Getting a student visa might take some time and in some cases can be a surprisingly difficult and confusing procedure. Nevertheless, Canada welcomes more than 130,000 foreign students each year, and the number is consistently growing.
In order to become an international student in Canada, you may need to obtain a student visa, which is often referred to as Canadian study permit, for the specific duration of stay. If you are planning to study in Canada for six months or less, you do not need a Canadian study permit.
Once you have a Canadian study permit, you can apply to renew it from within Canada if you decide to continue your studies. A student permit offers some benefits for full-time international students such as:
- While studying you can do part-time work on-campus
- You can also work off-campus
- You can apply for internships
- Explore job opportunities while studying
In addition, your immediate family (spouses or common-law partners, and children) can accompany you and stay in Canada for the same duration of your Study Permit. Nevertheless, spouses or common-law partners of foreign students are eligible for an open work permit, which means they do not need a job offer or a labour market opinion from Service Canada.