Canada Student Visa Rejection On The Increase; Why & How To Avoid It

There has been a rise in visa rejection rates since 2021 when Covid-19 was lifted. The main reason for this is the sharp increase in recent days.

Some people with good IELTS scores, good academic records and financial backgrounds have been denied admission.

A CBS News report reports that there are more than two million immigration applications pending in Canada, with nearly a million coming from Nigeria and other top applicant countries. The report also mentions that Canada has a backlog of 2.4 million immigration applications, up from 1.8 million in March.

This data was received from Canada’s Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) department.

A short thesis on why student visas are getting rejected

Experts believe that students may be looking for alternatives to the US since Canada and Australia are potential options with lower penalties on visa applications in recent years.

More people are applying for visas to Canada, resulting in more rejections and a delayed process. It is taking 9-12 months for Canadian citizens to get visas approved.

Experts say that high pendency rates of applications in different categories and fraud, in some cases, are to blame for the increased rejection of Visa permits. In addition, some colleges may have licensing issues that result in the rejection of Visa permits.

Pending applications

The Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration released a report titled ‘Differential Treatment in Recruitment and Acceptance Rates of Foreign Students in Quebec and the Rest of Canada’ in the Canadian House of Commons.

This report shows that in 2021, the total number of study permit applications from India was 91,439, while 225,402 were processed. The refusal rate was 41%.

Nigeria and other countries with high application rates face a huge problem with pending immigration applications. As of December 11, 2017, there were 9, 56, 950 pending applications. The number of PR and temporary residence applications stood at 96 378 and 430 286 respectively.

The number of study visa permits has increased by 52% from 2016 to 2019, which is the highest value since Canada’s study visa program began.

However, in 2020, owing to the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic on travel and access to services to submit the required documentation for a complete application, there was a 36% decrease compared to 2020 when Canada had issued 2,56,740 study permits.

Here is what you can do to avoid getting rejected

A foremost step to prevent your application from getting rejected is making sure you have all proper documents ready on time. According to the official website of the Government of Canada, while applying for a student visa permit you should have the following documents ready

-A letter of acceptance from a designated learning institution (DLI) you’ll be attending.

-If you come from outside of Canada and are under 18, you must enrol at a DLI that’s approved to meet COVID-19 readiness standards or is recognized as a fully immunized visitor.

-As many of the documents needed for a complete application as possible

-A letter of explanation for any documents that are missing due to Covid-19

-If you plan to study in Quebec, you must provide a valid Québec Acceptance Certificate (CAQ) or your letter of approval for your CAQ.

The website also warns, “We won’t be able to finalize your study permit until you’ve submitted a complete application. Waiting to submit documents will cause delays in processing.”

You must apply for a study permit before you come to Canada. Some people can do this from within Canada.

Here is a quick guide to help you check your documents for errors

What you need to apply for a study permit:

-Proof of acceptance

-Proof of identity

-Proof of financial support

Here’s a breakdown of how to apply for a student visa permit

Here are the steps for applying for a student permit online. The SDS and non-SDS categories are available depending on the requirements of the student.

Step 1: Make sure you have what you need

To apply online, you’ll need:

-A scanner or camera to create electronic copies of your documents

-A valid credit or debit card

Step 2: Read the instruction guide

Even if you apply online, you should read the instruction guide before you complete your application. The guide will explain how to complete each field on the form.

Step 3: Prepare your answers for the online tool

Before you can upload your forms, you must answer some questions. These are used to create a personalized document checklist of the student.

Step 4: Know the fees you have to pay

In most cases, your fees will include:

-Processing fees for you and anyone you include on your application

-Biometrics

You have to pay these fees at the end of the application

Third-party fees

You may need to pay third parties for Medical exams, police certificates, language testing, and services at a visa application centre.

You won’t pay these fees in your online account. You’ll pay them directly to the third party.

Biometrics fee

In most cases, you should pay a biometrics fee when you submit your application. Otherwise, you may experience delays. The biometrics fee covers the cost of collecting fingerprints and a digital photo. Find out if you need to give your biometrics.

Step 5: Create your online account or sign in

You need an account to apply online. You can use your account to:

-Pay your fees

-Submit your application

-Check your status