Visas are something that many people struggle with, especially students coming to Canada for education or work. There is a very lengthy process when it comes to processing student visas in Canada. This article will talk about some of the different stages of student visa applications and how long they take to be approved.
Many immigrant groups have their own processes when applying for Canadian permanent resident status (also known as citizenship). However, there is no set timeline for this. It can vary slightly from person to person, organization to organization, and country to country.
However, what we can say is that it takes longer than two months! Two month time frames have been averagely accepted by immigration officials, but things do go faster sometimes and others take much longer.
Many countries have their own time frames for processing visas, so you should know what kind of information they give applicants about this. Some even require proof that you have money to fund your stay in Canada, such as a job offer or proof of income.
In some cases, there is no set timeline for when your visa can be issued, nor are there any guarantees that your application will be approved within that time frame. This could mean waiting around for months until you receive confirmation whether you’re allowed to live here or not!
It is very important to understand all of the steps involved in applying for student visa in Canada because there can often be many delays caused by something simple, like forgetting an item or taking too long to make lunch.
Even though it seems like there is no deadline to apply for student visas, you should still try to do so as soon as possible.
Immigration consultants tell students that their applications can take anywhere from one week to several months, even a year or more depending on how quickly your personal life transitions and changes. This means that if you are experiencing some sort of transition at the time of application, you will have to keep applying until you get through!
This also applies if you are under 18 when you begin studying abroad. If you need to study overseas while away from home, investing in education is expensive, which makes it difficult to do. A student visa allows you to learn here so this makes sense.
A lot of people think that once you have an invitation letter, your student visa is confirmed but this isn’t true. There may be additional documents or proofs needed before yours are processed so don’t assume anything.
Even though it may feel like there is no progress, staying organized with updates is important. Make sure to always have all documents updated and current!
If you are waiting for a response from another department or individual, be sure to check back every week until you get a reply. In fact, some departments even have quotas as to how many days they need to receive an update before sending their paperwork back.
Be careful not to put too much pressure on these individuals or departments, but if you notice that things seem slow, just make sure to keep monitoring them!
It is very possible that they were caught up in the past month and now they have a new task so everything gets delayed slightly more.
Now that you have gathered all the appropriate documents, it is time to go in for your interview!
Typically, students will be interviewed by two or three people depending on how many questions they are asked. They may ask about your academic record, career goals, personal connections in Canada, and more.
Your interviewer will want to know if there are any criminal records or significant debts under your name. If there are, this could affect whether you get approved for residency or even entry into Canada as a tourist.
They will also check to see if you have adequate health insurance, proof of sufficient income to support yourself while studying here, and confirmation that you will not become unemployed during the period of study.
While most student visas last six months, it depends on what kind of program you are applying to and why you need to stay longer than that.
After submitting your visa application, you will be sent an email to confirm that this has been done. This is important as it confirms that you have paid for your visa and thus started the processing of your student visa!
If you do not receive this confirmation within one week, please make sure that you check your spam or junk mail folders to see if there was a notification left behind. Also, try resending the e-mail from your account settings page or by contacting Customer Service directly.
You can also visit our Help Pages section with frequently asked questions about studying in Canada.
Even though you do not need to have Canadian citizenship to attend high school or university here, it is still important to prove that you are indeed born in Canada.
If you cannot produce this documentation, then you will be denied entry into Canada as a student. You would also run the risk of being deported later if you decide to stay longer than just one year.
It is very easy to prove where you were born, so do not put off gathering these documents unless you really can’t find them!
There are several ways to verify nationality including through DNA testing, legal affidavits, and military records. Many countries use similar systems to determine national identity, so look up their laws before investing time and money in proving who you are.
It is very important to remember that even though you have already been granted a student visa, you will still need to prove where you live while studying here.
You should make sure to keep this updated as it can be tricky to find out who your employer is or what city and state their headquarters are in. Many employers also go through an additional process to verify they exist before adding them as an employee.
There are several ways to do this, such as having your parents send in a letter stating where they know you will be living, sending pictures of yourself at your new home, or putting up a notice saying you have moved and leaving your old address.
After receiving all required documents, proof of health insurance coverage for at least six months, and if applicable, proof of employment or business owner/sponsor in Canada, the next step is to submit your visa application. This can be done through VFS Global, a private company that works with Immigration, Citizenship and Revenue Agency (ICA) of Canada.
Visa applications are processed according to an order called the ‘visa bulletin’. Applicants are notified as soon as their case has been received and assigned a field officer who will review it.
The length of time it takes to process student visas depends mostly on how many applicants there are in comparison to available resources. There are over one million students studying in Canada so there is always enough work for ICA to keep them busy!
A small team of around ten people processes about 100-150 cases per day which makes a difference when you're talking about the length of time it takes to get your visa.
