Canada is considered one of the safest, cleanest, and beautiful countries in the world. The country is not only rich in terms of its diverse geographical landscapes and scenic beauty but also the quality of life and opportunities to succeed. Canada is a popular tourist destination and it is chosen by thousands of students for pursuing their academic ambitions as well.

Quality of Living: Canada offers a great life full of adventures. It has been ranked as one of the safest countries in the world. The lifestyle facilities of the country are impeccable. Students will have the chance to lead a peaceful and fulfilling life in Canada. Canada has been a consecutive 1st place holder as the best country in the world for 4 years.

Multicultural Diversity: The demography of Canada is diverse as people from different parts of the world collide here to work and live together in a harmonious environment. Cultural diversity creates a respectful and progressive environment where everyone is treated fairly and equally.

Scenic Beauty: One of Canada’s greatest assets is the gorgeous landscape and geographic beauty. The country falls inside the Arctic Circle surrounded by three oceans (the Pacific, Atlantic, and the Arctic). Canadian cities are famous worldwide for their beauty and picturesque landscape that attracts a large number of tourists every year. The city of Vancouver is particularly famous for its beautiful vistas.

Forgiving Immigration Policies: The Government of Canada is understanding and welcoming. The country has open and accessible immigration and visa policies for students, immigrants, tourists alike. As a result, the country attracts millions of visitors each year.

Quality Education: Canadian universities are evaluated as some of the best academic institutions in the world. Academic certification of the country is held in high regard by other western nations. Canada’s universities maintain high standards of academic excellence and are consistently recognized in top international rankings. 26 of Canada’s universities rank in the QS World University Rankings 2019 and 27 of them in the World University Rankings 2019.

Diverse Selection of Courses: Numerous universities in the country combined offer a massive selection of undergraduate, postgraduate, master’s, doctorate, diploma, and a variety of academic courses and certificates for students. Alongside academic career development, many institutions offer practical and technical experience development facilities. Often, the students have the option to pursue various workshops, short courses, and upgrades for skilled workers and professionals side by side to their main degree program.

Cost of Education: International students are often drowned in student loans and high expenses for studying abroad. But in Canada, the expenses of academic institutions are relatively lower in comparison to similar western countries. Fees for bachelor’s degrees at US public universities are almost 1/3 higher than Canadian universities. Compared to private universities in the US, fees in Canadian universities for undergraduate programs were found to be less than half.

Scholarship Opportunities: For the students who require external funding, the Canadian government alongside various private institutions offer numerous scholarship opportunities so that students can follow their ambition. Universities also provide multiple scholarship programs that can help international students to continue their studies and endeavors.

When expenses become a burden, there are opportunities for international students to avail themselves of scholarships from different sources. The Canadian government, the universities, and a range of private institutions offer a variety of scholarships for students. Although most of the scholarships are targeted at domestic students, international scholarships are also available. It should be noted that different universities tend to offer a different range of scholarships. Students are advised to research scholarship opportunities from their selected universities.

Following is a list of governmental and non-governmental scholarships available for international students:

Banting Postdoctoral Fellowships: The Banting Postdoctoral Fellowships program is one of a suite of elite federal research capacity development programs. The suite begins with early graduate student support through Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarships. The total value of the scholarship is CAD 70,000 for 2 years.

Canada Graduate Scholarships – Master’s Program: The CGS M Program provides financial support to high-caliber scholars who are engaged in eligible master’s or, in some cases, doctoral programs in Canada. This support allows these scholars to fully concentrate on their studies in their chosen fields. The value of the scholarship is $17,500 CAD for 1 year time.

IDRC Research Awards: The IDRC Research awards is a prestigious scholarship program that awards graduates and post-doctoral degree pursuers with generous financial funding up to CAD 40,000 for a year.

NSERC Postgraduate scholarships: The NSERC Postgraduate Scholarships-Doctoral (PGS D) program provides financial support to high-caliber students who are engaged in doctoral programs in the natural sciences or engineering.

Organization of American States (OAS) Academic Scholarship Program: The OAS Academic Scholarship Program (Regular Program), established in 1958, grants scholarships every year for the pursuit of Master’s Degrees, Doctoral Degrees, and Graduate Research leading to a university degree.

Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarships Program: Named after Major-General Georges P. Vanier, the first francophone Governor General of Canada, the Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarship (Vanier CGS) program helps Canadian institutions attract highly qualified doctoral students. The scholarship is valued at $50,000 per year for three years during doctoral studies.

