Canada Visa

WHAT IS VISITOR VISA OF CANADA?

Canada Tourist Visa is a temporary Canadian immigration option that allows tourists to visit Canada for the purpose of tourism and leisure. A Canada tourist visa is also known as Canada visitor visa or Canadian Temporary Resident Visa (TRV). Canada tourist visa is mostly issued till the expiry of your passport. Once you enter Canada you are legally allowed to stay for maximum 6 months.

A multiple entry visa allows a visitor to come and go from Canada for six months at a time, without having to reapply each time. The multiple entry visa can be valid for up to 10 years, or one month before the visa holder’s passport expires, whichever happens earlier.

Eligibility Criteria for Canada Tourist Visa

In order to meet the eligibility criteria for a tourist visa, you will need to prove to the immigration authorities the following things:

• You have a valid passport
• You have no intention to seek or undertake employment while in Canada
• You have no criminal record
• You do not pose a security risk
• You agree to abide by the laws of the land
• You may be required to undergo a medical examination

DOCUMENTS REQUIRED FOR CANADA TOURIST VISA

• APPLICATION FORM
• FAMILY INFORMATION FORM
• PASSPORT
• TWO PHOTOS
• BANK STATEMENTS AND INVESTMENTS
• TRAVEL HISTORY,IF ANY
• PURPOSE OF VISIT
• EMPLOYMENT DOCUMENTS

WHAT IS CANADA EXPRESS ENTRY PROGRAM FOR PERMANENT RESIDENCY

It consists of 3 sections:

• Federal Skilled Worker Program(FSWP)
• Federal Skilled Trades Program(FSTP)
• Canadian Experience Class(CEC)

Provinces and territories can also recruit candidates from the Express Entry pool through the Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) to meet local labour market needs.

Step 1: create your Express Entry profile

An Express Entry profile is a form where you give us information about your:

• skills
• education
• language ability
• work experience and
• other details

Once you start an Express Entry profile, you have 60 days to complete it.

The information in your profile will help us see if you are eligible for an immigration program managed by Express Entry. If you meet the criteria, we will accept you into our pool of candidates.

If you are in the Express Entry pool, you can start your job search by creating a Job Match account with Job Bank. Once you come to Canada, you can continue using Job Bank to find a job.

A Job Match account with Job Bank is an easy, online tool to help match you with employers looking for workers with your skills. To create an account:

• go to the Job Match sign-in page
• click the “Sign up now!” button
• read the privacy notice and click “I agree”
• follow the instructions to create an account

You can also promote yourself to employers in other ways, such as using:

• recruiters or
• job boards

For a job offer to be valid in Express Entry (so you can get points for it), your employer will likely need an LMIA. There are some exceptions.

Getting into the pool doesn’t mean that we will invite you to apply for permanent residence.

To be chosen from the pool you need to have one of the highest-ranking scores when we send out invitations. If you are invited, you can apply for permanent residence.

When you apply for permanent residence, you will also need to meet eligibility and admissibility requirements under Canada’s immigration law.

Step 2: we invite the highest-ranking candidates in the pool to apply for permanent residence

You will be ranked in the Express Entry pool using a points-based system called the Comprehensive Ranking System.

The CRS gives you a score from the information in your profile, including your:

• skills
• education
• language ability
• work experience
• other factors

You can also get points for:

• Canadian degrees, diplomas or certificates
• a valid job offer
• a nomination from a province or territory

We send invitations to apply to the candidates with the highest scores in the pool. If we invite you to apply, you will have 90 days to submit an online application for permanent residence.

We will process most complete applications that have all the supporting documents in six months or less.

You can stay in the pool for up to 12 months as long as you meet the criteria for one of the federal programs. You should update your profile anytime as your case changes.

If we don’t invite you to apply for permanent residence within 12 months of submitting an Express Entry profile, you can submit a new profile. If you still meet the criteria, you will re-enter the pool.

