Canada contains 3 territories and 10 provinces, it is the biggest country in the whole of North America. Situated in the north of the continent it is colder than other North American countries. Ottawa is the capital of the country
With relatively easier immigration policy and even friendly policies Canada has become a hot destination for higher studies. Not only for degree, international students flocking to Canada for diploma as well as vocational training.
The first question that arises in the mind of the student, and rightly so, is that how are they going to make in happen. How will they get an admission in the Canadian universities? The process is a long one, and it starts from applying to the University of your Choice. There are several levels of the admission process that you will get to know as you read on. Once you get done with all the formalities and secure admission in the university you can go ahead and apply for the student Visa.
Most people perceive Canada to be similar than the USA, but when it comes to education this notion could not be more wrong. The system depends upon the part of country you are in. Based on territory and the province you are in, the system will drastically change.
Canada, if you do not know, has a certain French influence because of its history. For similar reasons universities allow education in French as well as English. French is second language for vast majority of people in the country. High school is 9 to 12 grade, the typical one.
Students have two option after their school ends, they can either opt for a university or they can go for vocational training.
The best of the colleges are based in either Montreal, Toronto, or the British Columbia. In the year 2019 (pre-pandemic data), the number of Indian students rose to 1.40 lakhs, which, makes up over 14% of the international students.
Canada is the preferred destination for vocational studies rather than degree courses as the former seems to provide more employment opportunities. Canada is a good choice for immigration as the country offers immense scope for work owing to its low population density.
Owning to its friendly immigration policy, and high scope of work due to less population Canada is the most preferred for the vocational training. Securing job after the training is easier than other countries. Having said that, it does not mean that the Universities are not up to the mark, Canada has some exceptional higher study destinations. Simon Fraser University, McGill University, The University of British Columbia, and University of Alberta are belong on every students list of top five universities.
Canada offers wonderful PG diploma in Media, Engineering, Business Management, and Hospitality.
Canadian people are known for being nice. Alongside that, they are very proud of their diverse culture. When you visit Canada, this is what the people will expect from you –
Since it is an English speaking country you have to be good at English. But due to its French influence, you will encounter occasional French as well. At first, this could be challenging but most students prefer to learn the language. Here are few challenges you are likely to encounter:
Participation: Make sure you participate in as many activities as you can, be it during class discussions, or any other ground activity. It is crucial that you get along in class but that does not mean you become a bookworm. Extracurricular activities are great not only to socialize but it also gives you the chances to grow holistically and learn from experience.
Making friends: It is understandable that international student try to find tribe of their own country, it is not wrong but you know what they say, while in Rome do as Romans. It is important that you make friend from different countries, because college experience is not a recurring one. Make full use of it. Also be polite and ready ‘thank you’ and ‘please’ to show gratitude. It is an intricate part of who they are and their custom. The sooner you get used to it, the better it will be for you.
This depends on where you have decided to stay in your college years. If you want to go for university hostel the cost would be very different than going for private space. The university hostel also comes with options, whether you want catering included or not. The price will fall in different category.
If you have decided to rent, looking out for options near to the university will be a good start. The prices are different in different areas. So at the end of the day, it will depend on you what you want to go with.
Before renting a place, we recommend you to read the rights and responsibilities. This will make you prepare for adverse situations.
For international students orientation is mandatory. It takes up the first week of the program. You will be introduced to the services, classes, as well as the universities. Most the colleges give out handbooks to the students, read the one you will get because it has all the information a student might need.
Canada as we discussed above, has a diverse culture. So alongside the regular extracurricular activities like sports you should take part in drama, music and other country related things. There will be occasional tours to concerts and theatres, art galleries, historical centers and much more. Make sure you do not miss a single event.
The requirements are different depending on the course and University you choose. But proficiency in the English language is mandatory. Also, the colleges need a minimum academic score which varies depending on the course. For humanities it is 65%, science it is 70%. And if you are applying for a diploma, you need to have at least 60% to be able to apply.
Note: The student must check with the University before applying. This information does not apply to all the universities.