Trudeau Scholarships and Fellowships (Non-Governmental): These scholarships are designed as a Three-year program to train creative and engaged leaders, equipping outstanding doctoral candidates with tools to share and apply their research in their institutions and communities. Scholarships are valued at CAD 60000 total for 3 years.

Many of the students who venture to Canada pursuing their academic careers, often end up looking for future living there. As mentioned earlier, Canada is a wonderful country to live in and settle down. But in order to do so, a student will have to finish their studies and undergo a range of procedures to obtain a PR status or Permanent Residency status.

Several of the provinces require the graduate to hold a Post-Graduation Work Permit. This document gives graduates a window of up to three years to gain the required work experience to qualify for Canadian permanent residence.

In order to obtain PR, the first and foremost documentation that you will require is called a PostGraduate Work Permit. This permit allows an international student who is currently studying or has completed their studies in Canada to remain in the country for a temporary period for acquiring a job and earning a living.

When a student starts the working period, he or she has to create an express entry profile. It is the first step to acquiring a PR in Canada. After this profile is complete, the student will have the ability to apply to a range of immigration programs introduced by the government. Alongside the educational requirements, there are 2 key requirements & terminologies that make a student eligible for these programs They are:

Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) : The Canadian standard is used to describe, measure, and recognize the English language ability of adult immigrants and prospective immigrants who plan to live and work in Canada or apply for citizenship. The Niveaux de compétence linguistique canadiens (NCLC) is used to assess abilities in the French language.

National Occupation Code (NOC):

The National Occupation Classification (NOC) is a list of all the occupations in the Canadian labor market. It describes each job according to skill type and skill level. For immigration purposes, these are the main job groups:

Skill Type 0 (zero): management jobs
Skill Level A: professional jobs that usually call for a degree from a university
Skill Level B: technical jobs and skilled trades that usually call for a college diploma or training as an apprentice
Skill Level C: intermediate jobs that usually call for high school and/or job-specific training
Skill Level D: labor jobs that usually give on-the-job training

The following list illustrates the different requirements for each of the available Permanent Residency programs introduced by the Canadian Government. However, considering the student visa route, the best option for international students will be to go through the Federal Express Entry System. Canada Express Entry is the most popular immigration system offering Canadian permanent residence, introduced by the federal government in January 2015 to replace the old “first come, first served” process.

• Elsewhere, the employer-driven Atlantic Immigration Pilot has a specific stream for international graduates.
• Ontario, Canada’s largest province, leads the way among the provincial nominee programs, with three streams aimed at different levels of graduates, only one of them requiring a job offer.
• Quebec’s international graduate stream also does not require a job offer, provided the candidate has an advanced level of French.
• British Columbia, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Nova Scotia, and Newfoundland also have specific international graduate streams.
• Alberta includes a provision for international graduates under the Alberta Opportunity Stream.
• New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island do not have specific streams, although they are covered under the Atlantic Immigration Pilot.

Reading about all these things can be overwhelming. Let us help you ease into things with direct communication from our team members. You can also hear directly from the students who are actually living in Canada.

The universities in Canada are held to a high standard and reviewed regularly to maintain that position. Different universities from different parts of the country offer a diverse range of study fields. Finding a specific course can be hard. The universities primarily offer a Bachelor’s degree and, should students choose to continue studies, followed by a Master’s or a Doctorate degree. Vocational schools give students the choice to earn certificates and diplomas in many different fields.

The following courses are being taken up by international students regularly.

Hospitality and Tourism: Today, hospitality management jobs are diverse and in high demand because of the immense growth that the industry has seen in recent years. As tourism and traveling around the world are becoming mainstream, the hospitality industry has also grown rapidly in Canada.

Health and Science: A bachelor’s in the health sciences has many benefits. People who hold this degree move easily into jobs in the insurance, medical, or research fields. They also receive the education and training that they need to complete a master’s or doctorate degree, which leads to prestige and better pay.

Engineering: The demand for Engineers in Canada is high mainly due to the application of their skills in diverse domains. Many mechanical engineers are employed in the architectural, engineering, and related services industry.

Business: Businesses require expert handlers who can create better strategies and manage organizations. There is a strong demand for business consultants and prominent degree holders get the upper hand.

Agricultural Science: Careers in agriculture and food are incredibly diverse… and they aren’t all on the farm. The agriculture and food sector is at the leading edge of research and innovation to address global challenges.