Canada continues to attract a steady volume of students from India. If you wish to take academic, professional or vocational training at a university, college or other educational institution in Canada, you will need a study permit before you enter Canada.

However, to get there, a student must first apply for a Temporary Resident Visa which is provided by the Canadian High Commission and facilitated by the Visa Application Centers. VFS Global Services are the designated VACs for Canadian Visa.

THERE ARE 2 WAYS TO APPLY FOR CANADA STUDENT VISA.

• UNDER SPP COLLEGES
• UNDER NON SPP COLLEGES

WHAT ARE SPP COLLEGES & UNIVERSITIES

SPP (The Student Partners Program) was developed in partnership between the Association of Canadian Community Colleges (ACCC) and the Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC).

It is an arrangement between selected Canadian educational institutions and Canadian High Commission in India to provide quick and easy study visa for the prospective students of participating institutions in Canada.

The main objective of this program is to increase the number of Canadian student visa issued to Indian students and to make the admissions-visa process more efficient.

As a student you do not have to apply for the SPP separately; you need to apply to a participating college and if your application meets the specific criteria, you may be considered under the program. It is recommended that you submit your application at least three months before the beginning of the academic course.

You need to undergo a compulsory medical examination before submitting your visa application by visiting one of the Designated Medical Practitioners (DMP) in India. See the complete list of the physician’s on DMP panel.

REQUIREMENTS

FOR UNDERGRADUATE DEGREES –

• Overall IELTS examscore of 0 with no band less than 5.5 issued in the past two years.
• Study gap of no more than 2 years, with some exceptions made for students with excellent grades and a three-year gap.
• The program applied for must be complimentary and should add value to the previous education.
• The student should have an overall minimum score of 50% in their more recently completed diploma or degree.
• Proof of tuition payment for 1 semester or one year (as asked by the SPP institution).
• The purchase of a special Guaranteed Investment Certificate (GIC) from Scotia Bank, in the amount of $10,000 CAD to cover living expenses for your first year in Canada.
• If you have previously been refused Canadian student visa, you are not eligible to apply under SPP.

UNDER  POST GRADUATE DEGREES –

• Overall IELTS Scoreof 5 with no band less than 6.0 issued in the past 24 months.
• Study gap of no more than 5 years, with some exceptions made for students with excellent grades and a six-year gap.
• The program must be complementary and value added to their previous education.
• The student should have a minimum Second Class of C-level with an overall minimum score of 50% in their more recently completed diploma or degree.
• Proof of tuition payment for 1 semester or one year (as asked by the SPP institution).
• The purchase of a special Guaranteed Investment Certificate (GIC) from Scotia Bank, in the amount of $10,000 CAD to cover living expenses for your first year in Canada.
• If you have previously been refused Canadian student visa, you are not eligible to apply under SPP.

NOTE: YOU CAN ALSO GET STUDENT VISA WITHOUT IELTS UNDER ESL PROGRAM.

WHAT ARE THE ADVANTAGES OF APPLYING UNDER SPP?

• Fast visa processing (5 to 10 working days)
• Advance medicals reports
• Quality of the institutions is assured
• Less documents required for visa
• Post Study Work Options for students
• NO Bank balance is required.

COLLEGES UNDER SPP

There are 40+ universities and colleges which are part of SPP. Most of the colleges (with a couple of exceptions) under SPP teach technical courses and offer diplomas and degrees. Please find the list in the end.

DOCUMENTS  REQUIREMENT

Which Documents are required for Canadian Visa?

You should apply for the student visa after you get the college acceptance letter. You should begin with the visa process around June if aiming at the September intake. Following are the documents needed to apply.

