How to Apply for a Canadian Student Visa or Visitor Visa

Don’t let your educational plans be spoiled by a delayed or rejected visa application.

You can greatly improve your chance of obtaining a visa by taking a little extra time to prepare your application carefully.

We Will Help

We can help by having our immigration lawyer review your application. We will then try to help by offering advice about how you can improve your application before you submit it to the Canadian embassy. We provide this service, at no charge, to students who meet the following requirements:
1. School fees must be paid in full. If your visa application is rejected, all tuition except CAD$200 will be refunded.
2. Your VEC program must be a minimum of 12 weeks long.
3. You must be from a country whose citizens require visas to enter Canada.
4. Sufficient supporting documentation must be included when you send your application to us.

Preparing Your Visa Application

A thoroughly prepared application should include the following:

  • Completed and signed applications forms (Study Permit application form, additional family information, statutory declaration of common law relationship - if applicable, use of a representative - if applicable).
  • Fees for processing Study Permit application
  • 2 passport-sized photos for each applicant
  • Passport valid for at least one year (and at least 6 months longer than expected period of study), and passports showing previous travel.
  • If you will visit friends or relatives in Canada, photocopies of their Canadian visa, permanent resident or citizenship cards
  • Originals and photocopies of your income tax return for the past two years. If married, provide the same information for your spouse.
  • Bank statements for the past three months, or fixed deposit certificates. You should show that you have as much money as you can.
  • Letter of employment, if applicable, indicating your position, length of service, salary and exact dates of authorized vacation. If married, provide the same information for your spouse.
  • If someone else is paying for the costs of your studies, you must provide a letter (or preferably sworn declaration) from them indicating this.
  • Proof of financial support:
          for applicants who are not self-supporting, provide the above financial documentation for those on whom you depend for support.
  • Proof of the studies you have completed which form the basis for your acceptance into a Canadian school.
  • Proof of acceptance (Letter of Acceptance) from an educational institution.
  • Proof that tuition fees have been paid. The Letter of Acceptance usually serves this purpose.
  • Separate sheet explaining in detail your reasons for wishing to study in Canada. This should include the course(s) you will follow, your total planned length of stay, the total cost for all months/years of study, how you will pay those expenses, and what your plans are following the completion of your studies. In addition, indicate full names and addresses of all persons you plan to visit.
  • Minors (under 18 years old) travelling without a parent:
    - letter (preferably sworn declaration) from the person who will take care of you in Canada. VEC can help you with this.
    - birth certificate
    - notarized declaration from your parents giving temporary custody to an adult in Canada, and a letter from a Canadian resident accepting custody
    - authorization from parents indicating your destination and time of stay in Canada
  • Members of the Armed Forces must complete a military service table (available at the embassy), and may expect a processing delay of at least ten working days
  • If divorced, include details of former spouse on the "additional family information" sheet
  • Travel itinerary including hotel reservations, if applicable
  • If you are not a citizen of the country in which you are applying, you must provide a proof of your present immigration status in the country of application.
  • In some cases, you may be asked to undergo immigration medical examinations and/or police clearances


    Do not hesitate to contact us if you have any questions regarding visas. If we cannot answer your question, we can probably find someone who can.

    Vancouver English Centre
    250 Smithe Street
    Vancouver, BC V6B 1E7 Canada

    Tel.: 1-604-687-1600
    Fax: 1-604-687-1660
    Email: info@vec.ca


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