US Student and CAQ Financial Proof (Long Post)

[AcadieJB]

Hello everyone!

I'm attending Concordia University as a US citizen and will be working on my MA in English. I'd like some second opinions on the financial proof here. I received a notice about missing documents, essentially saying that my funds were insufficient. I'm reallocating an additional $3500 USD into my bank account from my PayPal to, hopefully, help with what I lacked.

With a tuition of 20,000 CAD for the year, living fees of 12,300 CAD, as well as health insurance (CAD 1000), plane fare (2000 CAD is what I'm guessing), and settlement fee of $500, I need a little over 35k CAD.

I originally could prove $36k CAD, however, I believe the issue was with my scholarships. ORIGINALLY, I sent:
4000 CAD (personal bank account)
23989 CAD (US loan)
5000 CAD (scholarship starting in September with $416 CAD per month)
3200 CAD (teaching assistantship)

I believe the issue is with the disbursement of the teaching assistantship (3200 CAD). There was no disbursement date on it, and I'm guessing that the Ministère could not use it. While I had a little more than required, it seems that you must have at least $1,000 available to you in living expenses per month. Therefore, with only $4000 in my bank account and my other scholarship dispersing $416 CAD per month, I suppose I would come up short during some months.

So, with the additional $3500 USD in my bank account, I'd come to $7000 USD (8800 approximately for CAD.) A grand total of $41,000 CAD just about.

As such, should I provide a letter of explanation with these numbers? I am providing my bank account of the last three months (although this month will have the $3500 USD addition), my official confirmation of my loan provided by the Concordia Financial Aid office, and my scholarship(s).

I'm definitely not gifted in math, so if anything is off, or any further advice, please let me know.

Thank you!

 

[scylla]

Is it a one year program?

 

[AcadieJB]

Is it a one year program?

Two years, but I only need to show one year's worth of financial capacity to the Ministère.

 

[scylla]

Yes - technically you do only need to show one year when applying. Having said that, CIC may wonder where you are going to get the funds to support your second year. We do still see people here refused for financial reasons even when they have enough for the first year (but it's unclear or difficult to see how they will fund their second year). Something to consider when you reapply...

 

[CAQHelp]

Hello! I'm a US citizen going to McGill University for my MSc this fall. It took them one day to give me my CAQ when I received my receipt. Here is what I gave as financial proof:

- I wrote a cover letter stating the attached documents and highlighted all the important sections in each (I indicated that on the paper too).
- I emailed my school and asked for proof of my annual scholarship+tuition amount+additional money that I would receiving. I attached that.
- I attached the first two pages of my letter of agreement, indicating how much my scholarship was and their policies
- I attached the 5,000 CAD increase I would receive on top of my scholarship from the school.
- I also attached a letter from my teacher that would be funding me.

What I didn't indicate:
- How much a round trip ticket would cost
- Bank statement
- That my mother would be helping me pay if needed
- Exact dates to when I'd be receiving this money (I gave an approximate date, but never stated the monthly amounts given)

What money I provided:
- Scholarship of about 27,800
- Additional scholarship of 5,000
- Total: about 32,800

What everything cost:
- Total tuition+health insurance of 19,000
- All additional minimum costs listed on the checklist (yours should be the same)
- Total: Just under 32,000

I also have to say: the ministre does not care about seeing 2 years, only one. Do not show them two years.

I'm confused on why they didn't give you your CAQ, your financial situation seems to be fine. Maybe it was because you indicated your monthly amount and didn't just state your annual amount, making them skeptical about your ability to pay. For your teachers assistantship, perhaps state that you'll start receiving it in early September or early August? With your additional 3,000 though, you should be fine.

Also, you probably know this, but you can do Port of Entry for getting your study permit, so you don't have to worry about applying through the CIC online. You'll need all checklist documents that you brought for your CAQ+your CAQ printout, but that's it.

 

[AcadieJB]

Hello! I'm a US citizen going to McGill University for my MSc this fall. It took them one day to give me my CAQ when I received my receipt. Here is what I gave as financial proof:

- I wrote a cover letter stating the attached documents and highlighted all the important sections in each (I indicated that on the paper too).
- I emailed my school and asked for proof of my annual scholarship+tuition amount+additional money that I would receiving. I attached that.
- I attached the first two pages of my letter of agreement, indicating how much my scholarship was and their policies
- I attached the 5,000 CAD increase I would receive on top of my scholarship from the school.
- I also attached a letter from my teacher that would be funding me.

What I didn't indicate:
- How much a round trip ticket would cost
- Bank statement
- That my mother would be helping me pay if needed
- Exact dates to when I'd be receiving this money (I gave an approximate date, but never stated the monthly amounts given)

What money I provided:
- Scholarship of about 27,800
- Additional scholarship of 5,000
- Total: about 32,800

What everything cost:
- Total tuition+health insurance of 19,000
- All additional minimum costs listed on the checklist (yours should be the same)
- Total: Just under 32,000

I also have to say: the ministre does not care about seeing 2 years, only one. Do not show them two years.

I'm confused on why they didn't give you your CAQ, your financial situation seems to be fine. Maybe it was because you indicated your monthly amount and didn't just state your annual amount, making them skeptical about your ability to pay. For your teachers assistantship, perhaps state that you'll start receiving it in early September or early August? With your additional 3,000 though, you should be fine.

Also, you probably know this, but you can do Port of Entry for getting your study permit, so you don't have to worry about applying through the CIC online. You'll need all checklist documents that you brought for your CAQ+your CAQ printout, but that's it.

Bless you, lol. My idea is that the $3200 doesn't specify when it'll be released to me--so I could easily go my fall term, for example, with less than $1000 for the month. However, I did state my annual amount, but I suppose the issue is how much I would have monthly. I wasn't rejected, however, it just states I'm missing documents proving my financial capability, and what I did send was inefficient. So, then, $41k CAD should work out?

 

[CAQHelp]

Bless you, lol. My idea is that the $3200 doesn't specify when it'll be released to me--so I could easily go my fall term, for example, with less than $1000 for the month. However, I did state my annual amount, but I suppose the issue is how much I would have monthly. I wasn't rejected, however, it just states I'm missing documents proving my financial capability, and what I did send was inefficient. So, then, $41k CAD should work out?

That's odd that they were concerned about your monthly amount, if that's the case. I left out the monthly amount I would receive (there is one, I just didn't include it), but perhaps the officer looking over my documents was a little more lenient.

Either way, 41,000 is definitely enough. You should be good to go! You should hopefully get your CAQ in a week.