• VALID PASSPORT
• OFFER LETTER BY A DESIGNATED LEARNING INSTITUTION
• PROOF OF FUNDS
• PASSPORT SIZE PHOTOGRAPHS
• IMMIGRATION MEDICAL EXAMINATION (IME)
• ENGLISH LANGUAGE PROFICIENCY EXAM SCORE
• STATEMENT OF PURPOSE

Apart from the above, if applying online, you would need access to a digital scanner. However, if you are applying offline, you should have true copies of all the above-mentioned documents. It is important to note that while applying online, you would be required to download a few documents, fill them, print them, sign them and then upload them. Accordingly, the availability of the scanner must be arranged. The system also allows you to upload a good quality digital image. We, however, recommend a scanner to a camera.

HOW TO APPLY FOR A CANADIAN VISA FOR STUDY

There are several steps to apply for a visa.

1. Check the processing times –The visa application cycle might take anywhere from 3-4 weeks. It is advisable to go through the Canadian consulate website to know the approximate time taken to process the student visa. Please note that the time shown is not a guarantee and is just an estimate.

2. Determine how you will apply.There are two ways to apply:

(a) Apply online
To apply online you must have access to a scanner or camera to create electronic copies of your documents for uploading and have a valid credit card for payment. You will still be required to provide a finger scan at the regional Visa Application Centre (VAC). Remember, in the case of Online Application you need to visit the VFS offices to hand your passports and would have to provide the confirmation of form and fee payment as well. the steps would only vary in terms of documents you need to carry to the VAC.

(b) Apply in person
Download the application kit and read the instruction guide. The instruction guide contains important information about study permits and instructions to help you complete your application. Read the guide carefully and use the document checklist.

3. Fill out the VFS Consent Formand attach it with your application form.  You need this form to get the assistance of VFS services for your visa filing process.

4. Pay the processing fee($150) – Note that when submitting an application via the VFS, in person or by mail, visa fees must be paid in addition to VFS Global service charges. The processing fee is non-refundable in all cases.

5. 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.
6. Submit your application and supporting documents –You have to visit the nearest VFS office. Once you are there, pay the service charges and hand them your complete application to obtain a receipt. This receipt contains your unique tracking number which you will need to track the progress of your application online.

7. In case your application is approved you will receive notification from the Government of Canada requesting for your passport. You can submit the passport and passport request letter in person or through VFS. You would be provided with a Temporary Resident Visa and a Letter of Introduction.

DEPENDENTS

Spouses can accompany full-time students on a Dependent visa. You only need to show that adequate funds are available for their support. Spouses can also work full time if his/her stay is for a year or more.

In some cases, you may apply for an open work permit if you will be accompanying your spouse or common-law partner to Canada. With an open work permit, you may find and accept any job when you get to Canada. You do not need a job offer or a positive labor market impact assessment to apply for your work permit.

Am I allowed to work on a Canadian Study Permit?

You do not need a separate Work Permit to work while studying in Canada. On a valid study permit, you are allowed to work on-campus and off- campus. Off campus, you are allowed to work up to a maximum of 20 hours a week during term. Apart from these, you

• Must be enrolled as a full-time student with a designated institute of higher learning, and
• Remain enrolled in an academic, vocational or professional training program that is six months or longer and that leads to a degree, diploma or certificate

POST STUDY WORK PERMITS FOR CANADA

The eligibility criteria to get a Post Study Work Permit are as follows:

• You should have pursued a full-time course in Canada.
• The length of your course should have been more than 8 months.
• You must have graduated from either a public post-secondary institution or a private post-secondary institution or
• You should apply for the work permit within three months (90 days) after receiving an official letter saying that you have successfully completed your education from the institute.
• You will be given the work permit only if you have a student visa.
• You cannot get a work permit longer than your course duration. If your course duration was eight months, then you will receive a work permit for eight months. If your course duration was more than two years, then you may receive a work permit for three years.

SPP COLLEGES & UNIVERSITIES IN CANADA

HERE ARE THE STATISTICS OF CANADIAN STUDY PERMIT APPLICATIONS IN INDIA:

COST:

Canadian universities are cheapest among UK, USA, Australia. Average international tuition is around CA$15,000 per year.