Study Permit to Canada; Before, During and After
Given some best universities in the world, prospective job market, good health care, ease in attainment of permanent residency, and many more, Canada has been the destination to a lot of students, workers and families in the past few years. However, due to lack of proper information most of the immigrants face some needless complications which could otherwise be easily avoided. This article is written with the intention to help them prepare better before, during and after the visa-application process.
Applying for Study permit:
Nepal doesn’t have a Canadian embassy; however, the VFS provides assistance with the visa application process and acts as a mediator between the applicant and the Canadian embassy in India. Moreover, thanks to the updated immigration website, application of study permit to Canada is pretty much straightforward.
Documents required:
Two filled-up forms, medical checkup certificate, some relevant supporting documents and payment of application fees are generally sufficient to get the visa.
Student form/IMM1294E needs to be electronically filled out while the family information form/IMM5645E needs to be filled out manually. The medical checkup needs to be done from the specified hospitals/doctors and the report is directly sent to the Canadian embassy in India by the hospital. However, it is required that you send the medical checkup receipt from the hospital along with the filled-up forms, draft and other supporting documents to the Canadian embassy via VFS center. The supporting documents generally include letter of acceptance from the university, letter of financial support, if any, bank statement showing that you can support your stay in Canada for the duration of your stay, transcripts of your previous degrees, police clearance report, no objection letter etc. It’s advisable that you send your application package 3-4 days after your medical examination so that all your documents arrive at the embassy at around the same time frame and is less likely to be misplaced. You may need some additional documents depending upon the requirement which can be inquired with the VFS center in phone or in person.
Fees:
The VFS service charge (NPR 1000) and the visa processing fee (NPR 3332) are to be paid in the form of the draft from any recognized bank in Nepal. The medical checkup fee is approximately NPR 4000.
Language:
Not many people who visit Canada realize that it is a bilingual country. French is as useful as English, especially in the Quebec province. Knowing French not only helps you mingle with the local populace easily but also helps you earn some easy points for permanent residency.
Exception with Quebec:
Quebec is the only province in Canada where French is spoken more often than English. The peculiarity of Quebec is not only reflected in the language but also in the application process. If you are going to attend a university in Quebec, you need to have a Quebec Acceptance Certificate (CAQ) beforehand. CAQ is the permission for a foreign student to enter the province of Quebec but it is not a visa. To put in plain words, you need a visa to enter Canada while you need CAQ and then visa to enter Quebec. It can be applied online and will cost you CAD 107. In about 4 weeks of application, you will get access to the electronic copy of your CAQ. The hard copy will be sent to you via postal mail, but the visa-application center accepts the print-out of the e-copy. This will save your visa-application time especially in a country like Nepal where you might have to wait long to receive the document via post.
Arriving in Canada:
The immigration section at the airport of the first point of entry in Canada will provide you with the actual study permit. With a study permit you are eligible to work within the university premise as a research assistant, teaching assistant, librarian etc. but not outside the campus. You will need a separate work permit for that.
SIN:
Once you are in Canada, apply for the Social Insurance Number (SIN). It is a 9-digit unique identification code issued to a person residing in Canada. It is not mandatory for students but if you want to work or apply for permanent residency afterwards, it is wise to apply for SIN. It is issued for free at any Service Canada office within Canada.
A common misconception:
Canada is not only snow. Be prepared for the winter, bring your winter clothes but don’t forget that you will experience all four seasons. However, the duration of season varies from province to province. Generally, the summer varies from 4-6 months and the snow period varies from 1-5 months as per the province. Some provinces like British Columbia (BC) have a long rainy season. So, keep yourself updated on the climate of the province and prepare accordingly.
After your study:
After the completion of your study, you can apply for a work permit valid to a length equivalent to the duration of your study and up to maximum of 3 years even without the job. However, to apply for permanent residency, it is required that you have a job or you need to be pursuing PhD.
Anecdotes:
My application process of study permit was very smooth. I was attending a university in Quebec and hence, I needed a CAQ before visa. I got my CAQ in 4 weeks during which I inquired with the VFS center and filled up all the forms and assembled the essential documents. The very next day, I had my medical exam done and issued the draft from Nepal Investment Bank Limited. I submitted the entire package 3 days later and got my visa in 15 days.
Not everybody’s application is this easy and straight forward though. A friend of mine had to defer his application for the next year since he was asked to repeat the medical exam and he didn’t have sufficient time for that. He redid the entire process next year; a waste of time and money. Hence, it is advised to start the application process well in advance, at least 2 months before the college starting date, as a precautionary measure against the unforeseen circumstances.
Expecting the unexpected:
Recently, the immigration authorities in Nepal have made the No Objection Certificate a mandatory document for studying abroad. So, I highly recommend you get this certificate from the Ministry of Education in Kathmandu. It will cost you NPR 2000. However, if you are an engineer you will need to register with Nepal Engineer Council beforehand which costs additional sum of NPR 4550.
Also, inquire with VFS about any recent changes in terms of policy, documents or the process itself; better prepared than sorry. VFS center, airport authorities and immigration office staffs are there for your service. Don’t hesitate to inquire about any doubts you have. There is nothing to be ashamed of. Be confident but don’t mistake it for arrogance.
Information:
VFS center
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Location: Fourth floor of Four Square Building near to Police Head Quarter, Narayan Chaur, Naxal
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Important Websites: http://www.vfs-canada.co.in/wheretoapply.html; http://www.vfs-canada.co.in/contactus.html
Visa application
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Steps for application of study permit: http://www.vfs-canada.co.in/visaapplication.html
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Student form/IMM1294E: http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/pdf/kits/forms/IMM1294E.PDF
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Family information form/IMM5645E: http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/pdf/kits/forms/IMM5645E.PDF
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Find a physician: http://www.cic.gc.ca/pp-md/pp-list.aspx
CAQ application for Quebec: http://www.immigration-quebec.gouv.qc.ca/en/electronic-services/caq-electronic/index.html
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Suman Khakurel
Bio – Writer is a graduate from one of the universities in Canada and likes to pass his spare time cycling around or playing ping-pong and football.
Categorised in: Your Say
this is wonderful and useful article for Nepalese students.All the contents are sufficient.Could you please give detail info on procedure from searching university to visa apply.That will be highly appreciated.
like- most of nepalese student depend on consultancy for study abroad.what do you suggest to take care most?
2. could you mention what will be total estimated expense from start to end for master in management? approx.
3. is canada is suitable for students as nepalese.in terms of partime job facility,after graduation job prospect and PR ?
Thank you.We find very little blog from Nepalese in canada.