Canadian universities and colleges are renowned for
their high-quality education and comfortable student-living environment. Moreover, Canada’s proximity to the
United States - a major job market, adds to the appeal of a Canadian educational institution. It comes as no
surprise that Canadian educational institutions are receiving applications from students across the globe. If
you are an international student looking to apply to a Canadian university, the process beings with
research.
Different Canadian universities have different admissions criteria for international students; therefore, it
is important to contact the university of your choice for their exact details. You can also acquire detailed
information about the admissions process
on the university's website.
The stages of the application process are the same for Canadian as well as international students. First, you
need to acquire the application form from the university that you wish to attend. Most universities offer the
option of downloading application forms from their website itself. Your next step would be to fill in the
application form properly and return it along with all of the necessary documents and application fees.
Expect to receive requests for documentation such as a letter of intent, resume, statement of purpose, essay
and criminal record check. If English is not taught as a primary language in your country of origin, you
would need to undertake a language proficiency test and submit the results along with your application.
International students also need to prove that the quality of their previous education meets Canadian
standards. This can be done by getting your transcripts assessed by individual qualification assessment
agencies. Some options of individual qualification agencies are the IQAS in Alberta, ICES in British Columbia
and the CES of Ontario.
Once the university receives your
application and all of the documents, it will assess your form to determine whether to accept or reject the
application. For successful students, the application process continues when they receive their letter of
acceptance. Their next step would be to apply for a Canadian study permit from the Canadian embassy in their
country. In order to get a Canadian study permit you will need to submit your original letter of acceptance,
along with proof of sufficient funds, a police verification report and an application fee.
If you are selected to attend a university in Quebec, you will need to apply for the Quebec Acceptance
Certificate (CAQ). This certificate is issued by the immigration authority in Quebec, and lasts as long as
your course of study.
Once you acquire all of these documents your application process is complete and you are eligible to study in
Canada. Although the entire process sounds daunting, it can be simplified by planning well in advance. You
should be aware of all of the deadlines and should have all your documents ready in order to ensure that your
application process is completed successful•
Photo courtesy of sxc / ywel