Visa requirements to study in Canada

Before you study in Canada, you have to consider the visa requirements. The country is always happy to receive visitors from all over the world and tried to make the process easy for everyone.

Whether or not you need a visa depends on which country you are from, but generally speaking, studies of less than 6 months do not require a study visa. You should always check with the Canadian Embassy or Consulate in your country before booking a course.

Student counselors, also known as agents, can also advise you and assist in visa applications. CourseFinders can recommend experienced agents in your country. Contact us for details.

Who needs a Visa?

To visit Canada, a Visa, a Permit or an Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) is necessary to fly to, or to transit through, a Canadian airport.

If you need a Visa or not depends on

the type of travel document you will travel with;
the country that issued your travel document;
your nationality and
how you will travel to Canada.

You could also answer these questions to find out if you need a Visa or not.

Which Visas and Permits exist?

You’ll get the most important pieces of information in this article. For more details check the Canadian Embassy or Consulate of your country or area.

Visitor Visa

With a Visitor Visa, you can visit the country or attend a language course or program of max. six months.

If you want to apply for a Visitor Visa, you have two possibilities: online or on paper.

To apply online, you need a camera or a scanner (for electronic copies of your documents) and a credit card to pay with.

To apply on paper, you can read the instruction guide with all details here.

Study Permit

A Study Permit is a document for foreign nationals who want to study in Canada. But there are regulations you must follow while studying in the country:

You must always be enrolled at a designated learning institution.
You need to make progress towards completing your program.
You have to respect the listed conditions.
You must stop studying if you no longer meet the requirements.
When your permit expires, you must leave Canada.

In addition, there could be other conditions on your Study Permit depending on your case:

the level of studies you can attend
if you are allowed to work in the country
if you cannot travel within Canada
the date you must stop studying

Once you have the permit, it is valid for the length of your study program. But you get 90 days as an encore to prepare to leave the country or to apply to extend your stay.

For more information, you can check this website.

There are three cases to apply for a Study Permit: applying within Canada, outside Canada or at the port of entry. But in general, you must apply before you come to Canada.

If you are outside Canada, you can apply online or on paper to get a Study Permit.

Applying online:

To apply online, you need electronic copies of your documents and a credit card to pay with.

Applying on paper:

To apply on paper, you must work off the following three steps:

1. Get the application package (includes the application guide and all forms you need to fill out)
2. Pay your application fees
3. Submit your application

Here you get more information about how to apply for a Study Permit.

Work Permit

If you want to work in Canada temporarily, these two different types of Work Permits could be interesting for you:

Open Work Permit

With an Open Work Permit you are allowed to work for any employer in Canada. Only employers listed as ineligible on the “list of employers who have failed to comply with the conditions” cannot be chosen.

Employer-specific Work Permit

With an Employer-specific Work Permit you are allowed to work according to the conditions of your Work Permit. These conditions include

how long you can work,
the location where you can work and
the name of the employer you can work for.

If you want to know which Work Permit is the right one for you, answer these questions to get a result.

To get a Work Permit, you can apply for it online or on paper.

Applying online:

To apply online, you need the possibility to copy your documents and a credit card to pay with.

Applying on paper:

To apply on paper, you must work off the following steps:

1. Get the right documents (depends on the type of Work Permit)
2. Get the application package
3. Pay the application fees
4. Submit your application

Here you get more information about how to apply for a Work Permit.

Come back to CourseFinders.com for more articles about languages and studying abroad.

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