Canada Student Visa: Apply for SDS and Non-SDS Student Visas

Canada is an honoured education hub for every stream. The country offers the best courses in medical, engineering, social science, and other fields. It requires an individual to have a Canada student visa. There are two types of student visas in Canada, SDS(Student Direct Stream) and non-SDS. Aspiring students can acquire visas through an online application process. There is a significant difference between a study permit and a Student Visa. A study permit in Canada complements the student visa, allowing an international student to study in Canada freely. It is valid for the student’s course length and can be extended further. There are plenty of international students in Canada. Therefore, most aspirants can easily obtain student visa for Canda with proper documentation. A student should present a strong SOP to study in Canada. After Covid, a student should be fully vaccinated to apply for a study permit. Both SDS and non-SDS visas have different eligibility criteria. However, the SDS visa acceptance rate is higher than for Non-SDS visas.

One can accelerate the process of their study permit in Canada through an SDS visa. The majority of SDS visa applications are processed in 20 business days. In SDS visa, IELTS is mandatory, with an average score of 6 to 6.5 in each band.

Only students of certain countries can apply for an SDS visa. You must be a legal resident of these countries to become eligible for an SDS visa:

1. Antigua and Barbuda

2. Brazil

3. China

4. Costa Rica

5. India

6. Morocco

7. Pakistan

8. Peru

9. Philippines

10. Senegal

11. Saint Vincent and Grenadines

12. Trinidad and Tobago

13. Vietnam

If you're not a legal resident of the above-listed countries, you can apply for a Canadian study permit through a non-SDS visa. Apart from this, a student should have a Guaranteed Investment Certificate (GIC) of CAD$10,000. A student should also have a letter of acceptance from their university. LOA is granted to students after they submit the fees for 1st year.

If a student cannot fulfil the requirements for an SDS visa, they can apply for a non-SDS visa. The process timing for a non-SDS visa is generally two months. The acceptance rate of Non-SDS visas is lower than for SDS visas. As per the reports of IRCC, 71% of applications for SDS visas were approved in the year 2021. Whereas for a non-SDS visa, the success rate was 40%.

If the student is applying for a non-SDS visa, they need not give IELTS. A student can give any English proficiency test like Duolingo, PTE, TOELF or IELTS. Unlike an SDS visa, a student does not need to total fees for the first year to apply for a non-SDS visa. Moreover, students do not need to have GIC; they can show proof of funds to become eligible for a study permit through a non-SDS visa. A student can show proof of funds through ITS or bank statements.

The application process for a study permit in Canada is done online. One needs to have proper documents to study in Canada. Apart from this, taking help from experienced counsellors can help the student in many ways. Professional counsellors ease the application process with appropriate guidance. They can also enrich students' SOPs and help them gather all needed documents. You need to follow this process to study permit in Canada:

1. Shortlist your university : a student should have a clear picture in their mind of their goals. They should have it clear at which university they have to study. Along with this, students should also have clarity about the course they want to pursue.

2. Documentation : The student should have all the necessary documents and then apply to the university.

3. Offer letter : After the acceptance of the application, the student receives an offer letter from the university.

4. Fees : The student's seat is confirmed after they submit fees to the college. Total fees of 1st year if a student is applying for an SDS visa. If a student is applying for non-SDS, they can also submit fees for a single semester. After successfully submitting fees, the student receives a letter of acceptance from their university. This letter confirms their seat at the university.

5. Guaranteed Investment Certificate : The student needs proof of GIC of CAD10,000 for lodging a Canada Student Visa. GIC serves as proof of a student's living expenses in Canada.

6. Medical : If you want to apply for a student visa in Canada, then medical upfront is mandatory. A panel physician of Canada does the medical examination for applicants.

After fulfilling all these Canadian Student Visa requirements, one can lodge their visa application. After the successful application, a student has to appear for a biometric test. Student Visa Canada costs around the sum of CAD235. The Canadian Student visa application fee is CAD150, and the biometric fee is CAD85.

Once the student has cleared the eligibility criteria, they can get their study permit in Canada and Canada Student Visa.

Many students take one of their family members with them to Canada. In this case, family members need to make an application for their Visa at the same time as the applicant. The family member can apply for a temporary residence permit for work or study.

Students' applications get rejected if they do not submit the required documents. In these conditions, the Canadian embassy returns the application specifying the missing documents.

One can submit the missing document on the online portal of IRCC. Consulting an experienced counsellor saves a student from all this hassle. Counsellors can guide them about all documentation at once; this saves a lot of time for a student.

The chances of getting a study permit rejected are higher if the student chooses to study in a populated area of Canada. For example, the majority of applicants for Toronto and Ontario get dismissed.

Want to get into the top universities of Canada but don't know where to start? Contact the experienced career guides of Meridean Overseas Education Consultants. We are here to choose the best university so you can get a Canada Student Visa and Study Permit in a minimum time. Contact us at our toll-free number 1800-1230-00011 or mail us at application02@meridean.org