World Gates

Reminder!: we are hosting a free online webinar this Friday at 12 PM EST. If you have liked the event, we hope you register for the event as well. Anyone who hopes to begin an education in Canada will benefit from this event!

World Gates Smart Tip: Temporary Resident Visa vs Study Pemit

A work permit or study permit does not, by itself, give you the right to enter Canada. A work permit only gives you the right to work in Canada once you arrive. Similarly, a study permit only gives you the right to study in Canada once you arrive. However, in order to arrive, you need to have a temporary resident visa (TRV). Indeed, IRCC does not automatically issue you a new or extended TRV if you sucessfully extend your work or study permit. If you need a new visitor visa, you may need to submit a separate application. You should apply at least 2 months before your TRV expires.

You can apply for a visitor visa from inside Canada if you meet all the conditions below:
1) You are already legally present in Canada
2) You hold a valid study or work permit
3) You intend to leave and return to Canada in the near future
4) Your existing TRV is expiring, or expired and was valid for only
one entry

World Gates Smart Tip: Student Work Experience & Express Entry Points.

Students who work during their studies may have heard that Canadian work experience counts toward Express Entry points for a Permanent Residence Progam. Canadian work experience does indeed count towards Express Entry points, however, Canadian work experience gained while a student is completing their studies does not. Only work experience gained AFTER graduation using a post graduate work permit (PGWP) counts. And even then, the work experience must be full time, and at least one year or 12 months in total. If the post graduate work experience is part-time, then the experience must be 2 years in total.

Example: During their studies in Canada, students are allowed to work up to 20 hours a week. However, the experience gained during this period does not count towards their Express Entry Profile points. Jaymal graduated from UCW and he is now submitting his profile for Express Entry. During his studies he was working part time as a waiter. That working experience does not count towards his points for his Express Entry profile. If he wants work experience points, he must apply for a PGWP, and have at least 1 year of full-time, or 2 years of part-time work experience.

World Gates Smart Tip: Nigeria Student Express Program

Nigeria Student Express (NSE) is a pilot initiative at the IRCC visa office (VO) in Lagos aimed at improving processing times for study permit applicants in Nigeria who are planning to study at the university level in Canada. NSE is only for students who have a letter of admission for a Bachelor, Master’s or PhD degree program, or other graduate-level studies. Students can apply using a secure financial verification system, MyBank, to show that they have sufficient funds for their studies in Canada. MyBank is available from the principal commercial banks in Nigeria. Prospective students in Nigeria can apply online as soon as they have the required documents. Students are required to provide proof of an IELTS with a minimum of 6 in each of the component bands.

Example: Sunday is a Nigerian student that had submitted an application for the MBA program for January intake. A few weeks after submitting his application he received a letter from IRCC that he qualifies for the Nigeria Student Express program. If Sunday is able to submit the required documents at the set deadline he can have his application processed within a much shorter period of time.

World Gates Smart Tip: Returning home or travelling as an International Student.

Your study permit is not a travel document. By itself, a study permit does not give you the right to travel to or enter Canada. Along with your permit, you may need:
• a visitor visa (temporary resident visa) or
• an Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA)

Depending on where you are from, you may only need your passport. Make sure you know which document you need to travel to and enter Canada.

Having the travel document you need also does not guarantee that you will be be allowed back into Canada. You still must show the border services officer that you meet all the requirements in order to re-enter. If you need a visitor visa to enter Canada make sure the one you have will still be valid when you return to Canada. If your visit visa is set to expire before your return, you must apply to extend it before you leave Canada.

UCW/TSOM example: If you currently are enrolled with UCW/TSOM and wish to travel to visit your family back home you need to ensure that you have a valid Temporary Resident Visa along with your Study Permit. The Study Permit document is what allows you to continue studying in your institution however it will not permit you to travel.