a resume of all the documents you need, but remember that this information is based on the official website of Canada.
The very first document is a valid passport. Your passport has to be at least valid for the duration of your studies (Ex. If you plan to study for 8 months, at least that period of time) and have available pages to place your new Canadian Visa. By the time you scan your passport, make sure you scan all the pages that have information, such as the bio page (with your personal information), all pages with stamps and visas, or any other additional information that your passport may have. (TIP: Scan your passport with an order on your pages, first the bio page, then page 2, then 3, and so on).
The second document is the Letter of Acceptance from the educational institution or how it is called internally the LOA. Once you register at the Canadian institution, they will release an offer letter (this is not the letter you need to apply for the visa). The LOA will only be released by the institution once you make the first payment, usually 30% of the program cost, or a fixed amount stated by the college or university. (TIP: Place your payment receipt with your LOA so the officer looking t your application can see the actual intention to study in Canada).
Your previous education diploma. This document will show the immigration officer reviewing your application that you are a person that has an interest in your personal and academic growth, together with accomplishments in your education institution (high school or university).
Financial Proof or Financial Support Documents are based on the last 4 months of your bank statement. Yes, your bank statement that shows the ins and outs of your bank account. Some people don't understand that the only way for an immigration officer to see that you have the actual financial support is to see that no one has transferred the money to show it into your statements. A minimum of CAD$900 per month of study when you study Engish or French, or CAD$10,000 + the first semester paid of your College or university is needed to be shown as proof.
Do not panic, if you do not have this amount to show, a direct family member can be your financial support. If this is the case, you will need to add to your application: A copy of their passport bio, proof of relationship with them (birth certificates are the best way to prove it), their last 4 months of bank statements, proof of employment from this person.
To prove that you are a proactive person, it is good to show a letter of employment (can be current employment or previous employment) that states your salary, position, and duration of the employment. This can be used as a tie to your country. However, other assets can be shown such as a property in your name, a business, documents showing you own a car or a motorcycle, etc. (any kind of document that shows that you are a person that has something to return to your country)
MEGA TIP: Think of your application as storytelling of your life. The most documents you proof, the better will be the decision of your permit.
Last but not least, you need to write an intention letter. This letter is an official document that will be used by the immigration officer in charge of seeing your application that you are the right candidate to come and study in Canada. Think of it like it is a letter to convince someone, but without being direct. An Example of this could be:
“I, (complete name and passport number) am taking to chance to study English in (name of the school) to increase my knowledge in English and be able to find a better job opportunity in (name of your country). I know how important is to know this language and I want to take the opportunity to travel to Canada and learn about the different cultures, travel, and meet new people while I learn the language and practice it with other people.
I have studied in my country at (name of school or university) and I graduated in (year and month). After this, I worked (If you stopped working, or you still work on it) and they give me a permit to leave for this time to learn the language and get a better position after.
My family member (father, mother, or others) will take care of my expenses while I am in Canada. Please, find attached their bank statements and information.
If you have any more questions, please do not hesitate to contact me:
Your Name and Last Name
Phone number (+country code)
Email address
Your signature”
Remember to write this letter with the intention to convince the officer that coming to Canada will help you improve your job opportunities or status in your home country.
All these documents will be used to be uploaded on your canada.ca application, where you will be able to see the needed documents once you complete a series of questions. You may need to know a bit of English or translate the page into your own language if you need.
You will also need three documents called IMM5707, IMM1294, and Schedule 1 that you will find once completed the questionary of your application.
QUEBEC APPLICATIONS
In Quebec, you need to do an initial process before coming to Canada. In order to apply for the federal study permit, you need to ask first the province of Quebec (yes, it is the only one in Canada that has its own immigration process).
You need to enter this link, complete your personal information, information about your studies, your funding, and make a payment of CAD$120 to complete the CAQ application (Certificate of Acceptance of Quebec). After completing this process, you will need to enter into your ARRIMA account and upload the documents obtained by your previous application.
Once this process is done, and your CAQ is approved, then you can start with the study permit process at a federal level.
Just to have it clear, we want to give you some personal tips for your study permit application:
When completing information, use your FULL FULL FULL name(s) and LAST names.
Copy all the pages of your passport that have personal information. If you have an expired passport with a US visa, then copy this passport and all their pages with information.
Translate all documents that are not in English or French. Remember that we offer this service to you as well.
When having a family sponsoring your studies, make sure you place a birth certificate to prove the relationship with you. If it is your aunt, then you need several birth certificates to prove the relationship.
Remember to translate all documents!
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