Your student visa is also called a study permit. It is that document that allows you to stay in Canada to study as a foreign student legally without restrictions.
In this article, we will be looking extensively into ways you should follow to apply for your student visa online to study in Canada.
But before that, let us look at some benefits attached to you applying for your Student Visa online.
Benefits Of Applying For Canada Student VISA Online
The benefits of applying for your Student Visa online include;
- You will not have to pay courier fees or be delayed by the typican mail delivery time. Once you submit your application electronically, it is delivered right away.
- Online application means that all applications are processed more speedily.
- You will not be able to submit your application till it is complete. This is an advantage for you because you will not make the mistake of submitting an incomplete application which will not be accepted.
- If you are asked to submit additional documents by the Canadian Immigration online, you can very easily submit more documents by just scanning and sending.
- Once you have created your online account on the official website for Student Visa applicants, you will always get updates and notifications regarding the status of the application you submitted.
1. Are your necessary documents ready?
Before you can apply for student visa and be given, you need to have some important documents which you will need to submit to get approval for a student visa.
Documents like;
- Your acceptance letter from your preferred Canadian institution which must be a DLI (Designated Learning Institution),
- Your valid passport or recognised travel document,
- Proof of financial support whether by yourself or from family members to sustain you during your stay in Canada.
The above three documents are the essentials that you need to provide before you can apply for a Student Visa or Study Permit.
There are some other documents that you might need also, like;
- If you want to study in the Quebec Province of Canada, you need a certificat d’acceptation du Quebec (CAQ) which translates to Certificate of Acceptance to Quebec.
- A letter of explanation written by you,
- If you are a minor that is, you are under 18, then you need a custodian declaration which you can provide by grabbing the Custodian Declaration Form.
- There are other documents that might be needed depending on the Student Visa instructions for your country. It varies from region to region.
2. Apply Through The Student Direct Stream.
Applicants from countries like China, Pakistan, Morocco, India, Vietnam and Senegal are at the advantage of applying for their Student Visa or Study Permit faster through the Student Direct Stream. The advantage to this is that, you get your study permit faster through this method.
You can apply online for the Student Direct Stream if you live in any of the afforementioned countries at https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/study-canada/study-permit/student-direct-stream.html. It usually will take around just 20 calendar days for your application to be processed through this method.
3. Get your materials like scanners etc., ready.
In order to apply online, you will need materials like a scanner or a good camera to capture or scan the documents. Because you will need electronic copies of these documents to upload for your application. You will also need to get a valid and current debit or credit card for online application fee payment.
4. Make sure you read the Official Instruction Guide.
This guide is very important for both applicants applying online and offline. The instruction guide tells you how to complete each field in the application form to avoid any confusion on your part.
You can read the instructio guide at https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/application/application-forms-guides/guide-5269-applying-study-permit-outside-canada.html. This instruction guide is for you, if you are applying for your student visa from outside Canada.
5. Prepare your appropriate answers for the online tool.
These questions are compulsory and must be answered before you can upload your application forms. Also, the answers you provide will determine how your document checklist will be personalised for you. So make sure you prepare for the questions.
6. Know that you will need to pay fees.
Many times, the fees you will need to pay include your application processing fees for you and for anyone else you included and also, your Biometrics Fee.
You will be asked to pay for your fees at the end of your application. If you are using the services of a visa application center, then you need to pay for their services as well. You might need to pay for medical examinations, language tests, police certs etc.
7. Create your online IRCC account. Or if you already have an account, sign in.
In order to apply for your study permit or student visa online, you will need to have an IRCC account. IRCC stands for Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada. This department is in charge of dealing with refugees, Canadian immigrants and Canadian citizenships for the Canadian government. Your IRCC account can be used to;
- Pay your important and requested fees,
- submit your online student visa application,
- and to check your application status.
To create an account, visit https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/application/register.html.
So, the seven outlined steps given above, are the basic steps you need to follow to apply for a Canadian Student’s Visa online or electronically. Goodluck.
