One of the most searched locations in the world for international students is still Canada. Canada welcomes a large number of students from overseas each year, accepting about 450,000 new foreign students in 2021 alone because of its strong educational standards and internationally recognized institutions.
Although Canada welcomes many foreign students each year, some of their applications for study permits are rejected. It can be extremely important to succeed when applying to carefully evaluate the qualifying requirements imposed by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) and the discretion of the IRCC immigration officer considering their application.
Check your eligibility
Specifically, candidates must meet the requirements in order to be granted a study visa. Applicants can achieve this by proving that they:
- Are law-abiding citizens, have no criminal history and pose no threat to Canada’s security; Have been approved to study at a Designated Learning Institution (DLI); a DLI is an institution that has been granted permission by a province or territory government to accommodate overseas students.
- In addition, you must be in good health and willing to submit to a medical examination if necessary.
- As well as possessing any necessary police clearance certificates.
However, be aware that the examining immigration officer’s judgment also plays a role in whether a study visa application is accepted or rejected.
Your immigration officer’s decision
Whether an applicant is successful may depend on their capacity to show immigration officials that they can fulfil the conditions of their stay as students.
How to Increase Your Chances of Obtaining a Study PermitÂ
There are two common reasons for petitions being rejected (though there are more) that don’t include eligibility and involve applicants who can’t persuade immigration officers:
- They are actually visiting Canada to study—between 2019 and 2021, 77% of study permit rejections were the result of IRCC not being convinced that the applicant’s visit was for educational purposes;
- they will depart Canada at the end of their stay—between 2019 and 2021, 26% of study permit rejections were the result of IRCC not being convinced that applicants would depart Canada based on their personal assets and financial situation.
People applying should examine whether their applications show this as clearly as feasible taking this into account. For instance, candidates will probably stand a greater chance of being accepted if they:
- Make that they show a clear, logical transition from their prior education to the Canadian education they are pursuing;
- Ensure they can provide official papers as confirmation of their financial status;
- Ensure that they fulfill the English/French requirements for immigration;
- Explain in your application any significant educational gaps;
- Make it clear that they want to depart Canada once their studies are make it clear that they want to depart Canada once their studies are finished;
- Making sure they file a dual intent application if they also applied for permanent residency at the same time (PR).
- A foreign individual who has applied (or would apply) for permanent residence with dual purpose is one who also applies to enter Canada temporarily as a guest, worker, or student; and
- Include any additional supporting paperwork or information in your submissions to offer the officer more confidence to the officer reviewing their study permit.
Additionally, applicants can look at the streams of study permits for which they might qualify. For nationals of specific countries, the Student Direct Stream is a preferred route to obtaining a Canadian study permit. Due to the higher qualifying requirements for this stream, acceptance rates are often higher; those who are accepted will benefit from accelerated processing timeframes.
How to proceed if your application is rejected
Even though a study permit rejection can be discouraging, candidates can still move forward with their studies in Canada and even improve their chances of approval by reapplying.
The reasons for their rejection (as indicated in the rejection letter) may be considered by applicants, who may then revise their applications as appropriate. Unless otherwise noted, there is no waiting period for IRCC applications, so applicants may submit new applications whenever they are ready.
Last but not least, if a candidate feels that they have been incorrectly refused (and that they do meet the eligibility standards) based on the reasons mentioned in the rejection letter, they should contact the appropriate authority. They may seek for a review of their decision by the Federal Court of Canada.
