International Students

Student Visa

Upon receipt of your student pilot permit and your letter of acceptance from us, the next step for taking your training in Canada is to obtain a student authorization from the Department of Citizenship and Immigration.

To apply for an authorization you must have:

• a valid passport
• a letter of acceptance from an educational institution.  This must be the original, not a photocopy.  It should specify in detail the courses you are taking, confirm that you have been accepted as a student, and indicate the estimated length of study.  Keep this letter after your application to show to immigration officials when you arrive in Canada.
• sufficient funds to cover tuition, living expenses, and medical insurance. You must be able to prove you can support yourself and your dependants before a student authorization may be issued. A letter from your bank in your country, a bank draft of a letter from your source of funding, will show immigration officials that you can afford to pay your expenses and, if necessary, the expenses of your spouse and dependants, while you are in Canada.  These expenses include estimated training costs, food, clothing, shelter, books, transportation, medical insurance, entertainment, personal or family needs and return trips home.

In addition to the above you must:

• complete an application form
• pay a processing fee and possibly complete an immigration medical, which is not the same as the Aviation Medical

Dependants

Husbands and wives of holders of valid student authorizations are eligible for an open employment authorization (provided they are not full-time students themselves) to enable them to take up employment in Canada. This can be obtained only after arrival in Canada.

Children of holders of student authorizations are eligible for open student authorizations to permit them to study at primary or secondary schools in Canada. These should be applied for prior to entry to Canada.

Application Form

To contact the Canadian Embassy or High Commission nearest you, visit the following website http://www.infoexport.gc.ca/Entry.jsp.

NOTE:  You do not need a study permit if you are planning to study in a short-term program in Canada of six months or less.

Think carefully : We encourage you to apply for a study permit before you come to Canada if you are planning to continue on your studies in another program after the short program. This will allow you to apply for your new program from within Canada. Otherwise, you will have to apply to a Canadian visa office abroad.

Most foreign students will need a permit to study in Canada.