Canadian school student visa
The Canadian government has created conditions that allow students from around the world to study in Canadian schools. To enter Canada and study in schools in this country, you need to obtain a student visa.
This type of visa is basically the way for students to immigrate to Canada. In this article, we will thoroughly explain everything you need to know about the Canadian student visa.
Conditions for obtaining a Canadian student visa
To get a Canadian student visa, you must meet the following conditions:
Admission to public or private schools in Canada at the elementary, middle, or high school level
Be a maximum of 18 years old
Be accompanied by a parent or guardian, and if they are not accompanying, have a legal guardian (custodian) in Canada
Prove that you have enough financial resources to pay for tuition and cover living expenses for one year in Canada
Have no health issues
Prove intention to leave Canada after completing your studies
Note
Elementary students must be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian when entering Canada and cannot apply on their own.
The custodian must be a citizen or permanent resident of Canada.
What documents are needed?
Individual documents (student)
A scanned copy of a valid passport including stamped pages and visa label pages, if applicable
A scanned translation of the birth certificate along with a Persian copy
One passport-sized photo (3.5 cm x 4.5 cm)
A scanned translation of academic records and transcripts for the last three years (if currently studying, a translated certificate of enrollment is also required)
Letter of acceptance from the school
A scanned translation of the consent letter for leaving the country (if neither parent is accompanying the student)
A scanned translation of the custody certificate (if the parents are separated or if there is a legal guardian other than the parents)
A notarized letter from the custodian (if the parents are not accompanying the student)
Proof of enrollment in a student dormitory or homestay (if parents are not accompanying)
Study plan letter
Defense letter from the lawyer (if there is a lawyer involved in the case)
Forms related to the Canadian study visa
Fingerprinting (not required for students under 14 years old)
Financial documents (sponsor)
Since students under 18 don’t have financial and work independence, it’s essential that their primary family members, preferably their parents, act as their financial sponsors.
Bank statement letter in English
Detailed account activity for the last 4 months
Translation of documents showing the connection between the student and their sponsor to their home country, such as:
Property documents including home, land, shop, or lease agreements related to renting them out
Company registration documents (if applicable)
Other documents demonstrating financial capability, like car registration, gold receipts, etc.
Translation of employment letters and work contracts
Translation of recent pay slips (if applicable)
Translation of insurance records (if applicable)
Translation of a notarized commitment
Translation of birth certificates
Scanned signed passports of parents (sponsors)
School deposit payment receipt (if applicable)
Note
All documents must be in English and in PDF format. The file sizes should not exceed 4 megabytes.
Financial capability for a student visa to Canada
Financial capability is one of the essential documents for a student visa to Canada. If you, as the parents of the student, intend to be their financial sponsors, you need to be able to prove to the Canadian embassy that:
1. You have enough money to cover your child’s tuition and living expenses for one year.
2. You are in a good financial position and stable.
3. If accompanying your child, you need to show additional financial capability to cover your own living expenses in Canada as well.
Attention
The financial amounts and documents you provide for sponsoring your child, as well as for your accompanying visa application (if you are accompanying the child), must be persuasive enough to assure the officer that after arriving in Canada, neither you nor your child will have any financial problems in covering educational and living expenses.
You may want to know exactly how much financial capability is required for the Canadian student visa and also for the student accompanying visa. For more information on this topic, please refer to the financial capability page for Canadian study visas.
Steps to obtain a student visa for Canada
After preparing the necessary documents for the Canadian student visa, it’s now time to apply and send the documents to the Canadian embassy:
1. Visit the Canadian immigration website at cic.gc.ca.
2. Choose the Study option from the visa types.
3. On the new page, click on the “Get a Study Permit” option.
4. You will enter another new page. Click on the “How to Apply” option.
5. After that, on the new page under “Apply Online,” answer the questions.
6. Then, in the “Create an Account” section, create an account and enter the required information.
7. Make sure to answer all the application questions accurately.
8. Finally, in the documents section, upload all the requested documents.
9. After uploading the documents, if your child is 14 years or older and has not previously done fingerprinting at Canadian Visa Application Centers or VAC, you need to check the fingerprinting request option.
10. In the end, enter your banking information and pay the application and fingerprinting fees.
11. Schedule a fingerprinting appointment for your child at one of the VAC offices in neighboring countries of Iran.
12. A while after submitting the application, you will receive a fingerprinting letter.
13. Your child must take the fingerprinting letter and their identification documents to the VAC office on the specified date to get fingerprinted.
