To be eligible to study in Canada

• You must have been accepted by a school, college, university or other educational institution in Canada.
• You must prove that you have enough money to pay for your:
  • tuition fees
  • living expenses for yourself and any family members who come with you to Canada and
  • return transportation for yourself and any family members who come with you to Canada.
• You must be a law-abiding citizen with no criminal record and not be a risk to the security of Canada. You may have to provide a police certificate.
• You must be in good health and willing to complete a medical examination, if necessary.
• You must satisfy an immigration officer that you will leave Canada when you have completed your studies.

STUDENT PERMIT CHECKLIST:

The documents listed below are numbered and divided into Set I, Set II and Set III. While assembling your application please mark the documents for easy reference (i.e. with tabs or markers). Please take special note of STRONGLY RECOMMENDED items in Set II and Set III. These documents are not mandatory, but are recommended to ensure timely processing of your application and increased likelihood of approval.

SET I

• Current passport with at least 6 month validity

• Application form (two recent, original passport-sized photos to be attached to form)

• Personal Information Form

• Student Questionnaire

• Letter of acceptance from Canadian educational institution showing planned start and end date of program and any conditions for acceptance into program

• Use of a Representative form (IMM 5476)

• For Quebec-bound students – Copy of Certificat d’acceptation du Québec (CAQ)

• Children under 18 travelling without one or both parents or without a legal guardian must provide a notarized authorization for travel signed by both parents or by the parent or legal guardian not travelling. This authorization should be available for presentation at the Canadian Port of Entry.

• Personal documentation of applicant (marriage certificate if spouse accompanying, birth certificates of children accompanying)

• Items in bold print below are STRONGLY RECOMMENDED

SET II

• IELTS test results from within last 24 months with overall band not less than 5.5

• Photocopy of the most recent diploma or leaving certificate, and 2008/2009 mark sheets

• Other educational certificates/diplomas/degrees (including mark sheets)

SET III

• Copy of payment receipts issued by Canadian educational institution. Pre-payment of first term fees is strongly recommended.

• Copy of Educational Loan from an Indian chartered bank equivalent to at least 80% of tuition + living + travel expenses for one academic year (normally first year’s tuition unless already paid, plus $8000). See annex on reverse for list of chartered banks.

• Form 16 for salaried employees or income tax return document

• Bank record showing transaction history for current month as well as a bank record from 6 months ago and from1 year ago for the same bank account

DO NOT PROVIDE ANY ADDITIONAL DOCUMENTS UNLESS REQUESTED TO DO SO BY A VISA OFFICER.
Examples of documents NOT to be submitted with student permit application: fixed deposits, property documents, documents from a chartered accountant, jewellery assessments, life insurance policies.

1. Check the application processing times in the I Need To… section on the right-hand side of this page. This will give you an idea of how long it will take to process your application.

2. Obtain and print the application package.
The package includes the application guide and all the forms you need to fill out. Download and print the application package.

Depending on your citizenship or where you live, you may need a temporary resident visa as well as a study permit. Check the List of designated countries in the Related Links section at the bottom of this page. If you are from one of the designated countries, a visa officer will process your application for a temporary resident visa at the same time. You do not need a separate application.

3. Determine where you will submit your application.
You must submit your application to the visa office that is responsible for the country or region where you live. You can find a list of visa offices in the I Need To… section on the right-hand side of this page.

4. Collect the documents you need to apply.
You can find a list of the documents you will need to apply for a study permit in the Related Links section at the bottom of this page. You can find information on fees and other local requirements on the website of the visa office serving your country or region.

5. If studying in Quebec, check the provincial guidelines.
This step only applies if you want to study in the province of Quebec. If you apply to study in Quebec, you need a certificate of acceptance or CAQ. You can find a link to the website of Quebec’s ministry overseeing provincial immigration in the Related Links section at the bottom of this page. Your school can also provide you with information about applying to study in Quebec. You must have received the certificate of acceptance before you apply for a study permit.

6. Complete your application for a study permit.
Fill in the forms carefully and completely.

• Type or print clearly, using black ink.
• Add appropriate characters for languages that do not use the Latin alphabet, such as Chinese, Arabic, Cyrillic, Japanese, Hebrew, etc.
• Answer all questions carefully, completely and truthfully. Incomplete application packages will not be processed, but will be returned to you.

7. Pay the correct processing fee.
There is a fee to apply for a study permit. For information about current rates, go to Pay my application fees in the I Need To… section on the right-hand side of this page. In many countries, the processing fee can be paid in the local currency. You should check the website of the Canadian visa office serving the country or region where you live for additional information on fees, including how to pay them. The processing fee will not be refunded, even if your application is not accepted.

