University: Study permit vs. Visitor record (Please help!)

[aout8]

Hi, I am in such a complicated situation and trying to get some help .
So I am applying for post-secondary schools for this fall (September) under international students. However, while my family was waiting for permanent residency to come out, our visa expired (I believe mine was study permit while I studied in high school and my parents' were work permit?) and we now have to apply for visa extension.

As far as I know, if international students are applying from their home country, they receive their study permit from the school they're going after they get admitted. But I'm in a situation where I graduated high school in Canada couple years ago and trying to go to university in this fall.

So I would like to know:

1. If it's best to extend study permit or apply for new visitor record (as my parents were planning to) and then expect the university to convert the visitor record to study permit.

2. If I go to university with visitor record, is there any extra cost to obtain study permit (and extra time).

3. As for now, my parents applied mine for study permit but if I get accepted to school for following semester, will there be any other extra cost for other reasons? If there is, I'd love to know those reasons as well.


Looking forward for some help! I hope -at least- someone had a similar issue with me! *crossing fingers*
(Moved the post from "International Students" to "Temporary Residence in Canada" to categorize better)

 

[scylla]

You can't attend university on a visitor record. You need a study permit. You can't apply for a study permit until you have been accepted by a school - so that's the first step.

You'll need to pay international student fees since you'll be on a study permit. International student fees are substantially higher than domestic student fees. Make sure you research this and know how much you will have to pay. In order for the study permit to be approved, you'll need to show that you (or your parents) have a bank balance that covers first year tuition + $10K in living expenses.

 

[aout8]

You can't attend university on a visitor record. You need a study permit. You can't apply for a study permit until you have been accepted by a school - so that's the first step.

You'll need to pay international student fees since you'll be on a study permit. International student fees are substantially higher than domestic student fees. Make sure you research this and know how much you will have to pay. In order for the study permit to be approved, you'll need to show that you (or your parents) have a bank balance that covers first year tuition + $10K in living expenses.

Hi Scylla, thank you so much for your reply!
Yes, I am aware of international tuition fee, thanks for reminding me!

So after reading your reply, I came up with other questions (if you don't mind answering them.)

As I wrote earlier, I now don't have legal status to stay in Canada and that's why my parents are into visa restoration right now and if I'm enrolling in school in September, I would receive an offer in around late April to May. So in order to stay in Canada legally (and money-wise) until I receive an offer of admission, do I need to apply for visitor record?

Because in the worst case scenario where I don't get accepted to any schools that I applied to, then all money my parents had spent on study permit will be waste...

1. How would I stay legally in Canada until April to May? (Apply for visitor record? or study permit? or are there any other options?)
2. Looks like my parents are not clear with the idea of study permit.. So do I apply for study permit as soon as I get the offer of admission?
2-i (continuous from #2). If I have to apply for visitor record until I get the study permit, what will happen to my visitor record?

Thank you again kindly