Important Steps After Canadian Study Permit Approval
Congratulations!!!! You have completed the first part of your journey of Canadian dream but it’s not over yet.
When you get Temporary Resident Visa (TRV) along with approval letter for your study permit, that is not your final study permit. You have been authorized to enter in Canada as a student. However, the study permit will be issued at the port of entry (POE) when you enter in Canada.
There is a lot that can happen in between now and at the time of entry. You will have to be very careful on the steps you take on next. Last point is extremely important.
Make sure you maintain a clean record in your home country. Last thing you would want is being turned away from Canada after they found that you have been in trouble with law of your home country or country of residence.
Make sure you don’t drain your bank account. You have not entered in Canada yet and at the POE the Canada Immigration Officer has right to verify the proof of funds before entering into Canada. If the funds were not verifiable you may be denied.
Airport pick up can be very challenging if you don’t have any friend or family in Canada. But the good news is many colleges and universities do offer a free airport pick and some of them even offer the first night hotel stay. The key part is that you have to book it well in advance and they may have limitation of number of students who could obtain this service and it’s almost always first come first serve basis.
Finding accommodation is not an easy task especially if you don’t have any known in the city. It may not be very big concern if your college or university is in bigger cities like Calgary, Toronto, Vancouver etc, however it could be a daunting task if your institution happens to be in small centres. The campus accommodation maybe your best bet and they fill fast. You may need to submit a separate application for accommodation as soon as you get accepted. You can also explore websites such as kijiji and rent faster for accommodation ads.
Preparing for the first day could be very exciting and very challenging, especially with the fact of being away from home. Culture shock is a real thing especially if you have never stayed away from home for a longer period. Students may get sad and depressed, and some may even return back. Being in touch with friends and family is very important for emotional support. Use calling cards, free communication apps like WhatsApp, FaceTime etc to stay in touch with your loved one and stay engaged. Don’t let the feeling of being alone and away overwhelm you. You are in Canada for a bigger purpose and always focus on bigger picture. Eventually with time you will adapt and integrate then you will be able to enjoy it more.
DO NOT WORK BEFORE YOUR CLASSES BEGIN. I can’t stress enough on the importance of this. Now you a Canadian study permit which allows you to work off campus under certain conditions. The first and foremost condition is you must be a full time student at a DLI. You are not a full time student until your classes begin and therefore working before your classes is against the terms and conditions of your visa. Failing to meet the requirements may result in cancellation of your status and being sent home.
If you are not happy with your current DLI or program, contact us now to get your DLI changed.