The following documents also need to be submitted:
You need to take care of the following documents –
Every College has a nominal application fee. The amount is not set, and it varies from University to University. They require you to share some basic information, submit the application fee, and pay the application fee. Once the student clears the round, she will be informed.
Follow the below steps in order to apply for the College –
Essay: The topics try to evaluate the students on the basis of strength, weakness, experience, skill, career aspirations, and most important – the reason for picking the particular school. You will need to submit different essays as the university demands. It is a part of the admission process.
LOR: The purpose of the letter is to let the College know the qualities of the students from an authentic source.
LOR is written by a third party mentioning the students’ qualities, capabilities, striking characteristics. It could be your manager, employer, teacher, or professor who write it for you.
SOP: Make sure that it is written in the first person and mentions all the right reasons that why you want to apply for that College. . It should be a right balance that reflects how is your personality very objectively. SOP is how to introduce yourself to the admission office of the University. The SOP should also mention why you right fit for them and why you should be accepted to the College. Keep the SOP casual, but at the same time, do not make it look like you are boasting or you do not care enough.
Top 10 Universities in The Canada
Top 10 Scholorships in The Canada
Mainly the intake session starts in January and September at the same time; there are some institutions that accept admission in May, July, and October as well. The important intake season in Canada for the top courses is in September. On the other hand, the smaller intake season would be January. This takes up a very small number of courses.
Ideally, the student should start the admission process in advance. The six months period is crucial before you submit the application. Usually, the majority of the universities have multiple deadlines starting from October, which goes on to January.
The students should decide which deadline they want to aim for. Also, you get to get done with the aptitude and language at least three months before the time of the deadline. That is how long it takes to create a flawless application which will be very hard to reject.
Depending on what course you chose, you will have different deadlines and intake sessions. But some of the colleges do not accept admission in the January session. So you need to be well aware of all the deadlines.
The majority of the Indian population prefer to reside in dense urban centres, including Vancouver, Toronto. 70% of Indians reside in relatively small communities based in Calgary, Edmonton, and Montreal. These small communities are growing every passing year.
Indians in Vancouver are from different parts of India. A place called Little India exists in Vancouver and a section of Gerrard Street (Toronto) in Toronto as well. Indians in Vancouver mainly live in the suburb of Surrey, or nearby Abbotsford, and also in other parts of Vancouver.
Vancouver has a lot of Indians. The stereotypes about only Sikhs going to Canada falls flat on its face when you visit a place Little India in Vancouver and also Toronto. The suburban area of these cities is taken by Indians at large.
SAT, GMAT, GRE, TOEFL, IELTS are compulsory if you wish to get into any of the colleges. These tests have different formats, a band of results. All of the tests are different in their own way; mostly, colleges just need one of the results of either of the test. It is safe to say that it depends on the student who tests they want to take.
Repetition of exams:The test of IELTS can be taken as many times as the student wants, but on the other hand, TOEFL has a cap on the times it can be taken and retaken. The rules of PTE are the same as the IELTS, as there is no cap on the number of times it can be taken.
Note – One rule that applies to each of the tests is that you will have to wait for the test in order to apply for a retest.
Fee: The standard fee for all these exams is between 13000-14000 INR.
Time to apply: The College and University have rules about which test they accept. At times, they also give you an option; in that case, the result of the test you want to submit depends on you. In order to prepare for these tests, it takes somewhere between two to four months of time.
Is IELTS enough to study in Canada? The answer is no, here is the list of exams required for different courses.
GMAT – This is the exam taken by the MBA aspirant or the students who want to study management or business courses in the United States of America. This test evaluates English, reason skills, and also math.
GRE – This test is taken by the students who want to pursue MS or MA. In recent times, business schools have started to accept the score of this test.
SAT – SAT is taken by the school students who want to go abroad to do their undergrad. This tests the literacy as well as general writing skill of the students. Problem-solving skills are also a significant part of the test.
The University you will be applying to will mention which exam results will be applicable to the course of your choice. But if they give a choice to go for either of these, then the choice depends on you.
