This blog will cover my personal experience of applying for a Canadian study visa. I will also cover the cost of everything in this process.

Note: I will share my experience of this process. while my whole visa file and other stuff are handled and submitted by a consultant which I hired.

My Background:

My background is that I had done my bachelors in electrical engineering from COMSATS University Islamabad. My batch was September 2018- November 2022. My convocation happened on November 3rd, 2022. I had 1.5 months experience of as an Experia intern at PTCL Headquarters Islamabad. Apart from that, I had no other internship experience. Now, let’s start discussing the steps of getting admission in Canada and then for this visa experience.

Requirements for Admission in Canada:

IELTS for Canada Study Visa:

The biggest requirement for admission to a Canadian university or college is IELTS. IELTS is a must for admission in Canada. The minimum band requirement for most Canadian colleges is 6.5 overall with no less than 6 in each module. Some colleges required a minimum of 7 bands. If you have less than 6 in any module then most probably you will not get admission. It’s better to be on the safe side so focus on getting a minimum of 7 bands overall.

I gave my IELTS in October of 2022. So you can say that I started my Canadian study visa process in October of 2022. I gave the computer-based IELTS, not the paper-based ielts. Because the result of computer-based ielts comes within 4 to 5 days while the result of paper-based ielts takes 13 – 15 days. I gave my ielts with British council Pakistan. IDP also takes ielts.

The cost of a Computer Based IELTS at that time was 42,760 Rs.

Steps for Canada Study Visa:

Canada offers 3 intakes. Jan Intake, May Intake, and September Intake. I applied for Sept Intake. Once you have ielts with a minimum of 7 bands in them. These are the next steps.

Choose a Programme and College/Uni

• Identify the Canadian educational institution and program from thousands of different options.
• Check the admission requirements of the institution, including the minimum academic qualifications like CGPA, language proficiency IELTS, Fee Structure, etc, and other specific requirements like semester intakes.
• Ensure that the program and university/college is recognized by the Canadian government and the education department of Canada.

Meet Eligibility Criteria

• Ensure that you meet the eligibility criteria for a study visa. One year uni/college fee is a must requirement for visa + GIC if you want to apply through SDS or Student Direct Stream. including:
  • Sufficient financial support to cover your tuition fees, living expenses, and return transportation.
  • A clean criminal record.
  • a positive outcome of an Upfront medical examination which most people pass easily unless they have a chronic disease.

Apply to the Institution

Apply to the chosen educational institution through their application portal for international portal and provide all the required documents. I suggest you create a folder and Google Drive and have a scanned copy of every document like Academic transcripts(Matric, FSC, And University), Degrees, Ielts tests, CVs, Passports, CNIC, Police Character Certificate PCC, Family Registration Certificate FRC, and any other relevant documents.

Wait for the institution to review your application and issue an acceptance letter (LOA) if you meet their admission criteria. Mine LOA comes within a week as it was filed by my consultant as he was affiliated with that college. Your timeline for an acceptance letter can vary depending on the institution.

Upfront Medical:

After I got my letter of acceptance my consultant asked me to book an appointment upfront medical. It is a one-time medical test that you give before filing your visa application.

I booked my appointment in Islamabad by mailing this mail. canmedpk@iom.int. Just mail at the given mail and automated mail will be replied which asks you for some details.

Reply with these details and you will get an appointment letter. Most probably the location for your upfront medical examination in Islamabad will be Al Maroof International Hospital. I will also link the location of that hospital below. You will pay the medical fee physically at the center.

Let me give you some direction. Just enter the maroof international and go to the first floor. There you will see a line already. They will call you by your country’s name like people for Canada can come forward and they will mark you present by checking your passport.

Then you will be allowed to enter a room where at reception they will take your images. After that, they will give you a token number and you will sit in the waiting area just like the waiting area in a bank. When it’s your turn you will sit at a counter where they will once again verify your details like name passport etc. and then you can pay your upfront medical fee.

A fee of upfront medical for Canada:

At my time in November 2022, the upfront medical fee for Canada was 28,000 Rs. Most probably it will be increased now. The fee will be written on your appointment letter.

