Canada student visa: Here’s why applications are being rejected and how to avoid

Rejection of student visa permits in Canada have been on the rise since the Covid-19 restrictions and air travel ban have been lifted  in 2021. However, students have seen a sharp rise in rejection, especially in the past few days. 

Reports have suggested that students who have IELTS scores of 6.5 to 7, good academic record and financial background have also been rejected. 

A CBC News report have said that of more than two million temporary resident and permanent residency (PR) applications pending in Canada, nearly a million came from India. The report also mentioned that at present, Canada has a backlog of more than 2.4 million immigration applications as of 29 June, up from 1.8 million applications in March.

This data was received from Canada’s Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) department.

Here is why student visa are getting rejected

Experts have suggested that there has been a significant rise in visa application among students for Canada due to declining interest in Australia and New Zealand. 

The bulk rejections and delay in visa approval could be result of these sudden increase in visa application.  Notably, the visa application process for Canada has become a rather long process involving tedious process of 9-12 months. 

Experts have also cited high pendency rate of applications in different categories, fraud documentation by students in some cases, licensing issues with certain private colleges for the increased rejection of Visa permit for students.

Pending applications

A report of the Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration was tabled in the Canadian House of Commons in May titled ‘Differential treatment in recruitment and acceptance rates of foreign students in Quebec and rest of Canada’.

As per this report, in 2021, the total number of Study Permit Applications refused and processed from India were 91,439 and 225,402 respectively. The refusal rate was nearly 41%.

In the case of India, the number of PR applications stands at 96,378 and the number of temporary residence applications is 430,286. The total number of pending applications was 9,56,950, the highest across the world.

As per the report, the number of study visa permits increased by 52% from 2,64,625 in 2016 to 4,02,427 in 2019, which was the highest since Canada’s study visa programme started.

However, in 2020, owing to the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic on travel and access to services to submit the required documentation for a complete application, there was a 36% decrease compared to 2020, when Canada had issued 2,56,740 study permits.

Here is how you can avoid getting rejected

A foremost step to prevent your application from getting rejected is making sure you have all proper documents ready on time. According to the official website of the Government of Canada, while applying for student visa permit you should have the following documents ready

-A letter of acceptance from a designated learning institution (DLI) you’ll be attending

-If you’re under 18 and coming from outside Canada to study, you must study at a DLI with an approved COVID-19 readiness plan, unless you qualify as a fully vaccinated traveller.

-As many of the documents needed for a complete application as possible

-A letter of explanation for any documents that are missing due to Covid-19

-If you plan to study in Quebec, you must provide a valid Québec Acceptance Certificate (CAQ) or your letter of approval for your CAQ.

The website also warns, “We won’t be able to finalize your study permit until you’ve submitted a complete application. Waiting to submit documents will cause delays in processing.”

Please also note that you must apply for a study permit before you come to Canada. Some people can apply for a study permit from within Canada

Here is a quick document check guide for your application

You need these documents to apply for a study permit:

-Proof of acceptance

-Proof of identity

-Proof of financial support

Here’s how to apply for student visa permit in Canada

Students apply for study visas in Canada through Student Direct Stream (SDS) and non-SDS categories. Here are the steps to applying online for student visa permit. 

Step 1: Make sure you have what you need

To apply online, you’ll need:

-A scanner or camera to create electronic copies of your documents

-A valid credit or debit card

Step 2: Read the instruction guide

Even if you apply online, you should read the instruction guide before you complete your application. The guide will explain how to complete each field on the form.

Step 3: Prepare your answers for the online tool

Before you can upload your forms, you must answer some questions. These are used to create a personalized document checklist of the student.

Step 4: Know the fees you have to pay

In most cases, your fees will include:

-Processing fees for you and anyone you include on your application

-Biometrics

You have to pay these fees at the end of the application

Third-party fees

Depending on your situation, you may need to pay third parties for Medical exams, police certificates, language testing, and services at a visa application centre if you use one. 

You won’t pay these fees in your online account. You’ll pay them directly to the third party.

Biometrics fee

In most cases, you should pay a biometrics fee when you submit your application. Otherwise you may experience delays. The biometrics fee covers the cost of collecting fingerprints and a digital photo. Find out if you need to give your biometrics.

Step 5: Create your online account or sign in

You need an account to apply online. You can use your account to:

-Pay your fees

-Submit your application

-Check your status

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