STUDY VISA FOR CANADA

STUDY VISA FOR CANADA

What is Canadian SDS program?

SDS program was introduced in the year 2018 which replaced the SPP process. SDS stands for STUDENT DIRECT STREAM, is an expedited study visa processing program which is meant for those student who wants to study in a Designated Learning institute in Canada. Hence all those students residing in India can apply under this SDS program. If all the requirements are met by a student, the IRCC processes most SDS applications in 20 calendar days. All SDS applications are only electronically applied.

Eligibility factors for SDS

The applicant/student must include the following documents to be eligible for SDS processing:

1. proof of a valid language test result, completed within 2 years of the date the SDS application was received, showing either of the following:
• an International English Language Testing System (IELTS) score of 6.0 or higher in each language skill: listening, reading, writing and speaking
• a Test d’Evaluation de Français (TEF) score, equivalent to a Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) score of at least 7 for each ability: at least 310 for speaking, 249 for listening, 207 for reading and 310 for writing

2.    proof of a Guaranteed Investment Certificate (GIC) of CAN$10,000 or more from any bank insured by the Canadian Deposit Insurance Corporation (CDIC) or any bank listed on the IRCC SDS web page

The GIC must meet the following criteria:

• When the GIC has been purchased, the bank provides a letter of attestation, the GIC certificate, the Investment Directions Confirmation or the Investment Balance Confirmation to the applicant/student.
• The bank holds the funds in an investment account or a student account that is inaccessible till the student finally arrives in Canada.
• Upon entry to Canada, the bank must validate the client’s identity before releasing funds to the permit holder.
• The applicant receives an initial disbursement upon identifying themselves, and the remaining funds are disbursed in monthly or bimonthly instalments over a period of 10 to 12 months.

3.    Proof of full payment of tuition for the applicant’s first year of study

This may be in the form of the following:

• a receipt from the DLI
• an official letter from the DLI confirming payment of tuition fees
• a receipt from a bank showing that tuition fees have been paid to the DLI
• proof that the tuition fee amount has been transferred into a repository account at the DLI to be applied to the tuition bill at a later date
3. Letter of acceptance from a post-secondary DLI
4. Most recent secondary or post-secondary educational transcripts
5. Proof of completion of upfront medical examination from a panel physician for applicants or e-medicals once done after applying upon receiving request.
6. Apart from above there is a set of forms that need to be filled for the complete processing of the study visa.
7. proof of identity
8. A photocopy of the information and biographic data page of the applicant’s passport.
9. Marriage certificate, if applicable.
10. Use of a representative form duly signed.
11.  Any additional document asked by the officer or depending upon the country from where the student is applying.

Benefits of Studying in Canada:

Qualification	Duration	Description
Certificates and Diploma	1 to 2 years	Vocational and job oriented programs are mainly technical in nature
Associate degree	2 years	Can be chosen after Ser. Secondary education and the best pathway for a bachelor’s degree. Its completion will be considered as the first 2 years of a normal bachelor’s degree and with the help of credits, you can later on enrol in athe 3 yrs of a full time degree.
Bachelor's degree	3 to 4 years	Provinces like Quebec have bachelor's degree of 3 years. Undergraduate degree which requires successful completion of Sr. secondary education level education. The duration of most courses last for 4 years.
Bachelor's Honors degree	4 years	This will require getting a specific GPA or credits in the initial years of your bachelor’s program and only then a majors or a specialist program can be chosen or enrolled into
Postgraduate diploma	1 to 2 years	A post bachelor degree qualification which can be a specialisation program according to your need.
Master's degree (by thesis)	1 to 2 years	Also referred as research masters, the mandatory condition is that it requires submission of thesis for assessment and  for successful course completion
Master's degree (by non-thesis)	1 to 2 years	This is like a regular taught master's degree, not requiring thesis submission and can be considered as a specialisation in a subject of choice or a stream for upgrading once knowledge.
Doctorate or PhD	4 to 7 years	Ph.D. is awarded when students complete dissertation and successfully present and prove their topic of thesis to be accurate as per their findings.
Post-Doctoral Programs	No time limit	Specialised research-oriented programs

Types of institutions

There are different types of qualifications offered by various institutions of Canada.

·          University: Students can apply for undergraduate degree, postgraduate certificate, diploma and degree, professional degrees and doctorate in universities of Canada.

·          University colleges: Programs offered by university colleges include diploma and university transfer programs.

·          Community colleges: Students can get certificate, diploma, associate degree, undergraduate degree and postgraduate diploma in community colleges.

Co-OP Program or Co-operative education

A blend of classroom-based education and practical work experience making for more structured and pragmatic learning for the students. These programs are extremely beneficial for those set of students who like to grab theoretical knowledge and are also interested in testing the same in real time environment. 50% of the program will include work experience therefore it is a must that the student must have a valid work permit to pursue it.

Academic year

September is considered to be the main intake in Canada and witnesses’ maximum number of student admissions throughout the year as this is the best season to be in Canada.  You may also be able to get admissions in the summer intake that starts around April/May or in the month of January, during the winter season.

Canadian universities focus on providing a holistic experience wherein students get opportunities that improve their learning, career and life.