Study in Canada – Comprehensive guide for Indian students

Everything you need to know about study in Canada, being an Indian student. The information in this blog is for students looking to move to Canada from India, and want to get their Canada study visa. Most of your queries for study in Canada will be solved and you can contact the best Canada student visa consultant in Chandigarh, West Highlander for further guidance. At West Highlander, we have dealt with a wide range of Canada student visa applications for the past 17 years. There are various requirements which need to be met before applying for Canada study visa, you will get step by step guidance for meet these requirements.

This blog covers

Course options for study in Canada after 12th

Eligibility requirements for study in Canada after 12

Course options for study in Canada after graduation

Eligibility requirements for study in Canada after graduation

Study in a University or Community college in Canada

Best Universities, colleges for study in Canada

Importance of right Course Selection for Canada study visa

Canada student visa process 2022

Canada study visa requirements 2022

Canada student visa documents 2022

PGWP (post-graduation work permit) for Canada

Course options for study in Canada after 12th

If the Indian students would like to apply for Canada student visa after completing 12th class education from India then they can choose to do the following programs

Certificate Programs: The certificate programs are offered in most of the colleges and usually have the duration of three to eight months after 12th class. After the successful completion of these programs, the graduates get knowledge and skills for entry level profession.

College or University Diploma: The College Diplomas in Canada, have different durations, mostly 2-3 years full time study.

Associate Degree: Arts, humanities, and social science are the main areas in which these degrees are offered. It consists of 2 year full time study and after completing these programs, the students can take admission in the 3rd year of the four-year degree program. The students can enroll in a college or university with the credit points.

Bachelor’s Degree: For students who want to do bachelor’s degree in Canada, can expect to do a 3-4 years of full time study.

Eligibility requirements for study in Canada after 12th

The international students are required to meet certain requirements, before they can become eligible to apply for study in Canada after 12th. The most basic direct entry requirements are academic and English language proficiency test proof. The entry requirements for study in Canada after 12th are mentioned below

Academic requirements

In order to study in Canada after 12th, the Indian students must have completed their 12th class education. The percentage they score in the 12th class, plays a big role, before they get accepted in a college or university in Canada. The minimum percentage that can be accepted in most colleges is 50%, although some colleges have a higher percentage requirements. The students must check the specific requirements of a college or university.

IELTS requirements for study in Canada after 12th

For English language proficiency proof, the Indian students can give the IELTS exam. The minimum required scores are 6.0 overall bands and 6.0 band in each module. In case, the bands are lower than this, there are high chances that the application and Canada study visa might be refused.

Course options for study in Canada after graduation

If the Indian students want to study in Canada after completing their graduation studies or their bachelor’s degree like, BSc, BCom, BBA, BTech, and BA among others, they can do the following courses

Postgraduate diplomas (or graduate certificate courses): Postgraduate diploma courses in Canada have become extremely important with international students, due low tuition fees costs and shorter duration of the program. These programs are career-oriented and provide hands-on experience to the students. There are usually of 1-2 years full time duration.

Masters programs: The duration of master’s program in Canada is usually between 1-2 years. These can be either course based or thesis based, although some colleges or universities offer it as a mixture of both. Canada offers a lot of options for Master’s programs, in the top universities and colleges.

After completing these programs, the students are eligible for PGWP (post-graduation work permit), as a long as they have completed the program in full time study mode. The minimum length of the program must be 8 months. The international students can get up to 3 years of PGWP.

Eligibility requirements for study in Canada after graduation

As with most courses to study in Canada, there are direct entry requirements that need to be met before the Indian students can apply for masters level programs.

Postgraduate diploma academic requirements

The most basic requirement is that the students must have completed a bachelor’s degree, the bachelor’s program can be of 3-4 years of duration from a recognized college or university.

If the students are aiming to study in top colleges and universities in Canada, they must have scored at least 60%-65%. The percentage requirements differ from institute to institute, and many colleges accept 50% score as well, hence it is recommended to do a thorough research before selecting a particular college or university or Canada.

Some of the courses may even require professional work experience of 2 years, like for business or marketing programs.

IELTS requirements for Postgraduate diploma in Canada

Before the students become eligible to apply for the Canada student visa and get admission into the postgraduate diploma programs, they must have given the IELTS exam and scores a minimum overall of 6.5 bands and 6.0 in each module. The students must have this score if they want to apply under the SDS category.

Some of the programs might require a higher band score and it is imperial to check the specific requirements of each program. PTE and TOEFL are also accepted by most of the colleges in Canada.

Masters academic requirements

If the Indian students would prefer the top colleges and good location for their master’s study in Canada, they must have completed their bachelor’s degree and scored at least 65% in a related field. Although, some colleges accept less percentage as well. Some additional requirements are official transcripts of previous academic achievements, letter of recommendation, copy of passport etc.

