Study Permit

Are you looking for an unforgettable experience of a lifetime? Studying in Canada can be an exciting opportunity for you to experience life – and lessons – beyond your front door. Canada’s high academic standards and rigorous quality controls mean that you’ll be earning a high-quality education that will open doors for your future and benefit your career over the long term. A Canadian degree, diploma or certificate is globally recognized as being equivalent to those obtained from the United States or Commonwealth countries. The quality of education and living standards in Canada are amongst the highest in the world, but the cost of living and tuition fees for international students are generally lower than in other countries such as the United States and the United Kingdom. As such, Canada is often the preferred choice for students attending college or university. Since research is one of the key components of a Canadian post-secondary education, you’ll have ample opportunity to become a part of this vibrant aspect of education.
In Canada, government and industry together support research including: telecommunications, medicine, agriculture, computer technology, and environmental science. Canada’s educational institutions have long been incubators for innovation. The BlackBerry, flat screen technology, SMART boards, voice compression applications for cell phones and computers, and IMAX film are among the many revolutionary technologies invented and developed by men and women who studied in Canada. Canada is the home to world-class collaborative research and development. Projects include the innovative NEPTUNE ocean floor laboratory, the Canadian HIV Vaccine Initiative, ArcticNet, a revolutionary approach for studying the effects of climate change, and Canada’s Advanced Research and Innovation Network which facilitates research and development around the world.

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Under Canada’s highly dynamic and hands-on academic environment, you will not only acquire knowledge and skills in analysis and communication, but you will also learn how to express yourself, demonstrate your creativity, and develop your self-confidence! Teachers and professors are always available and eager to help with lessons, and studies fuse academic excellence with interaction and collaboration in the classroom.

Canada’s public schools have been accepting international students since the 1980’s and have well-developed infrastructure and support including ESL (English as a Second Language) instruction and carefully supervised home stay programs. Almost all public schools are co-educational and accept international students for high school graduation programs or for shorter stays of weeks, months or a year or two. Many elementary schools also accept young students for short term and full-year programs.

Benefits of studying in Canada

While studying in Canada, International Students in Canada may also:

  • Work for up to 20 hours per week while in school, and on a full-time basis during school breaks;
  • Obtain a Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP) for the equivalent duration of the studies once the program is successfully completed, allowing students to remain in Canada for many years before becoming a permanent resident;
  • Bring an accompanying spouse or common-law partner to Canada on an open full-time work permit, allowing him or her to work for any employer;
  • Bring accompanying minor children to study in Canada at the same rate that Canadians pay; and
  • Become eligible for Canadian permanent residence, either through a Provincial Nominee Program (PNP), Quebec’s element immigration system or through the Express Entry element immigration selection system.

Eligibility requirements to obtain a Canadian Student Visa

  • You must have a letter of acceptance (LOA) from a Designated Learning Institution (DLI) in Canada. Finding a school is the first step in the process of becoming a student in Canada. No matter what your educational goals, Canada has the school for you. Finding the right school, and securing admission, is necessary for obtaining a study permit.
  • You must be able to prove that you have enough money to pay for your: tuition fees, living expenses for yourself and any family members who accompany you, return transportation for you and any family members who accompany you.
  • You must be a law-abiding citizen with no criminal record.
  • You must be in good health and willing to complete a medical examination
  • You must score a required CLB level in English proficiency test (IELTS, CELPIP, TOEFL etc.)
  • You must satisfy an element immigration officer that you will leave Canada when you have completed your studies.

Student Direct Stream (SDS)

Some international students can get their study permits faster by using the Student Direct Stream. The SDS program currently serves residents of India, China, Philippines, and Vietnam.

Eligibility requirements Student Direct Stream

For a Canadian study permit through the SDS program, prospective applicants must

  • Have a letter of acceptance from a Designated Learning Institution (DLI) in Canada;
  • Have a confirmation document for the applicant’s upfront medical exam;
  • Have a proof of Guaranteed Investment Certificate (GIC) of $10,000 CAD
  • Pay the tuition fees for the first year of study; and
  • Have a language test results demonstrating an NCLC 7 for French.
Approved applications will be issued a letter of introduction, or what is officially known as a Point of Entry letter of introduction, and a temporary resident visa to enter Canada. The letter of introduction, or Point of Entry (POE) letter, is issued by Element Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) as proof of approval for a study permit and is presented to a visa officer upon arrival in Canada.

Citizens of one of the countries listed above cannot be residing in another country at the time of applying for a study permit through the SDS program.

Universities and colleges in Canada

British Columbia  Emily Carr University of Art + Design | Kwantlen Polytechnic University | Royal Roads University | Simon Fraser University | The University of British Columbia | Thompson Rivers University | Trinity Western University | University of Northern British Columbia | University of the Fraser Valley | University of Victoria | Vancouver Island University

Alberta  Athabasca University | Concordia University of Edmonton | MacEwan University | Mount Royal University | The King’s University | University of Alberta | University of Calgary | University of Lethbridge

Saskatchewan  Campion College | First Nations University of Canada | Luther College | St. Thomas More College | University of Regina | University of Saskatchewan

Manitoba  Brandon University | Canadian Mennonite University | The University of Winnipeg | University of Manitoba

Ontario  Algoma University | Brescia University College | Brock University | Carleton University | Huron University College | King’s University College | Lakehead University | Laurentian University | McMaster University | Nipissing University | OCAD University | Queen’s University | Redeemer University College | Royal Military College of Canada | Ryerson University | Saint Paul University | St. Jerome’s University | Trent University | University of Guelph | University of Ontario Institute of Technology | University of Ottawa | University of St. Michael’s College | University of Sudbury | University of Toronto | University of Trinity College | University of Waterloo | University of Windsor | Victoria University | Western University | Wilfrid Laurier University | York University

Québec  Bishop’s University | Concordia University | École de technologie supérieure | École nationale d’administration publique | HEC Montréal | Institut national de la recherche scientifique | McGill University | Polytechnique Montréal | Université de Montréal | Université de Sherbrooke | Université du Québec à Chicoutimi (UQAC) | Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM) | Université du Québec à Rimouski (UQAR) | Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières (UQTR) | Université du Québec en Abitibi-Témiscamingue (UQAT) | Université du Québec en Outaouais | Université Laval | Université TÉLUQ

New Brunswick  Mount Allison University | St. Thomas University | Université de Moncton | University of New Brunswick

Prince Edward Island  University of Prince Edward Island

Nova Scotia  Acadia University | Cape Breton University | Dalhousie University | Mount Saint Vincent University | NSCAD University | Saint Mary’s University | St. Francis Xavier University | University of King’s College

Newfoundland & Labrador  Memorial University of Newfoundland

There are many different types of schools and institutions in Canada. For more information and listings of schools, contact the organizations listed below for each institution type, or consult

EduCanada | Ministry of Education | Canadian Bureau for International Education | Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada | Association of Canadian Community Colleges | Canadian Information Centre for International Credentials | Designated learning Institutions

How Element Immigration can help?

  • Each study program has different set of requirements. We help clients in selecting suitable courses and/or programs based on their educational background, interest and long-term goals.
  • We help clients in getting a letter of acceptance from a Designated Learning Institution (DLI) in Canada.
  • We prepare and submit the student visa application on the behalf o the client.