Computing and IT: A CS graduate from Canada can expect to have a soaring career. As per the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, a 13% growth in Computer Science jobs is expected by 2026.

In terms of academic expenses, Canada can be considered as a less costly option in comparison to other countries where English is spoken daily. Canadian universities can charge students differently and in the case of an international student, the costs are relatively higher. However, they are mostly affordable and convenient. Considering the budget of a student, a diverse range is available for them to discover.

Undergraduate Program Cost: CAD $13,000 to $20,000 per year
Postgraduate Master’s Degree Cost: CAD $17,000 to $25,000 per year
Doctoral Degree Cost: CAD $7,000 to $15,000 per year
Master of Business Administration Cost: CAD $30,000 to $40,000 per year.

* All figures are indicative

The list above has been presented for a basic understanding of the tuition fee expense for an international student. In addition, the living costs of a student should also be considered beforehand.

The cost of living is a complex scenario as it can vary greatly based on how a student intends to live, where the university is located and which university has been selected. To make the calculations less complicated, most university websites offer an estimated range of expenses for international students. Many of the universities offer on-campus lodging which is affordable, but there are outside options available as well. Like everywhere else in the world, living in big cities and urban areas is comparatively expensive than living in a suburban area. Although, for students, the best convenient option would be to live close to campus or in campus dorms, it’s often the costly option.

We have presented a rudimentary estimation of expenses in the following table:

* The presented costs have been calculated based on the most recent estimation.

The Canadian universities have 3 seasons for student intake. They typically call for students during September, which is the fall season. Some schools also take students during the winter season (January). There is also an intake option in May.

To be enrolled, each of the universities requires a specific set of documents regarding the previous academic achievements of the student. There are also some additional documents required. The key issue here is different universities sometimes ask for a different set of documents. However, considering the general perspective the required documents for most of the schools are as following:

There are countless universities and schools in Canada and a lot of them are considered as some of the best academic institutions in the world. The quality of living and the quality of education is held to a high standard in the country. Some of the best schools can are located in Toronto, British Colombia, and Vancouver. McGill University, University of Toronto, Simon Fraser University, University of Alberta, and The University of British Columbia are considered as the best of the bunch. Below is a list of available universities that provide Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees.

*** Insert a list of Universities here ***

The above-mentioned documentation needs to meet certain criteria for a student to be considered eligible.

International English Language Test:

• The minimum TOEFL score required to be considered eligible is 80-84 for Post Graduate Courses.
• The minimum IELTS score required to be considered as eligible is 6 bands. However, it is advised that a 6.5 band is received

Undergraduate Eligibility

• Universities require 13 years of secondary and higher school education for the regular result. However, higher grades may allow 12 years of education to be considered.
• Minimum aggregate marks of 70% in 12th grade for bachelor’s degrees, and above 50% for diplomas and advanced diplomas.
• Mandatory Mathematics course in intermediate level for certain undergraduate courses.

Master’s Eligibility

• Qualification equivalent to the Canadian bachelor’s degree, which requires 16 years of formal education.
• Specific courses require work experience in relevant field of study or job sector.

The Canadian government is welcoming and they have placed a student visa program for international students to gain access to Canada and study there. The permit is mandatory alongside a Temporary Resident Visa (TRV).

It is recommended that students start their visa acquisition procedure 4 months before the session starts. Students can only apply for a visa once they have been accepted by a university situated in Canada and received an official document for starting courses.

The following criteria must be met by a student to be considered eligible.

Documents Required for Filing Application

• Fully completed Application form (all questions answered), dated and signed, indicating students personal mailing address, reliable phone contact, and their personal email address
• Original, valid passport as well as a photocopy of the biodata page
• Family Information Form and Student Questionnaire
• Two passport photographs with a white background and each family member requesting a visa. The photographs should have students’ name printed on the back, dated and taken in the past 6 months
• Letter of Acceptance from students’ educational institute in Canada stating unconditional admission, the course title, duration of the study, level of study, start date (multiple start dates, if applicable), and latest possible date of admission
• IELTS test results have taken within the last 24 months with an overall band of 6.0, with no individual band lower than 6.0
• Photocopy of the most recent diploma/leaving certificate, and most recent mark sheets (for the entire program; consolidated mark sheets are NOT acceptable)
• Copy of tuition fee receipt provided by the institution.