In today’s blog update, we will talk about the advantages of applying for your study permit this December so stay tuned.
Recently, Immigration Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) made an important statement regarding international students in Canada, many of which will come into effect on January 1st, 2024.
Bearing in mind these changes announced by the Canadian Government, students eager to apply for their Canadian study permit may find some advantages in taking a simple step: applying for their study permit application in December 2023. We highly suggest you to watch the full video to learn what advantages applying for your study permit this month can yield.
Save $10,000 CAD on cost-of-living criteria
Please keep in mind that on 7th December, IRCC stated that it would be raising the cost-of-living obligation for international students in Canada, from $10,000 CAD to $20,635 CAD. The change comes in response to the increasing cost of living in Canada. Actually, the previous $10,000 figure was set in the early 2000s and has not been updated to reflect inflation since that time.
This change to the cost-of-living requirement, on the other hand, is only set to come into effect on January 1st, 2024. Those applicants who apply for a study permit before that deadline, even if they begin their studies later in 2024, will only have to pass a $10,000 cost of living requirement.
Spend time studying abroad which counts to your Post Graduation Work Permit (PGWP)
Together with the previous announcement, IRCC also announced that their intention to extend the facilitative measure permitting international students to study at Canadian post-secondary schools from abroad—with the time spent studying outside of Canada still counting toward their PGWPs. Please keep in mind that the PGWP is Canada’s official work pathway for international graduates and is released with the same validity as the length of a student’s program of study (for a maximum of three years).
What do you need to apply for a study permit?
Let’s now tell you; how to be eligible for a study permit, Please keep in mind that students must:
- Have a letter of acceptance from a Designated Learning Institution (DLI);
- Have a valid passport for all individuals included in an application (including dependents and other family members);
- Attach two passport-sized photos of each student or dependent in an application;
- Show proof that they have adequate financial support to cover first year of tuition, living and travel expenses;
- Have a Certificat d’acceptation du Quebec (Quebec Acceptance Certificate, or CAQ) if they are studying in Quebec;
- Be criminally admissible to Canada;
- Be medically admissible to Canada;
- Satisfy the immigration officer that he or she will leave Canada at the end of their authorised stay; and
- Provide any further immigration or travel documents requested by IRCC.
Accelerate your study permit application?
Because of potentially long wait times, IRCC has introduced a secondary stream for study permits, known as the Student Direct Stream (SDS).
Please keep in mind that this stream is only open to applicants from certain countries, and has its own set of eligibility criteria, which international students must fulfil in order to be eligible for a study permit. IRCC’s processing standard for these applications is inside 20 calendar days; making the SDS an important study permit stream for those qualified, and who require a study permit immediately.
Our blog update ends here. If you have any further questions feel free to comment below or get in touch with immigration advisors registered on our website. Thanks for visiting us today.
