Education in Canada is affordable and recognized all over the world. More than 130,000 foreign students are welcomed every year and make up a notable part of all students in Canada.

Where to study

There are a lot of great educational institutions in Canada, most famous among them are University of Toronto, York University, McGill University, McMaster University and dozens of others. Even more colleges offer their courses to students from all over the world. The amount of foreign students doubled during the recent years, testifying the quality and popularity of Canadian education.

Given a great diversity of programs offered it is often hard to decide which college or university to choose. To help with such decision there are university ratings on the Internet, showing the popularity of colleges and universities.

Numerous web resources, such as Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada, offer valuable information for foreign students.

Prerequisites

Generally all foreign students must speak English or French to attend an education course. Requirements are different from place to place, but those who consider studying in Canada should bear in mind that they’ll have to pass some kind of language test or assessment, and probably take additional language course. Such courses are often provided for foreign students whose knowledge of English or French is not really sufficient for effective study. Some educational institutions conduct their own tests, others accept test certificates from recognized testing organizations, such as IELTS, TEF, CELPIP etc.

Often an approved transcript of previous education credential is also required. Limited number of universities offer the approval service for fee, other accept credentials approved by organizations such as ECE, IERF, WES or International Credential Assessment Service of Canada.

All requirements usually present in detail on every college or university website.

Study permits

For study courses of 6 months or less it is not required to obtain a study permit – a regular temporary resident visa is sufficient. For any program of more than 6 months the student must apply for a study permit.

Family members can accompany the student, for which purpose they should be included in the application to obtain temporary resident visas and work permits – and they will even have an opportunity to work in Canada. Primary applicant, i.e. the student, under certain circumstances can also have an opportunity to work during the period of study, though there are some limitations.

Costs and fees

Cost of study varies from institution to institution and from program to program. Some inexpensive programs are available for hundreds of dollars – such as 1-month English courses. Others are $10,000/year and more.

Usually registration fee of tens to hundreds of dollars is charged at the time of enrollment. Besides, refund policies may provide for some amount charged in case of cancellation. That means that if for some reason student decides not to attend the course (for example, if he is unable to receive the study permit), than tuition fees may be refunded with certain deductions.

Besides, expenses may include life and health insurance, accommodation expenses etc.

Studying and immigration

Under certain circumstances students in Canada can apply for permanent residence. Most popular are the new Canadian Experience Class and Federal Skilled Worker class. Both of them allow foreign students to become Canadian permanent residents.