Can int'l students opt for "Distance & Online"?

[J.B.]

I haven't been able to find anything on Google and some universities (those with more exhaustive tuition/fees pages) actually list distance & online studies fees for international students, so it appears possible but I wanted to verify.

Basically I'm looking at some of the more affordable universities and as a rule they are all in small, remote towns (specifically one in Newfoundland and one in Manitoba) and while, I'm sure, a small town could offer a lot, I'm thinking that if I get bored after 6 months or a year - could I opt for distance & online courses while on student visa and, say, find an apartment in a bigger, more fun city while continuing studies in the U I originally applied to through internet.

So just wanted to verify, if anyone has experience with this.

Also I wanted to ask if anyone knows how are the living costs calculated - I saw a very detailed (and helpful) post on how much would someone wanting to study in Ryerson (ON) would need (canadavisa.com/canada-immigration-discussion-board/how-much-money-is-enough-to-take-for-first-year-t131226.0.html;msg2003343#msg2003343) to prove their solvency - which is basically tuition costs for 1st year + living costs + plane tickets and I'm wondering do the living costs requirements vary by region and how do I know what would they be for the university I want to apply to to prove I have enough money to support myself.

 

[scylla]

CIC expects you to be able to show $10K for living expenses regardless of where you plan to live - plus a few extra thousand for travel expenses.

I could be wrong, but I don't think a study visa will be approved for a distance / online course. If you are taking the course distance / online as a foreign student - the assumption is that you are doing this from your own country and have no need to physically come to Canada.

 

[J.B.]

Thank you for the info on living expenses! Will take that into account.

In your experience are international students (on student visa) explicitly *barred* from switching to distance/online *after* already having studied in that institution for some time and being on a visa for, let's say, a 4 year undergraduate/bachelors program?

 

[scylla]

In your experience are international students (on student visa) explicitly *barred* from switching to distance/online *after* already having studied in that institution for some time and being on a visa for, let's say, a 4 year undergraduate/bachelors program?

I was born in Canada - so no first hand experience.

I don't remember hearing about anyone on this forum who tried this - and I don't know what the rules state. I would email CIC to ask to make sure you don't create problems for yourself while on the visa. You'll also want to ask if this switch will have any impact on your eligibility for working off campus and the post graduate work permit.

 

[PMM]

Hi

I was born in Canada - so no first hand experience.

I don't remember hearing about anyone on this forum who tried this - and I don't know what the rules state. I would email CIC to ask to make sure you don't create problems for yourself while on the visa. You'll also want to ask if this switch will have any impact on your eligibility for working off campus and the post graduate work permit.

1. OP 12 Section 5.9 bars on-line studies.

5.9. Distance learning

Distance learning can be telelearning, correspondence, or internet courses.
A study permit is a written authorization to engage in studies in Canada and CIC's understanding
of a student is a person authorized to engage in studies in Canada [R1]. Since by definition
distance learning does not require one to be in Canada, a study permit cannot be issued for this
type of course. A foreign national in Canada should not be penalized for studying under distance
learning arrangements. For example, if they are prohibited from engaging in studies as per a
condition of their work permit, they are allowed to engage in distance-learning courses.
Some distance-learning courses of study include an in-Canada portion to the program (e.g.,
special tutorials or writing final exams). If the overall course of study is greater than six months,
then the student requires a study permit for the in-Canada portion of the program, even if the in-
Canada portion is less than six months. (See section 5.5, above, for course or program of study.)
The duration of the study permit should be for the duration of the in-Canada portion only.

 

[J.B.]

^Thanks guys! That def clears any last shred of doubt someone could pull this off, lol.

(I would rate you +1 but I don't see a button to do that anywhere on here...)