Law

How Hard is it For a Foreign Student to Study in Canada?

group-of-studentsStudying in Canada offers individuals the chance to be a foreign student at some of the world’s best universities while enjoying a cultural that is also different and exciting. Canada is a rich blend of many different landscapes and people, and students will have the opportunity to enjoy those attributes as they pursue their academic interests.

French Canada, in particular, is compelling as a study abroad option because it offers American students the chance to live in a place where they can study French that is relatively close to home.

Every year, 130,000 students from around the world head to Canadian universities. However, in order to enroll in a Canadian university, foreigners must take certain steps and meet certain requirements. This process is completed by thousands of Americans each year, and once you have learned the steps, you will see how potentially easy it is to become a foreign student in Canada. Whether these steps are achievable or not depends completely on individual circumstance.

Admission Requirements

Each Canadian university has different admission requirements, and students may have to meet varied requirements depending upon the program into which they are enrolling. In order to find out which requirements they must meet, students should visit the website of the school in which they are interested. There, they will find a list of requirements as well as the contact info for admissions officers who can answer questions about criteria for admissions.

Questions to Ask the Canadian Institution

Before enrolling in a Canadian university, you should ensure that the credits that you are earning will transfer to your original school. Therefore, you may wish to ask the admissions counselor about the following points.

* Whether or not you can complete your current degree at their institution
* If your current credits will transfer
* If their credits will transfer to your original school
* If their degrees are recognized in your home country

Foreign Student Visas

In order to study at a Canadian university, you will need to obtain a study abroad visa. The university to which you are applying will be able to help direct you to the correct visa application form. Once filled out, that form will need to be submitted to the Canadian embassy which is the closest to you.

Any questions that you have about the process can be answered by the Citizenship and Immigration Canada office. They may also be able to help you obtain a worker’s visa if you need to work while you are studying. If you have a family who needs to accompany you, they will be able to help you determine whether or not they need visas as well.

Elementary Students

If you have a child who is a Canadian citizen and you plan to take them back to Canada, you will need to contact the province about which grade level they are at. This is also true if you will be bringing any children with you while you are studying at the Canadian university.

Being a foreign student in Canada is the chance of a lifetime. Admission to the country requires the submission of several forms. Luckily, however, the Canadian immigration officials are (generally) easy to work with, and they make the process feel easy.

(This article is not intended as legal advice, and should not be taken as such.)

Sam Moser is a freelance web content writer who graduated from the School of Journalism at Ryerson University in Toronto, Canada. Sam was inspired the large number to foreign students that come to Canada for school each year. Immigration lawyers have been helping foreign students come to Canada for many years.

One Comment

  1. In Canada there are so many opportunities for students and is a great and eco-friendly country.

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