IRCC has recently announced a two-stage approval process for new study permit applications. This process will provides a Conditional Approval of Study Permit Applications which allows international students to begin their studies online while be at their home country, and then comply with conditions after Visa Application Centers (VACs) will get restored.
In 2019, Canada hosted over 650,000 international students at the post-secondary education level and more than 58,000 former international students have become Canadian permanent residents. The pandemic had significant impact on international students and Canadian Institutions. To support them in the best possible way, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC)has recently announced several major changes, so that international students can start their studies as soon as possible.
These new measures include priority study permit processing for applicants who have submitted a complete application online and allow international students to count time spent in online studies abroad toward their eligibility for a Post Graduation Work Permit [ at least 50% of their program of study is completed in Canada ]. IRCC recently announced to implement a new two-stage approval process for study permit applications. Thus they have introduced a conditional approval process for new applicants to reassure international students are on track to pursue studies in Canada once visa processing services are fully restored, travel restrictions get lifted , and international flight services are restarted.
The new two-stage approval process of Study Permit Applications can simply be explained as below.
- Students who have been Acceptance at a Canadian learning Institution for specific program of study, has enough fund available to support study permit application and other relevant parameters of study permit applications will pass the first-step approval and will be given Approval-in-Principle.
- Once the Approval-in-Principle is issued, Students can begin their studies ONLINE in their home country and will be benefited to have counting of such time spent on online studies towards their post-graduation work permit. They require to meet other criteria of PGWP Program and eventually need to receive full approval of Study Permit Applications before travelling to Canada.
- Students will receive final approval of their Study Permit Applications once they will meet all eligibility and admissibility requirements, including submission of bio-metrics and necessary documents such as an immigration medical exam, a police certificate etc. They can only be able to travel to Canada only after final approval of their Study Permit Applications by IRCC.
This new two stage process is available to international students starting a program of study in fall 2020 term and who submit their Study Permit Application before 15-Sept-2020. This measure will reassure students that they can enroll and begin their studies this fall online, even when they are not able to submit medical and bio-metric due to pandemic related closures.
