@ wondergirl1992: Hi, congrats on your visa! I do have to agree that it'd be better to buy warm clothing here since mas malaki patong ng winter jackets in the Philippines because they know the only market for those clothes are people who travel a lot (a.k.a. may pera hahaha) Trust me, there are a lot of good deals here, especially since Black Friday is coming up. Also, it'd take up more luggage space, and you might want to use every kg you have. Vancouver is getting a little chilly these days though! I would suggest to bring rain boots instead, Raincouver is coming soon hahaha People here have no shame over wearing rain boots, and quite frankly, I find it really comfy hahaha
Re: Application Process
- I really think having a good travel history will help a lot. In my case, I was a fresh grad and although I gave a Certificate of Employment saying I worked for our family business (not a lot of job experience nor money!), I think it really helped my application showing that I've been to several countries in North America and Europe. It's like showing that you've been through rigid visa application processes before and got your visa.
- I took the TOEFL because I knew it would test me on American English and it's also a computer-based exam (TOEFL iBT). Most schools in Canada accept both IELTS and TOEFL so it's really up to you to decide where you think you'd do better in and use that your advantage.
- From what I've gathered here, applying in person allows you to submit more documents that you think will help your application and not be limited with what the online system requires. So if you really feel the need to build a strong case by submitting other documents not on the check-list, then I'd advise to go with the paper-based application.
- For those who will be financially supported by their parents, I didn't even submit an affidavit, I just gave a signed letter of financial of support and it wasn't even notarized or anything haha but the bank statements and bank cert that I did give was from my parents account, and I included their personal records in my application as well (passport, birth cert, marriage cert, etc.)
Re: Post-graduate permits
Sobrang totoo ang sinasabi ni DocRZ and mumay14. Ang daming changes na ginagawa sa immigration this year, and I think it is about time they notice the impact international students are making on the economy.* However, we as students should also be prepared for every outcome possible. The mere fact that we were able to get Canadian credentials is a big advantage already wherever we decide to go next, but like with
any diploma from
any institution in the world, WE ARE NEVER GUARANTEED ANYTHING!
*Fun fact:
In BC, the total spending of international students contributed $2.3B to the province's economy, $80M to the government's revenue and created 25,490 jobs (2012-2013).
Source: BC Council for International Education, "3-YEAR UPDATE ON THE ECONOMIC IMPACT OF INTERNATIONAL EDUCATION IN BRITISH COLUMBIA". (2013)
do good na lng muna sa skul and pray harder na sana maging ok and lahat 