Repetition and Fee: GMAT does have any cap on the retests, but it cannot be more than five times a year. Thirty days gap must be taken before the retests. GMAT retest price is 1800 INR, GRE is INR 14,965, and LSAT is INR 3,800.
Average Scores: The accepted GMAT scores is 547, 155 for Verbal, 167 for Quantitative, and 5.0 for writing in GRE. 162 is the accepted score for the LSAT.
The cost of living will vary depending on where you stay. If it is a university hostel, the price will be on a little lower side; it will also include catering. But if you live in a privately own place, the price will change based on locality. If it is closer to the University, how posh it is, and several other factors. Other than rent, this is what consistsofthe cost of living. Read the list –
Other elements which could change the cost of living would be:
The tuition fee varies according to different universities, courses, and the city. The tuition expenses in Canada might be up to CAD 10,000 – 30,000 per year for an undergraduate course. And if you are thinking of applying to a postgraduate course, the cost would be CAD 15,000 – 55,000 per year approximately.
Canada is not expensive as the USA or any other European country for that matter. An average student would need around 12,000 Canadian dollars for a year. As we have mentioned above, any budget cannot be applied generally to all the cities. If you are living in a metropolitan city like Vancouver, Toronto, or Montreal, the living expense would definitely increase. It could go as high as CAD 15,000. But living in the suburban area could cut the cost down to CAD 8,000.
Just like any other country with a lot of international student influx, Canada has also made it mandatory to have a health insurance policy. If you are living abroad for a longer period of time for studying or even working – health insurance is compulsory. It is recommended that before buying any insurance, the student must check few important aspects like what all it covers, does it include accidents, study interruption, dental treatment, and passport loss and so on.
Since the insurance would be cashless, you will not have to pay at the hospital.
Fee waivers are given to an international student on the basis of need and also merit. The students with a good track record, including in academics as well as extracurricular activities, are preferred above the rest for financial assistance and scholarship award.
If you are eyeing for that scholarship, you must make sure that you have all your documents sorted, as that is the very first step. Adding to that, the presentation of the application makes a world of difference.
Student eligibility criteria:
First things first, you will have to check whether or not you make the cut for getting the loan. This is a non-exhaustive list of the criteria –
You cannot get a loan for all the courses. These are the sort of courses that make you eligible for the education loan.
Loan amount: Let us assume your fee is ten lakhs, then the bank will only give you the 80% of the amount; you will need to bear the remaining cost. This 20% of the sum, in banking terms, is known as the margin amount. The widely accepted amount for a loan is 20 lakhs, but you can get well above that. It depends on the reputation of the College. The bank charges 1% as the processing fees that the students will have to bear.
Documentation required: You will need to show the bank the letter of acceptance sent by the University. It should have the details of your courses as well as a fee breakdown.
The formality is different depending upon the bank.
Repayment: You can start to repay after the course ends. Repayment starts only after the course period. Regardless of you have a job or not, the loan must be paid in five to seven years. In some exceptions, you can get ten years as well.
If the student got employed within one year after completion of the course, the repayment should start immediately after the expiry of one month from the date of employment.
There are not one but several types of visas one can apply for. Here is the list –
Once you get a letter of acceptance, you can apply for the visa. If you are planning for September intake, you must start preparing by June.
This is all you need to apply for a student visa to study in Canada.
1. Proof of acceptance: All the colleges, universities and other educational institutions in Canada need to complete and send a letter of acceptance to the students who want to study there. You need to attach the original letter of acceptance along with your study permit application.
2. Proof of financial support: You need to give proof to the College or institution that you are able to support yourself as well as the family members who accompany you while you are in Canada.
Note: Additional documents may be required.
While you’re at the personal interview, the interviewer might request certain additional documents. These documents may be regarding proof of academic or financial status. The documents include:
Check the processing time:The visa application cycle takes around 3-4 weeks to get processed. It is always advised to go through the Canadian consulate website to know the approximate time it takes to process the student visa. Also, note that the time shown is just an estimate, and it’s not a guarantee.
To apply online, you should have access to a scanner or a camera that can create electronic copies of your documents for uploading. You also need to have a valid credit card for payments. From 31st December 2018, students from Asia, Asia Pacific and the USA are required to provide a finger scan at the regional visa application centre (VAC).
You need to download the application kit and go through the instruction guide. The guide contains important information about student permits and instructions to help you complete your application. Read the guide carefully and use the document checklist.
Pay the processing fee: Refer to the fee schedule for the cost to apply for a study permit and how to pay. The processing fee is non-refundable in all cases. For biometrics, there will be more than 130 VACs in over 90 countries, and all VACs will be equipped to collect biometric information (fingerprints and photographs). Indian students need to contact the local VFS office to apply for a visa.
If your spouse/common-law partner and/or children are accompanying you and you are applying for temporary resident visas, work permits or study permits for them, then you will need to pay the appropriate processing fees for them.
Submitting your application and supporting documents:
Since you need to give your biometrics, you cannot send your application via email. You’ll either have to apply online or personally go to the VFS office to submit it. In both cases, you are required to go to a VAC to submit your biometrics.
The visa application process to Canada requires a mandatory medical exam for Indian students. Your personal doctor cannot perform the medical test. You need to visit a doctor on the list of panel physicians, which is provided on the official website of Canada migration: http://www.cic.gc.ca/.
Once the medical exam is done, the physician will send your reports to CIC. You can get the test done either before or after submitting the visa application.
The eligibility criteria for getting a post-study work permit is given below:
Spouses can go along with the students who are studying full time on a dependant visa. All you need to do is to prove that you are equipped with adequate funds to support them. They are also allowed to work full time if they stay for a year or more.
Pre-departure list
Once You Land
You are likely to miss your home, like all students who come from a different country. It hits the hardest in the first couple of weeks. You need to be patient for two weeks or so. The feeling will sink in, you will soak the environment, and soon you will start enjoying the new place.
Do anything but do not lock yourself in the room; it will only make things worse. If the feeling does not go away in two weeks, you could ask for a counsellor for homesickness. The expert on this matter says that long phonecalls make it harder for the students. They feel more homesick after the call ends than before starting it. Try and limit the call to once a week.
The first few days are the busiest for every international student. They get to learn about the campus, make friends, and attend classes. Take your time, is what we suggest, absorb everything going on around you. Make sure to time out of your busy schedule and learn about the University.
The PGWPP allows postgraduate students who have studied at a participating Canadian university/college to gain Canadian work experience. Work experience gained through the PGWPP will ultimately help students qualify for permanent residence in Canada through the Canadian Experience Class (CEC).
Duration – A post-graduation work permit can’t be valid for longer than the student’s course of study. For example, if your postgraduate course was of two years’ duration, then the work permit granted to you will also be for two years.
This program makes it possible for PG students to gain work experience in the country. This is applicable to the students who studied in Canada.
The duration of the work permit will be equal to the duration of your study duration. If you did PG, which is generally two years long, you would get a two-year work visa.
Unlike India, there is no campus placement in Canada. Indian student is generally accustomed to the idea of campus placement. Over there, the universities have a department known as the Career Service Center. This cell helps the student in preparing for the job interviews.
The Student Co-op program is a formally structured program where the intent is to recruit students, while still in school, to fill permanent positions upon graduation. In a Cooperative program, a period of study alternates with work. Co-op programs are generally undertaken at colleges and universities. Indian students who wish to participate in a co-op or internship program must apply for a work permit as well as a study permit.
To be eligible for a work permit, you must meet the following conditions:
Going abroad to study is a dream of every Indian student. But only a few fortunate students who have the gift of intelligence and grit to work hard make it to foreign universities. Despite having both of these two qualities, some students fail to fulfil their dream. One of the biggest reasons is the complicated process of shortlisting the University, filling in the important details, submitting the right documents, doing the paperwork, writing essays and SOPs, and many other formalities.
That’s where OneWindows come in. We have seen thousands of students to their dream universities. You could be the next.
Take our free consultation to get started as your first step in your journey of thousand miles.