Last Updated On 18 April 2023, 10:17 AM EDT (Toronto Time)
Canada has become one of the most popular destinations for students. With growing interest in Canadian universities and colleges, the number of students applying for study permits has increased significantly.
However, not all students get their study permit; according to IRCC, at least 30 percent are refused.
If your study permit is refused, you have two options: appeal the refusal or apply again, addressing the reasons for refusals.
This article will help you identify 4 common reasons for study permit refusals and what you can do about them.
4 Common reasons for study permit refusals
Reason 1: The visa officer is not convinced you will leave the country after your studies
A study permit is a temporary visa. Hence it has an expiration date and a period of validity. You must demonstrate to the visa officer in your study permit application that you will depart the country when it expires. It does not prevent you from requesting to extend your study permit or request a permanent residence.
The government has created some initiatives to assist students in either transitioning to permanent residency or helping them stay and work in Canada after finishing their education.
It implies that the visa officer must have faith in your ability to leave the country once your status has ended without violating the law. This is usually an issue if you don’t show valid reasons for wanting to go home.
In most cases, your personal statement is the only opportunity to address this issue. However, you should revise your statement to address the visa officer’s concerns if your first application doesn’t persuade them.
In your updated personal statement, you can provide reasons to return home. It can include having family back home, job opportunities, property, etc.
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Reason 2: lack of sufficient funds
When you apply for a study permit, you must show that you have the resources necessary to cover the cost of your travel to Canada, your tuition, and the living expenses of any family accompanying you while you take classes.
The government often requests six months of bank statements to verify that you have sufficient funds. As a result, your application may get rejected if you do not have the resources to support yourself and your family in Canada.
If your application is refused due to a lack of sufficient funds to support yourself, you should pay close attention to the financial documents you included with your application.
Remember that the amount of funds you demonstrate in your application is to show the visa officer that you have enough funds to support yourself. It does not mean that you need to spend that amount of money.
Reason 3: Choice of program
Applications for study permits may occasionally be rejected if the visa officer doesn’t understand the reasoning behind your program of choice.
For instance, someone who wishes to study hospitality or travel management and has a bachelor’s degree in nursing from India and four years of experience as a nurse does not explain the program choice. In addition, the applicant’s educational background and career history don’t seem to fit very well with the chosen program in Canada.
In your personal statement, you must precisely clarify why you wish to study the program you have chosen if, in light of your prior education or professional experience, it seems out of the ordinary. Furthermore, accessing the visa officer’s notes can be quite beneficial.
Applicants typically have good reasons for selecting the schools they apply to, even if they don’t seem obvious. To ensure that the immigration officer understands your decision, you must express your motivation to them clearly.
Reason 4: Your Letter of Acceptance is from a non-DLI
A letter of acceptance from a Canadian educational institution is required before you can apply for a study permit. Your acceptance letter must come from a Canadian-designated learning institution (DLI) registered with the government.
Additionally, you must satisfy all program criteria. The visa officer may reject your acceptance letter if they have issues with its validity or your ability to fulfill the program’s requirements.
You can reapply to a DLI and get a new acceptance letter to resolve this issue. For example, suppose the visa officer has concerns about your ability to fulfill program requirements, such as not having required IELTS scores or meeting specific program requirements.
In that case, you can provide additional documents showing how you meet the requirements or reappear for IELTS with better scores.