How to Apply for a Student Visa to Canada
To apply for a student visa to Canada, you'll need to collect all of the proper documentation, complete an application, and pay the required fees. Before applying for your visa, you'll need an acceptance letter from the school that will be hosting you since your application will ask for the DLI number printed on the top of the letter. Additionally, get a valid passport and provide proof that you can pay for tuition and housing. In addition to your documentation, fill out an application that will ask for your full name, marital status, citizenship status, address, passport number, and contact information. When you're ready to submit your application, pay all of the required fees online with a credit card.
Receive an acceptance letter from a designated learning institution (DLI). To apply for a student visa to Canada, you first need to have received an acceptance letter from the school that will be hosting you. The application will ask for the DLI number printed on the acceptance letter. This is a series of numbers that begins with the letter “O.” A designated learning institution is a school approved by a provincial or territorial government to host international students. Primary and secondary schools in Canada are also designated learning institutions. Make sure the post-secondary school you plan to attend is on the list of DLIs. Acquire a valid passport. Your passport's validity must extend to cover your stay in Canada. To get a passport, you'll have to apply at a local passport acceptance facility, which may require an appointment. You'll need documentation to apply for a passport, such as form DS-11, proof of citizenship, a government-issued photo I.D., color passport photo, and the fee payment in the form of check or money order. DS-11 is the passport application form that can be downloaded online from https://eforms.state.gov/Forms/ds11.pdf. It can take 6 to 8 weeks to receive your passport in person or by mail through standard service. Expedited service takes 2 to 3 weeks. Provide proof of your ability to pay for tuition and housing. This shows that you have the financial support for paying your tuition and living expenses in Canada prior to attending school there. This should include proof of student loans from a bank, bank statements from the last 4 months, a letter from the person or school giving you money, and a bank draft that can be converted to Canadian dollars. If applicable, prove that you have a Canadian bank account in which you transferred money to Canada. You may also provide a Guaranteed Investment Certificate from a participating Canadian financial institution. You will also need to include proof of fees you've already paid for tuition and housing in Canada. If you have a scholarship or are in a Canadian-funded educational program, you need to submit proof of funding paid by such a program. Canadian Immigration estimates a student would spend at least 10,000 Canadian dollars for every year of their stay. Students must also prove that they have enough funds for the return fare. Prepare 2 recent passport-sized photos to attach to the application. These need to be photos of you that are no older than 6 months. Each photo should be at least 35 by 45 millimetres (1.4 by 1.8 in). On the backs of the photos, include your full name and date of birth. All facial expressions in the photos need to be neutral. You should be facing forward in front of a plain background. Avoid wearing headgear unless it's religious garb. Present a letter of explanation as to why you’re studying in Canada. In this letter you need to explain why you're studying in Canada. Include the subject you're going to study while you're there. Also, state that you understand your responsibilities as a student. No length has been specified for the letter. State why you chose your major to study and why you want to attend that university. You have to prove that you will return to your original country when you're done studying in Canada. Submit a certificate of acceptance if you’re studying in Quebec. In addition to the DLI letter of acceptance, you will also need a certificate of acceptance issued by Quebec if you're going to school there. A foreign student must apply for a CAQ through the Ministry of Immigration, Diversity, and Inclusion (MIDI) located in Quebec. The paper application can be found here http://www.immigration-quebec.gouv.qc.ca/publications/fr/form/Immigration-Quebec_A0506BF.pdf. However, it's only in French, and there is no English version. Fill out a paper application. You will find the paper application here: https://www.canada.ca/content/dam/ircc/migration/ircc/english/pdf/kits/forms/imm1294e.pdf. You can type your answers into the application and print it or print it and write your answers on the paper. The application is divided into sections which include personal information, your marital status, citizenship status, address, your preferred language, passport number, and national identity information. You also need to list any contact information including phone number, email, home address, P.O. box, and so on. If any sections are left incomplete, your application may be denied or delayed. Make sure you fill out all information about your education and work history. You will also be asked about background information such as criminal record, whether you've been committed, if you've ever been denied a visa, and your mental and physical health history. Click the “validate” button on the form to generate a barcode. If you completed the application on the computer and want to print it, you must click “validate” to generate a barcode page. Attach this barcode page to the top of your application when mailing it. If you're applying with family members, each person must print their own application with a barcode page. Sign the application at the end. By signing the application, you're saying that you understood all questions asked and all information you provided is truthful. Being dishonest on your visa application will subject you to penalties, and it could be denied. Pay all the required fees online with a credit card. You will have to pay an application processing fee and if applicable, a biometric fee. Biometrics are considered fingerprints, eye color, hair color, and other physical attributes used to identify you by governments and law enforcement. The biometric fee should be paid at the same time as the processing fee. The study permit costs 150 Canadian dollars. The biometric fee is 85 Canadian dollars per person. Currently, Canada requires nationals from 30 countries to submit biometrics information. On December 31, 2018, Canada will expand biometrics requirements to applicants from Asia, the Asia Pacific, and the Americas. Print 2 receipts as proof of payment. Attach 1 receipt to the application as proof of payment and keep the second one for your own records. Keep it in a safe place, such as a file box with other important papers. Attach all required documents to the application. Include the 2 passport-sized photos, proof of funds, letter of explanation, and letter of acceptance from the DLI. If you're studying in Quebec, remember to include a copy of your certificate of acceptance. Mail your application to a Visa Application Center. If you're mailing a hard copy of your application, locate a Visa Application Center that serves your area to process the application. This applies to people applying outside of Canada. They're located in Los Angeles and New York. The address for the Los Angeles visa application center is: 2120 E Grand Avenue Suite 108A El Segundo, CA, 90245 U.S.A. The address for the New York visa application center is: 290 Madison Ave., 2nd fl. (41st Street & 40th Street) New York, NY 10017 U.S.A. People within Canada can apply online or mail a paper application to the Visa Application Center in Los Angeles. Create a GCKey account to enroll in MyCIC. The online application can be found at this link: https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/application/account.html. This is a Canadian government account that you need to make in order to access the application. On the homepage click the immigration tab, and click “study” in the drop-down menu that appears under the tab. When you're taken to a page that has 2 different account options, choose GCKey. Once you click GCKey, you have to accept the terms and conditions, and then create a user I.D. and password. You'll also be prompted to answer security questions for account recovery. After this, your registration with GCKey is complete. Enroll in an MyCIC account to access the visa application. CIC stands for Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada. This will be your account for managing your visa. Enter your name, age, email address, and preferred language, and hit continue. Next, you'll create security questions and answers to access your account. When you say you're applying for a student visa, you'll be taken through a document checklist to see what documents you'll need to apply. Complete the online application. You'll be required to answer questions about your name, your marital status, citizenship status, address, your preferred language, passport number, and national identity information. You also need to list any contact information including phone number, email, home address, P.O. box, and so on. Upload all documents to your application. Upload 2 passport-sized photos of yourself with your full name and date of birth on the back. You're required to upload your acceptance letter, proof of funds, your letter of explanation, and your Quebec certificate of acceptance if applicable. You will be able to upload all of your documents through your MyCIC account. For this, you need access to a scanner to save your papers as PDF files and access them on your computer. You can click “Upload File” next to each document to attach it to your application. In an online application, digital copies of the photos should be no more than 4MB. When you submit an online application, you don't need to send anything to a Visa Application Center. 
Receive an acceptance letter from a designated learning institution (DLI). Acquire a valid passport. Provide proof of your ability to pay for tuition and housing. Prepare 2 recent passport-sized photos to attach to the application. Present a letter of explanation as to why you’re studying in Canada. Submit a certificate of acceptance if you’re studying in Quebec. Fill out a paper application. Click the “validate” button on the form to generate a barcode. Sign the application at the end. Pay all the required fees online with a credit card. Print 2 receipts as proof of payment. Attach all required documents to the application. Mail your application to a Visa Application Center. Create a GCKey account to enroll in MyCIC. Enroll in an MyCIC account to access the visa application. Complete the online application. Upload all documents to your application. 