Canada Student Visa Guidance

Canada has always been a favorite destination abroad for Indian students. Much of it is due to friendly visa policies, along with the Canadian Government’s initiatives to attract foreign students, particularly Indians, to its highly respected universities. In recent years, requests for visa applications have been processed faster than ever before, thanks to the ‘fast track’ system, which makes sure that student visas are processed within two to three weeks.

Here are some tips to follow if you apply for a Student Visa from the Canadian High Commission:

• The Canadian High Commission is equipped with software that allows them to check for manipulated backlogs summaries. Hence, students are advised to submit genuine summaries.
• Students in the fields of technology such as Biotechnology, Civil Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Environment, IT and Power are encouraged to apply for Canadian student visas as there is great scope for work in these fields not just in Canada, but around the globe as well.
• Fresh engineering graduates are advised not to choose the Project Management programs, as the graduates don’t have the requisite 2-3 years project level experience.
• If you have been refused student visas in Canada or other countries before, do mention it in the Visa form.
• The priority for Visa application is given to the students who have applied recently and have excellent academic track records.
• Compared to online visa applications, paper based applications are more preferred. However, online visa applications are also accepted.
• The applications should be submitted at least 2-3 months before your date of travel, as April applications for May entries, August applications for September entries, and December applications for January entries are generally not processed in time.
• It is advised not to apply for 2 year programs for Business Accounting, Finance, Payroll and Taxation as job opportunities in these fields are limited in the corporate sector. These programs are not considered as skill enhancement programs, and students who complete these programs generally end up working in corner stores, malls and petrol pumps.
• Undergraduate students with gaps years extending to more than 2 years are refused visas, and the same can be said for graduates with more than 5 gap years. Gap years must be accounted for by submitting previous employers’ letters/ salary slips/ appointment letters that mention the time period during which the students have been employed. Experience letters are required as well, and must be signed by the right authorities, and all documents should be on company letter heads, with detailed contact information.