A Canada Student Visa allows the person who has it to start their studies in Canada. The visa for students is basically the same as a Canada Visitor Visa or an Electronic Travel Authorization (eTa), but the student also needs a study permit. So the Canada student visa is a combination of either a visitor visa and a study permit or an eTA and a study permit.
The Canada study visa will only allow you to start your studies in Canada at what are called Designated Learning Institutions (DLI). The study permit allows you to stay in Canada until your program ends and in some cases work while you are enrolled in school or work after you graduate. To keep the Canada study visa, you must fulfill these conditions:
The study permit will not allow you to get Canadian issued documents or Canadian government benefits such as health benefits. It will however create an easier path for you to be able to apply for a Canadian citizenship if that is your goal.
To be eligible to apply for a Canada Student visa and permit you must fulfill the following conditions:
To determine whether you are eligible or not, you can visit the Government of Canada website here. You should click the “Check your eligibility” button, and it will redirect you to a short questionnaire. The questionnaire will ask you details about yourself such as:
To be able to start studying in Canada, you must apply and get approved for a study permit. However, there are three situations that you can be in, so you can apply from:
When you complete the forms, you will also have to submit the following supporting documents:
All the documents must be translated into English or French and you must have certifications and proof that the translation is correct. Once you submit all the documents, you can then proceed to submit the application and pay the fees.