14. Congratulations! Your child has received a Pass Request and a visa.
15. Send your child’s passport to the Canadian embassy in one of the neighboring countries to get the visa label.
Student Accompanying Visa for Canada
According to immigration laws, it is possible to immigrate to Canada through your child’s education. To do this, you need to obtain a student accompanying visa. Surely, you have many questions about this matter. Below, we will explain the conditions for obtaining a student accompanying visa and the required documents.
Conditions for a Student Accompanying Visa to Canada
As the father or mother of the student, you must meet the following conditions to obtain the companion visa for Canada:
Prove that you have sufficient financial capability to cover your living expenses during your stay in Canada (usually for the duration of one year of your child’s studies).
If you are also the financial sponsor of your child, you must provide enough funds to cover your child’s tuition and living expenses for one year.
Prove that you will be temporarily in Canada and will return to your home country afterward.
Have no criminal record.
Be physically healthy.
Required Documents
As a parent of a student who intends to accompany them and apply for a student visa (the accompanying student visa is a type of tourist visa), you need to prepare certain documents.
Part of the documents must be identity-related, and another part pertains to proving financial capability. You will need all the financial documents mentioned in the student visa section. In addition to those, you must also prepare the following documents:
A scanned translation of your degree and academic transcripts (if available – not mandatory)
A scanned language certificate (if available – not mandatory)
One recent passport-sized photo, 3.5 by 4.5 cm
A scanned valid passport with all stamped pages
A scanned translation of your birth certificate
A scanned translation of your criminal record certificate
A scanned translation of your marriage certificate
A scanned translation of the military service completion card or exemption card for the father
The necessary forms related to the accompanying student visa
Fingerprinting after submitting the visa application
How long does it take to issue a visa?
The answer to this question is relative. Depending on the situation at the Canadian embassy, this time can take anywhere from 2 weeks to 6 months. There have even been cases where the review process took over a year.
In special circumstances like the COVID-19 pandemic, the evaluation process for Canadian student visa applications was slow. However, there are also times when applications might be reviewed and evaluated quickly. Everything depends on the circumstances at the Canadian embassy and the completeness of your application.
Note that the duration for issuing a Canadian student visa is calculated after fingerprinting.
Cost of a Canadian student visa:
| Application fee for a study permit: | $150 |
| Fee for a student’s accompanying visa: | $100 |
| Fingerprinting fee per person: | $85 |
Studying as a student in Canada:
Education in Canadian schools generally starts at age 5 and continues until age 18. The educational stages in Canadian schools include elementary, middle, and high school. In some schools, middle school and high school are combined, covering grades 6 to 12.
In Canadian high schools, students must complete a set of courses at each grade level. Consider the situation where your child has completed Grade 10 in Iran and now intends to enroll in Grade 11 in Canada. After applying to the school, the outcome of their application might be a bit shocking, as the school may place them back in Grade 10. You might wonder why.
The reason is that some of the courses included in the Grade 10 curriculum in Canada do not exist in the Grade 10 curriculum in Iran, so your child will have to redo Grade 10 in Canada to cover the necessary courses for that grade.
Statistics on Canadian student visas:
The Canadian government issues a number of student visas every year, part of which includes visas for Iranian students. It is worth mentioning that this type of visa numbers is lower compared to other student visas for university levels.
In the table below, you can see the statistics of student visas issued for elementary and high school levels:
| 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | January to February 2022 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total student permits issued at the primary and secondary levels | 62105 | 64115 | 69480 | 45130 | 63905 | 10105 |
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Frequently asked questions
Is it possible to get a scholarship for students in Canada?
No. There is no possibility of getting a scholarship for international students in Canada.
Is education in Canadian schools free?
No. To study in both public and private Canadian schools, tuition fees must be paid.
Can both parents apply for a student visa to accompany their child at the same time?
Both parents can apply simultaneously, but the circumstances of the application shouldn’t suggest a reduced dependency on Iran. Therefore, it’s better for either the father or mother to apply with their child.
How long is the fingerprinting for Canada valid for?
Once fingerprinting for Canada is done, you won’t need to be fingerprinted again for up to 10 years, and it will remain valid.