My Canadian Immigration Experience: Study Permit
Before I tell you my story, please know that I am not an immigration lawyer, and not an expert by any stretch of the imagination. I am living through the process of immigrating to Canada, and have made mistakes, and had some successes as well. Hopefully my story can help you better understand how the process can affect your life and livelihood. I will offer as much detail as I can to help ease the worry and uncertainty of the immigration process, but this will not be a step-by-step instruction manual for visa applications.
• Contact an immigration lawyer if you need legal help in applying for any visa.
• The Canadian government provides information on this website: http://www.cic.gc.ca/
• Conduct your own thorough research before starting any application process.
What Started It All
As an American citizen who grew up in rural Michigan, I never expected to immigrate to a different country. Then, I met my husband when we both were attending the University of Michigan. We became fast friends and fell in love. He is a naturalized Canadian Citizen who was on a student visa that allowed him to study in the U.S.A. When his visa expired, he was no longer able to live in Michigan. That was when our first visa hurdle struck, which separated us for a year and a half. But, that is a story for a different time. This one is about my experience with the immigration process to Canada, full of exciting twists and turns, to be sure!
Why Choose Canada?
Do you remember during the fall of 2013 the U.S. government was shut-down from October 1st to October 17th? Well, we remember, because that was the exact two weeks when we had planned our road trip honeymoon to Yellowstone, the Grand Tetons, and the Grand Canyon. All were closed, leaving us stranded for our entire honeymoon. The day we drove 10.5 hours from Jackson, WY to the Valley of Fire, stopping at every state or privately owned campground along the way, and there were no available campsites for us to sleep in, was the day we decided that we needed a change of scenery.
Canada, the great white north…or is it?
Considering I grew up in a snowy cold climate, I was not convinced that Toronto or Montreal were the right fit for me. After some research, Vancouver, BC was a bright and shining beacon of warmer weather, job opportunities, and most importantly, a graduate school program that would allow me to live and temporarily work in Canada after completing my master’s degree. We determined that this was the fastest, and most beneficial method for starting our lives together in Canada.
Getting the Study Permit
Requirements for the study permit can vary based on which country you have citizenship, but for the United States, they are fairly straightforward. At the time I applied, U.S. citizens were not required to have any additional temporary residence visa to study in Canada.
Acceptance at a designated learning institution is the key ingredient for qualifying for a study permit in Canada. According to the CIC website, you can study in Canada without a study permit if your studies are short term (6 months or less). I applied and was accepted into the Sauder School of Business at UBC for their Master’s in Management program in 2014.
Submitting the Application
After I received my letter of acceptance from the university, and had prepared my paper application, we began making our plans to move accross country. This application was what I took with me to the Windsor Border crossing on the day I needed to move to Windsor, to help my husband pack our things for the long drive to Vancouver.
DO NOT DO THIS. I repeat DO NOT DO THIS. Always check the CIC website for the most up to date information, but you must apply either online, or through the mail.
The border agent was not pleased that I thought this was an acceptable method of applying for a study permit. He even told me he could refuse it if he wanted, and turn me away. It was a very rookie mistake, I had not done adequate research while preparing to apply for my study permit. Lucky for me, he did not refuse me, and granted my study permit, after a severe talking-to and several laughs about how silly this was for me to try.
Study Permit Facts
There are fees involved in any visa application process, so please make sure you have paid each fee that applies before submitting any application. Currently, the study permit fee is $150 CAD, and the fee to restore your student status is $350 CAD. Most fees can be paid online by credit card, or some Interac debit cards, if the institution is part of their program. My Canadian credit union is not part of this program, so I always have to use my credit card online. You are required to include the receipt as proof of payment with your visa application, so print out a couple of copies, or save them on your computer.
Typically the study permit will end 90 days after your studies are completed, but that is up to the discretion of the immigration officer assigned to your case. My program was from August 2014 until April 2015, therefore my study permit lasted until July 2015, 90 days after the end of my last scheduled course.
Restrictions can be applied to your permit, such as if you are able to work. I was not allowed to work for any Canadian company while I was studying. To afford to live in Vancouver, I took on hefty loans, so bear this in mind if you are looking to attend a Canadian school. There are cases where you can work on campus if you are a full time student, but always check with an immigration professional before doing so.
Travel outside of Canada is another restriction that can apply to a study permit. My permit did not have any travel restrictions. I left a few times on my study permit to the United States, and there was no issue using my permit as proof I could live in Canada.
Always bring your permit and any additional proof that you are enrolled in school, like the letter of acceptance, with you when you travel outside of Canada. Remember the study permit alone is not a visa, so if you also require a temporary resident visa, make sure it is valid, and bring it with you!
Thank you for reading!
My experience with the study permit process was a positive one, all things considered, but I hope the information and resources I have put together here help someone out there looking for help or reassurance that they are doing the right thing. Soon I will have more posts detailing my experience with the Post Graduate Work Permit and Permanent Residency Application, so if you enjoyed this, please look for my other posts. This is my first time blogging, thanks for reading!