Upfront medical exam process:

At the medical examination, they will first measure your height, weight, and blood pressure. Then you will give blood and urine samples. After that, they will take your chest X-rays. And then the final step is a general examination like an eye checkup etc.

Note: Must wear underwear on the examination day. If you know, you know.

Pay Fees

Now, this step can be done before or after Upfront Medical. You must need to Pay a minimum first-year uni fee which is one of the study visa requirements and deposit GIC. which is a minimum of 10,000 Canadian and a max of 20,000 dollars.

To pay the fee all details are written on your LOA. Maybe a link to your uni/college payment page is given where you will create an account and you will be given different payment options. See the Image Below:

I choose flywire transfer your options can vary. By clicking the flywire option you are taken to the flywire portal where a challan for fee payment is generated including the flywire fee which was at my time 30CAD. Flywire gives you five days to pay the fee. After that challan will be expired but you can still create a new challan after 5 days. The uni/college gives about 1- 2 months to you to pay the fee. Remember many colleges like my college allow me to pay only 6 month fee but always pay the 1-year fee as this will greatly increase my chance of a visa.

How to pay college fees in Canada:

To pay the fee print the challan generated from flywire or your payment gateway and a letter of acceptance and take them to your bank. I used HBL to pay my fee. HBL gave me 3 forms to fill out. After filling out all the forms where you will put all the personal details given on the flywire challan. The bank will transfer money from your account to your uni/college account. it can take up to 3 days.

You don’t need a dollar account for paying a fee. Simply have the money in your normal Pakistani account the bank will convert them to cad directly depending on the exchange rate of CAD to PKR on that day. The bank usually charges a very small amount for transfers like 5- 10k Rs. The confirmation for fees from the college usually comes in 1-2 weeks.

How to Pay GIC for Canada:

The process for Paying GIC is the same as paying the college fee as above. But this time instead of flywire you need to open an account with a Canadian bank. The 2 major banks in Canada are CIBC and Scotia Bank. Both banks offer services for GIC. CIBC Bank offers “Simplii Financial” which I chose. I will give you the links for both of these banks below.

Simplii: https://pay.cibc.com/ISBO-SM/payment/#/

Put this Email “Farrukh.mumtaz97@gmail.com” under the referral tab and you will get $50.

Just click on the link and fill out all of your details. Put the GIC amount as 10,000 CAD which is the minimum GIC account. The bank usually charges 150 to $200 transfer fee.

Family Registration Certificate:

You can get FRC online by applying on the NADRA link below:

FRC Apply Here: https://id.nadra.gov.pk/e-id/

Prepare Required Documents

After IELTS, GIC, College Fees, and Upfront Medical Prepare all the necessary documents for your visa application, including:

• A valid passport
• Acceptance letter from the institution
• Proof of financial support GIC Amount, Bank Statement of last 4 months minimum
• Language proficiency test results
• GIC Proof
• 1st Year Fee Proof
• Proof of medical examination, if required
• Any other relevant documents as specified by the visa office

Biometric Verification for Canada Visa:

Once you sent the visa application you will be asked to book an appointment for biometric verification. You can book your appointment by clicking on the link below. Biometric verification centers are usually GERRY offices in Islamabad, Lahore, and Karachi.

Book Biometric Appointment: https://www.vfsglobal.ca/IRCC-AppointmentWave1/Account/RegisterUser?Length=7

The fee for Biometric Verification was $ 85 CAD.

The location fro the Biometric center in Islamabad is attached below:

Submit the Application

Submit a complete visa application, including all required documents, to the nearest Canadian visa office or apply online as the visa office is not in Pakistan.

Attend an Interview

If required, attend an interview with a visa officer to discuss your study plan and answer any questions.

Wait for a Decision

• Wait for a decision on your visa application. If approved, you will receive a study permit, which will allow you to study in Canada.
• If your application is denied, you can either reapply or appeal the decision.

Note: Processing times for study visa applications can vary, so it’s important to apply as early as possible. You can check the processing times on the Government of Canada’s website for the latest information.

Study Permit Application and Study Permit Fee for Canada:

These are the Study Permit Application, Biometric Verification, and Study Permit Fee for Canada as of January 2023.