IELTS requirements for Masters in Canada

The minimum IELTS score requirement is 6.5 overall bands and 6.0 bands in each component. Canada also accepts PTE and TOEFL scores for English language proficiency. The score requirement differs from program to program and it can be as high as 7.0 bands depending on the university.

Study in a University or Community college in Canada

Indian students can choose to study in Canada, either in a university or a community college. There is also an option for private colleges, but most of the international students prefer these. The main factors influencing this decision is cost of tuition fees, family income, and location of the education institutes among others. The decision depends totally on the student’s preference, and they can expect to get good education from either of these.

Best Universities, colleges for study in Canada

There are colleges and universities preferred by international students the most and some of them are

  • University of Alberta
  • University of Toronto
  • University Canada West
  • Trinity Western University
  • University of Northern British Columbia
  • St. Clair College
  • Conestoga College
  • George Brown College
  • Seneca College
  • Centennial College
  • Sheridan College
  • Algonquin College

Importance of right Course Selection for Canada study visa

There are various factors that can make or break the chances of Canada study visa approval. One of the most important factor is that the international students must choose a program to study in Canada that is related to their previous academic history. The selected course must be in succession with the previous education or work experience they might have. If the programs are not related to each other, there are high chances that the Canada student visa might be refused on this basis. The case officer would want to know if the applicants are genuine and want to get added knowledge to what they already have. Therefore, the students must be careful before selecting a program to study in Canada before applying for Canada student visa.

Canada student visa process 2022

There is a specific process for Canada study visa and the students must follow it step by step as given below

Select a course to study in Canada relevant to your academic history

Choose a university or college as per you preferences

Send a complete admission application

Getting the offer letter

Canada student visa documents preparation

Apply for Canada study visa

Receive PPR (passport request)

Receive Canada study visa

Travel to Canada

Get in touch with the best Canada students visa consultant in Chandigarh for step by step guidance for Canada study visa.

Canada study visa requirements 2022

The students must keep in mind to fulfil all the requirements mentioned below before applying for Canada student visa for a higher success chances.

  • Academic requirements as mentioned above in this blog
  • English language proficiency requirements mentioned above
  • Funds requirements for Canada study visa

Having the required funds is extremely important before applying for the Canada study visa. The applicants wanting to study in Canada must have one year of tuition fees and cost of living in Canada liquid funds. Along with that they must also mention who is going to sponsor them to study in Canada and the sponsor’s income proofs. This would be proof that the students can pay for their entire stay in Canada. They should have the GIC certificate (cost of living), CAD $10,000 along with the tuition fees for the 1st year.

Family income requirements for Canada study abroad

Indian students must give proof of the family income before applying for the Canada student visa. Whether the family is engaged in self-employment, business, government or private job, the proofs must be submitted.

Health requirement for Canada study visa

The international students are required to have a medical checkup, to meet the health standards of before study in Canada.

Character requirement

Some specific programs might need the students to have a police check or a working with children check. The international students must have a good character before they study in Canada.

Canada student visa documents 2022

The applicants must have all these required documents for Canada student visa.

  • Passport
  • Academics
  • English Language Proficiency
  • Work Experience (Applicant)-If any
  • Salary Slips (Applicant)-If any
  • ITR’s (2 or 3 Years) (Applicant)-If any
  • ITR’s (2 or 3 Years) – Sponsor
  • Proof of Financial Capacity (Bank Statement, FDR, Balance Certificates etc.)
  • Proof of Income (If Business-Business Registration Certificate, Balance Sheet, Current Account Statement, etc.) (if Agriculture-J forms, Land Fard, Income Certificate) (If Employed- Salary Slips, experience letter etc.
  • Previous Travel or Visa History
  • Family Information (Name, DOB, Country of Birth, Address, Occupation, Marital Status)
  • Family Members Includes: Father, Mother, Real Brother or Sister, Spouse
  • Medical (Applicant)
  • Sponsor Affidavit
  • Sponsor’s contact details
  • Digital Photograph (35*45 mm, white background, matte finish, 80% face visibility)

Note: Any document which is in Hindi, Punjabi or any other language must be translated in English and notary attested.

PGWP (post-graduation work permit) for Canada

Points to keep in mind for PGWP (post-graduation work permit) for Canada,

Students who successfully graduate from a Canadian program are eligible for PGWP.

PGWP (post-graduation work permit) can be between the time periods of 8 months to 3 years maximum.

The students cannot get PGWP duration longer than the duration of study in Canada.

For the most part, the PGWP has the same duration as the period of study, it can go up to a maximum of three years.

More than 50% of the program must be completed as full time study.

The length of the program you study in Canada must be a minimum of 8 months.

The students have 180 days (approx. 5 months) to apply for PGWP after completing the program of study.