Why Study in Canada?

Canada is the preferred destination for vocational studies rather than degree courses as the former seem to provide more employment opportunities.

Study in Canada for Indian Students :
Minimum academic record of 65% and above for humanities stream in class XII, and 70 – 80% and above for Science/Commerce stream in class XII will also be required.

The major intake season for the top courses in Canada is September, while the minor intake season is January, which is meant for a fairly small number of courses. 

You should start your admission process around six months before the application deadline. Typically most universities have three deadlines, from October to January. Visa application procedure should be complete by June or July for the September intake. The average GMAT score accepted across universities is 640. Average GRE score is 155 for Verbal, 167 for Quantitative and 5.0 for Writing.

Some of the Top Colleges are:

• University of Toronto
• University of British Columbia
• University of Alberta
• Simon Fraser University           
• McGill University
• University of Waterloo
• University of Calgary

Most Opted Courses are:

• Pharmaceutical sciences
• Petroleum Engineering
• Biotechnology
• Animation

Application Timeline:

• August-September
  Start early and by August, shortlist 8-12 universities that you will apply to. Visit university websites and note application requirements, deadlines.

• September to October
  Apply before the deadline.       

• November to April
  Don’t delay replying to college e-mails.
  Appear for personal/video interviews. These are scheduled around January to March.
  Once you get acceptance letters, make your decision as soon as possible, notify the universities of your decision.
• May to July
  Apply for student visa in time.
  Apply for student loan and scholarships
• July to August
  Departure.

VISA

• Begin with the visa process around June, if aiming at the September.
• The visa application process to Canada requires a compulsory medical test for Indian applicants.
• In order to work off-campus, you need to have studied in Canada for at least one year (full time) and you must apply for a work permit through the CIC. If your application is approved, you are only eligible to work up to 20 hours per week while school is in session (and full-time during breaks and the summer).
• The visa application process to Canada requires a compulsory medical test for Indian applicants. Your own doctor cannot perform the medical exam. You must see a doctor on the list of panel physicians, which is provided on the official Canada immigration website http://www.cic.gc.ca/. Once your exam has been completed, the physician will send the results to CIC.      
• In order to undertake temporary work during your graduate program in Canada you will need to obtain a work permit. These are usually issues after a temporary offer of employment has been confirmed by the Human Resources and Skills Development Canada (HRSDC).

Criteria to get a Post Study Work Permit:

• You should have pursued a full-time course in Canada.
• The length of your course should have been more than 8 months.
• You must have graduated from either a public post-secondary institution or a private post-secondary institution or.
• You should apply for work permit within three months (90 days) after receiving official letter saying that you have successfully completed your education from the institute.     
• You will be given the work permit only if you have a student visa.
• You cannot get a work permit longer than your course duration. If your course duration was eight months, then you will receive work permit for eight months. If your course duration was more than two years, then you may receive work permit for three years.      
• Companies that recruit through the university do not offer a job directly. What they offer is an internship or co-op. Companies like to see your work for a few months before they hire you full time.

Finances:

• Graduate courses cost $25,000 – $55,000 per year.
• Living expenses CDN $12,000–$15,000 per year.
• Freshers starting salary: $43,000.        
• Salary after 4 years of work experience: $60,000.

For more abroad career guidance visit Collegepond.