In order for a foreign person to study in Canada, a Student Visa (Study Permit) is required in most cases. You have to apply for a Permit to the Canadian Embassy. Since the Canadian Embassy in Tehran is closed at the moment, Iranian applicants are required to submit their application to VAC offices in Turkey or the UAE. To have a successful application, the following conditions must be met:

• You should have been admitted to a Canadian university, college, or school;
• You should have proof of enough financial resources to pay for tuition fees, living expenses, and return transportation to Canada for yourself and any family member that accompanies you to Canada.
• You must have no criminal records, and must not be a security risk to Canada (police clearance may be required);
• You must be in good health (a medical examination may be required); and
• You must satisfy an immigration officer that you will return to your country of origin upon completing your program of study.

As of September 4, 2013, citizens of Iran need to give biometrics (fingerprints and photograph) when applying for a visa.

If you want to study in the province of Quebec, check the provincial guidelines. To apply, you need a certificate of acceptance or a Certificat d’acceptation du Québec (CAQ).

A Letter of Acceptance (Admission) from a Canadian school, college, or university is an indispensable part of any study permit application. Therefore, you should have completed the process of obtaining an admission from an educational institution before you can start applying for a study permit.

It is important to check the application processing times before you start applying. You have to submit your visa application in time, so that your visa is issued well in advance of the start of your study program. As an example, study permit applications currently take at least 10 weeks to be processed.

At Better Life, we can assist you in the process of applying for a Study Permit by providing guidance as well as preparing a professionally designed application package. Please contact us for more information.