STUDENT APPLICATIONIMPORTANT NOTICE Please be advised that we are experiencing very high volumes of applications at present. Applications are processed in the order in which they are received. Current processing times for complete applications are approximately six weeks. Incomplete applications will take longer to process and may be refused. Most information, including frequently asked questions and general processing time frames, may be found on our website. As our literature advises, we strongly advise you NOT to book flights prior to receiving your permit. In addition, we cannot be held responsible or accountable for any flight arrangements you choose to make. If you are a visa national and wish to submit an application to this office, you are advised not to commit to any travel arrangements that require your passport until you are in receipt of your permit/visa from this office. If you are not a visa national e.g. a British passport holder, please DO NOT submit your passport - only a copy of the identity page is necessary. STUDYING IN CANADA Canada has a long and successful history of educating international students. There are many courses available in Canada. Unfortunately the High Commission cannot provide information on any specific courses of study. You can, however, obtain this information by writing to the International Education Office of the province where you wish to study, as follows:
You may wish to consult the Association of Commonwealth Universities, who keep many Canadian university calendars and award guides. The address and website is:
Once you have been accepted to study in Canada, you must obtain a study permit. To apply for a permit you must have:
In addition to the above you must:
Persons attending a university/school in Québec also require a Certificat d'acceptation du Québec (CAQ) from Québec Immigration prior to entry to Canada. To apply for a CAQ, please contact the academic institution in Québec where you have been accepted to study. STUDY PERMITS FOR THOSE STUDYING IN CANADA FOR 6 MONTHS OR LESS: Persons wishing to attend a course of six months duration or less, at any level, do not require a study permit. However, if there is the possibility that you will extend your period of study in Canada or if you are a full time student and wish to work on campus, you may apply for a study permit. DEPENDANTS: Spouses, common-law or same sex partners of holders of valid study permits may be eligible for an open work permit (provided they are not full-time students themselves). To be eligible applicants must provide a fully completed application (form IMM1295) plus evidence that they are the spouse or common-law partner of a holder of a study permit who is attending full-time study at a post-secondary publicly-funded, degree or diploma granting institution. Accompanying children aged 6-18 years attending primary or secondary school are eligible to obtain a study permit. For all provinces/territories except Quebec a study permit must be obtained prior to entering Canada. You are not required to complete a separate application form, but the processing fee of $125 per study permit must be included when submitting your application as well as a copy of the identity page of the dependent’s passport and two passport photographs. For those destined to Quebec you must apply for the study permit after arrival in Quebec. Note: study permits are not required for children attending kindergarten or nursery school. DO YOU NEED A TEMPORARY RESIDENT VISA?(as well as a study permit) A visa may also be required. Please see the information on the TEMPORARY RESIDENTS (visitors) page for information on whether or not you require a visa. Students are temporary residents to Canada and must satisfy a visa officer that they intend to return to their country of citizenship or be admitted to another country after completion of their studies. The cost of a temporary resident visa is included in the study permit processing fee. However, any accompanying dependants who require temporary resident visas are required to pay the temporary resident visa processing fee (unless they are applying also for a study permit). If your spouse, common-law or same sex partner requires a temporary resident visa s/he should complete a separate application. In order to process an application for a study permit, you must submit the following items to this office by mail. THE APPLICATION Instructions on how to apply are found below. The application forms are available for viewing or download on the FORMS page. Please submit the following items to this office by mail. Enclose a self addressed envelope (at least 8" x 6") which we will use to return your documents. If a personal interview is necessary, you will be notified in writing. Some students are also required to undergo a medical examination. You will be given the necessary forms for this after all other requirements have been met. Note: All documentation must be translated into either English or French. You must submit the following: 1. Application forms - fully completed application form (IMM1294). This should include a day-time telephone number (and fax number if possible). If you are a citizen of one of the following countries you should complete a supplementary questionnaire: Afghanistan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Haiti, Iran, Iraq, Lebanon, Macedonia, Montenegro, Palestinian Authority, Rwanda, Serbia (including Kosovo), Somalia, Sudan, Syria. See our study permit forms page for further information. 2. Checklist - for the items an application MUST include. 3. Processing Fee - See the FEES page for information on the processing fees. This fee is non-refundable regardless of the outcome of your application. 4. Passports - Citizens of the following countries are NOT required to submit their passport, but must provide a copy of the identity page for every person travelling: Citizens of the following countries are exempt from the visa requirement: Andorra, Antigua and Barbuda, Australia, Austria, Bahamas, Barbados, Belgium, Botswana, Brunei, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Israel (National Passport holders only), Italy, Japan, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Mexico, Monaco, Namibia, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Papua New Guinea, Poland, Portugal, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent, San Marino, Singapore, Solomon Islands, South Korea, Spain, Swaziland, Sweden, Slovakia, Slovenia, Switzerland, United Kingdom (see below*), United States, and Western Samoa; *British Citizens, British Dependent Territories Citizens (except Hong
Kong), British Nationals Overseas, British Overseas Citizens entitled to re-admission to
the United Kingdom are not required to submit their passport. 5. Photographs - two photographs for you and accompanying family members. You are required to write the full name and date of birth of the person on the back of all photographs. Photographs MUST be in the correct format and have been taken within the last six months. Click here for the photograph specifications. 6. Funds - evidence of sufficient funds to live and study in Canada. Proof of funds can be in the form of your bank statements for the three months prior to your application, or your parent(s) bank statement accompanied by a letter from your parent(s) confirming they will be financially responsible for you. All funds must be in an account in Canada or in the country of your current residence (United Kingdom, Ireland or the Nordic countries.) We will not accept proof of funds in off-shore accounts. General letters of reference from banks are not sufficient. The minimum requirement for funds is $10,000 per year living expenses plus tuition fees and return transportation costs. 7. Letters of Acceptance - from the institution in Canada at which you intend to pursue a full-time course of study giving details of course title and duration, level of study, tuition fees per annum and starting date.
8.
Study Plan - please submit a one page
study plan which answers the following questions and includes any other
information relevant to the processing of your application: When your application is complete and all the documentation is assembled together with the appropriate fee, send them to:
PROCESSING For processing times, please refer to the following webpage. Please allow an additional few weeks if a medical examination is required. Failure to submit all the required documentation with your application will delay the processing of your application. Unfortunately we cannot acknowledge receipt of applications or answer routine case status requests within the processing time indicated above. For urgent enquiries only, fax us on (020) 7258 6549 with your file number (if known), your complete name and date of birth, and a day-time telephone or fax number. If you do need to visit the High Commission, our office hours are: 08:00-11:00 Monday to Friday (except U.K. public holidays and some Canadian public holidays). Do not finalize your travel arrangements until you have your permit in hand (fax copies are acceptable). We cannot finalise your application for a study permit for studies in Quebec until we have received copy of your CAQ. When you return the enclosed application form to us, please indicate the date on which you sent your application for a CAQ to Québec Immigration. For details of how and where to apply for a CAQ, please contact the academic institution in Québec where you have been accepted for study.Students are strongly advised to obtain private health insurance prior to their arrival in Canada. |
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For up to date information, you may wish to consult the Citizenship and Immigration Canada website at:
