Immigration Series: All about studying in Canada

Step 1: Find your programme: Do your own research to find the schools or programmes that are the right fit for you. Consider where you’d like to live. Across the country, you can choose from small, welcoming rural communities and large vibrant cities. Each province and each school in Canada sets its own admission requirements. For more information about programmes and admission requirements, contact the school directly.

Step 2: Make a budget: School fees for college and university are generally lower than those in Australia, the UK and the US. Depending on where you choose to study, your costs will be different. There are different ways to help finance your studies, such as:

-Scholarships, fellowships & grants

-Work during your studies

-Support from parents and/or family

Step 3: Apply to a school: When applying to your chosen school, be sure to provide accurate information and the requested documents. Your school will tell you which documents you need and the next steps to follow. Keep in mind that the application fee will vary for each institution. Be sure to apply well in advance.

Your school or a designated third party may check your credentials and qualifications. You may be asked to provide documents, such as your report card, transcripts and academic credentials.

Step 4: What you need to find out after getting letter of acceptance: Once your school gives you your letter of acceptance, you will need to find out:

-If you need a study permit from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC)

-If you can get your study permit faster with Student Direct Stream

-How to get your documents ready and apply online with IRCC.

If you will be studying in Quebec, you may also need to get a Quebec Acceptance Certificate from the government of Quebec before you apply for a study permit.

Once IRCC approves your application, they will ask you to send them your passport. They will send it back to you with your permit, along with a letter of introduction. When you travel to Canada, bring this letter with you and show it to the Canada Border Services officer. If your letter is approved, the officer will give you your study permit.

Step 5: Staying in Canada

- Arrange for housing and accommodation

-Find out what kind of travel and health insurance you need. Book your flight and find out about baggage limits and customs rules

-Bring a small amount of Canadian or US cash

-Download the ArriveCan app for a faster border experience

-Make sure you have all documents you need to bring with you, such as:

- the letter of acceptance from your school

- medical and immunisation records

- any documents your school asks you to bring

Study opportunities after High School: To study at a college or university in Canada, you’ll need a high school diploma. You can also get your high school equivalency by taking the General Educational Development (GED) tests.

University: Depending on the degree you wish to study, you’ll need to have completed certain levels of education:

- For a Bachelor’s degree (3-4 years): High school diploma

-For a Master’s degree (1-2 years): Bachelor’s degree

-For a PhD or doctoral studies (3-5 years): Bachelor’s and Master’s degree

-For a Certificate (1-2 years): High school diploma + other requirements depending on the programme

-For a Professional degree (3-4 years): High school diploma + other requirements depending on the programme

College: Colleges in Canada may be called colleges of applied arts and technology, community colleges, Institutes of technology or polytechnics.

Depending on the degree you wish to study, you’ll need to have completed certain levels of education:

- Diploma (2 to 3 years): high school diploma

-Certificate (1 to 2 years): high school + other requirements depending on the program

-Professional degree (3 years): high school + other requirements depending on the program

-Applied bachelor’s degrees (3-4 years): high school + other requirements depending on the programme

Transferring credits to a Canadian college or university: Want to transfer your credits from your home institution to Canada? If you’re still in your home country, ask your current institution whether it has a credit recognition agreement with schools in Canada. The international studies office at your school should be able to help you.

Next, ask the Canadian college or university whether they will allow you to transfer some or all of your credits. They’ll likely request a copy of your academic transcripts. Once you’re in Canada, you can also typically transfer your Canadian credits from one institution to another. Some programmes limit the number of credits which can be transferred. Contact the college or university you’re interested in to learn more about transferring your credits.

Study cost:

College & Vocational School cost: Typically, tuition fees can range from approximately $7,000 to $22,000 per year. On average, living costs are around $15,000 per year for college students. In Quebec, tuition typically costs around $6,000 a year. Starting in 2023, some international students in Quebec are eligible for lower tuition. Students who qualify for the programme will pay the same annual tuition as students from Quebec.

University costs

Tuition fees for universities vary, depending on the programme and school you choose. On average, in Canada, university tuition costs around:

- $36,100 per year for international undergraduate students  (Statistics Canada 2022)

-$21,100 per year for international graduate students (Statistics Canada 2022)

On average, living costs are around $15,000 per year for university students.

Discounts for students: Many airlines, bus companies and trains in Canada offer discounts to students. Find out about the international student identity card from the Canadian Federation of Students.

Scholarships: Global Affairs Canada is responsible for the Government of Canada's participation in major international scholarship programmes offered by the Canadian government, foreign governments, non-governmental and international organizations.

Scholarships for Indian students: Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarships, Banting Postdoctoral Fellowships, Canadian Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Scholarship, CIFAR Global Scholars, CIHR Fellowship, Commonwealth Scholarship Plan, IDRC Research Awards, Micas Accelerate International, Micas Elevate, Micas Globulin Research Internship, Research Associate Program, Save Scholars Program, Trudeau Doctoral Scholarships, Trudeau Research Fellowships.

Apply for scholarships with Momentum: Momentum is an online scholarships application system for Canadians, non-Canadians and Canadian institutions to apply for scholarships funded, managed and/or promoted by Global Affairs Canada. With a Momentum account, you will be able to:

- Explore available scholarship opportunities

-Apply for scholarship programmes you qualify for

-Save an application and complete it at a later time

-Submit an online scholarship application

How to get an education loan: Several Indian banks offer education loans to students wanting to study abroad. On average, the minimum loan amount is Rs 1,00,000, with no upper limit and a floating interest rate. It is mandatory to bring in an earning co‐applicant(s) based in India to support the Education Loan application - Co‐applicant(s) may be any of the following relatives, viz Father / Mother / Brother / Sister (married) /Spouse, where such Co‐applicant's income would be considered in determining the loan eligibility. The co‐applicant’s liability is co-extensive with the student.

The loan amount will be disbursed in Indian Rupees and the loan interest re-payment will start immediately after the disbursement of the first installment of the loan/tenure of an education loan consisting of the duration of Study + Grace Period after the Study + Repayment Period. HDFC, for example, offers a maximum tenure of 12 years.

For the first year of stay in Canada, a special Guaranteed Investment Certificate (GIC) of $10,000 CAD per year is required to cover living expenses. This can be obtained from SBI Canada & Bank of Montreal.

Top 5 Student Cities in Canada: Montreal, Toronto, Vancouver, Ottawa, Quebec (Source: QS World University Rankings 2023)

(Source: Educanada.ca)