8. Check your application.
Make sure your application is complete and that you include the necessary documents. Use the document checklist that is included in the application kit. Consult the website of the Canadian visa office serving the country or region where you live to determine if you need to fill out any additional forms or provide any additional documents.

9. Submit the application form.
Sign and date the application form, and be sure you include the receipt for the processing fee. Submit the application form to the Canadian visa office that serves the country or region where you live. You can find a list of visa offices in the I Need To… section on the right-hand side of this page.

If you are from the United States, Saint-Pierre et Miquelon or Greenland, you can apply at the point of entry when you arrive in Canada.

10. Supply additional information or documents.
After the visa office receives your application, it might request more information or documents. These may include the following:

• Medical information
  In most cases, you will need a medical examination. A visa officer will send you instructions if you need a medical examination. This may add more than three months to the processing time of your application. You can find more information about medical examinations in the I Need To… section on the right-hand side of this page.
• Security information
  If you want to study in Canada, you and any family members who come to Canada with you, and who are 18 years of age and over, may have to provide police certificates. You can find more information about the security checks that may be required in the I Need To… section on the right-hand side of this page.

Documents needed to apply for a study permit

You need the following documents to apply for a study permit:

In addition to these documents, you may have to provide other information when you apply for a study permit. Check the website of the visa office responsible for your country or region for local requirements. You can find a list of visa offices in the I Need To… section on the right-hand side of this page.

If you are not a citizen of the country where you submit your application, you may have to provide proof of your present immigration status in the country where you apply.

If the government that issued your passport or travel document requires a re-entry permit, you must obtain one before you apply for a Canadian visa. Other documents may also be required.

1. Proof of acceptance

If you plan to attend any school (primary or secondary), college, university or other educational institution in Canada, the school must complete and send you a letter of acceptance. You must include the original letter with your study permit application. You can find a standard letter of acceptance in the Related Links section at the bottom of this page.

2. Proof of identity

You must provide:

• A valid passport or travel document for you and each accompanying family member. The passport or travel document must allow you to return to the country that issued it. Citizens and permanent residents of the United States, St. Pierre and Miquelon, and Greenland do not need a passport, but do need proof of status and citizenship, such as a national identity card or an alien registration card.
• Two recent passport-size photos of you and each accompanying family member. The name and date of birth of the person should be written on the back of each photo. You can find information on photo specifications in the Related Links section at the bottom of this page.

3. Proof of financial support

You must prove that you can support yourself and the family members who accompany you while you are in Canada. You can prove that you have sufficient funds to support yourself in Canada by showing some of the following:

• proof of a Canadian bank account in your name if money has been transferred to Canada;
• your bank statements for the past four months;
• a bank draft in convertible currency;
• proof of payment of tuition and accommodation fees;
• a letter from the person or institution providing you with money; and
• proof of funding paid from within Canada if you have a scholarship or are in a Canadian-funded educational program.

The following table shows the minimum amounts that you will need.

Number of persons	All provinces except Quebec	Quebec
Single student	Tuition plus $10,000 for a 12-month period (or $833 per month)	Tuition plus $11,000 for a 12-month period (or $917 per month)
+ one family member	$4,000 for a 12-month period (or $333 per month)	$5,100 more for a person 18 years of age or older for a 12-month period (or $425 per month) $3,800 more for a person under 18 years of age for a 12-month period (or $317 per month)
+ each additional family member	$3,000 for a 12-month period per dependent child of any age (or $255 per month)	$5,125 more for a person 18 years of age or older for a 12-month period (or $427 per month) $1,903 more for a person under 18 years of age for a 12-month period (or $159 per month)

If there are foreign-exchange control measures in your country, you must provide proof that the exchange control authorities will allow you to export funds for all of your expenses.

4. Letter of explanation

In some cases, you may wish to apply for a study permit even if you do not need one right away. There are benefits to having a study permit, even if you do not require one. If you have a valid study permit, you can:

• work part time on campus at the college or university at which you are registered as a full-time student; and
• apply to renew your study permit from within Canada, if you decide to continue studying in Canada.

If you decide that you want to continue your studies in another program after you complete your short-term course or program, you must apply through a Canadian visa office outside Canada for a study permit if you do not already have one.

If you are applying for a study permit even though you do not need one, you should include a letter that explains why you are applying. The letter will inform the visa officer that you understand your options. For example, the letter might say:

“Dear Visa Officer,
I would like a study permit for my eight-week English course because I would like to apply to a Canadian-university program after I finish the English course.”

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