Canada is not only the tenth largest economy in the world, but is also one of the world’s wealthiest nations. It was the first country in the world to adopt multiculturalism as an official policy. Canada holds a proud international reputation for high educational standards and Canadian degrees or diplomas are valued all over the world.
With a Canadian education you will be a prime candidate for opportunities in the growing global market. Canadian institutions are at the forefront of the information technology revolution, ensuring that their students are equipped for the 21st century. Most institutions offer cooperative education and training programs within the course curriculum that allow students to spend a portion of their school year gaining practical experience at the workplace.
The institutions offer an extensive range of courses and Degree programs from Bachelor's to Doctorate's and also Certificate and Professional Degrees. The uniqueness of the Canadian Colleges lies in the combination of employer-centred set of courses. The primary function of these institutes is to respond to the training needs of business, industries, and public service sectors. Thus, students are allowed to work part time i.e 20 hours per week during the first semester on campus and thereafter off campus.
International students can pursue a Masters Degree if they have 16 years of education or a Post Graduate Certificate or Diploma if they have 15 years. There are even some MBA programs that accept 15 years of education. A large number of students from India enrol into the PG Certificate or Diploma programs. These PG Diplomas are offered in a wide variety of fields of study and specialization. Bachelors degree is for 4 years. As per the recent immigration rules, students who graduate from eligible 2 years programmes from Canadian Post secondary institutions will be eligible for an Open wok permit for 3 years and can work for any Canadian employer in any industry. They are not required to have a Canadian job offer at the time of application. Those who have studied for 1 year are eligible to work for 1 year on completion of the course.
Recently, there were some changes in the visa rules for international students which have made their lives very simple by limiting the documents required for application and shortening the processing time. The Canadian High Commission has launched a new visa category designed to expedite the visa process for college applicants with a view to increasing the approval rate. This is called the Students Partners Program (SPP). Under this Program, Students are encouraged to opt for Educational Bank loans to cover their entire Educational expenses and to appear for the IELTS exam Thus one can expect the full visa process to be completed in 3 weeks including medicals.
International students can fulfill the Permanent Resident requirement under the recently launched Canadian Experience category which is an immigration category for Canada's temporary foreign workers and international graduates who wish to become Permanent Residents. Temporary foreign workers and international students are ideal candidates for Canadian immigration (Permanent Residency).
The above benefits have attracted a large number of students to Canada resulting in several students applying for programs for fall intake well in advance. It is advisable for students to apply
as soon as possible and to appear for the IELTS exams ahead of time.
Students who apply this week can save applications fees for several institutions.
Sushil Sukhwani