Do citizens of "western" countries get study permits more easily?

[elokuu]

A purely hypothetical situation: Let's say we have two students who wish to continue their studies in Canada. Their profiles are otherwise completely identical, but one student (student A) is from a wealthy, already developed country, while the other (student B) is from a country that is still developing. For example, student A is from Switzerland and student B is from India. Is it possible that CIC would give a study permit to student A while refusing it from student B? That is, does CIC discriminate based on the home country of the applicant? Please note that this question is not in any way reflective of my personal opinions - I strongly believe that all applicants should be treated equally. I'm just curious to hear your opinions on if CIC thinks the same way.

 

[mead]

A purely hypothetical situation: Let's say we have two students who wish to continue their studies in Canada. Their profiles are otherwise completely identical, but one student (student A) is from a wealthy, already developed country, while the other (student B) is from a country that is still developing. For example, student A is from Switzerland and student B is from India. Is it possible that CIC would give a study permit to student A while refusing it from student B? That is, does CIC discriminate based on the home country of the applicant? Please note that this question is not in any way reflective of my personal opinions - I strongly believe that all applicants should be treated equally. I'm just curious to hear your opinions on if CIC thinks the same way.

well most European countries dont need a visa to enter canada . secondly when a countries economic situation is good that makes candidate go back to the his country after studies which is what CIC wants. Its like ties to home country.

 

[elokuu]

Yes, most Europeans don't need a visa, but we still need a study permit.

 

[mead]

Yes, most Europeans don't need a visa, but we still need a study permit.

i personally believe that it is very easy for a person from a visa exempt country to get a study permit. This just is my belief could be wrong.

 

[rminhaz]

These countries are visa exempt for a reason, they are financially very stable and the citizens of these countries present a low risk towards canada in regards to immigration. The problem with developing countries is that, there is a high possibility that the citizens will come to Canada and work illegally and also to remain over there without going back to their home countries. Hence the discrimination, albeit logical.

 

[on-hold]

I agree with this, I studied as an American in Canada 20 years ago; I never even considered that I might not get a visa, and at the time I'd never even known that staying illegally was a possibility. My application was my father's bank statement, my Statement of Purpose (to get a B.A.), and my high school transcript. I think it is pretty automatic for students from visa-exempt countries to get educational visas (and note that when they do, it's more often for a regular bachelor or graduate degree, not one of the absurd certificates or diploma programs that 2nd rate Canadian colleges have developed to make money off international students). Furthermore, it's generally assumed that schools from European countries will mesh pretty easily with the Canadian educational system, whether or not this is true.


Note also that Canada's immigration policy makes no sense. It requires foreign students to prove that they'll go home; but then if they get a degree, it gives them favorable treatment in immigrating. Naturally, many foreign students come hoping to become Permanent Residents; but everyone has to pretend that they're here for Camosun College's Diploma Program in Video Game Marketing, or something like that.

 

[mead]

I agree with this, I studied as an American in Canada 20 years ago; I never even considered that I might not get a visa, and at the time I'd never even known that staying illegally was a possibility. My application was my father's bank statement, my Statement of Purpose (to get a B.A.), and my high school transcript. I think it is pretty automatic for students from visa-exempt countries to get educational visas (and note that when they do, it's more often for a regular bachelor or graduate degree, not one of the absurd certificates or diploma programs that 2nd rate Canadian colleges have developed to make money off international students). Furthermore, it's generally assumed that schools from European countries will mesh pretty easily with the Canadian educational system, whether or not this is true.


Note also that Canada's immigration policy makes no sense. It requires foreign students to prove that they'll go home; but then if they get a degree, it gives them favorable treatment in immigrating. Naturally, many foreign students come hoping to become Permanent Residents; but everyone has to pretend that they're here for Camosun College's Diploma Program in Video Game Marketing, or something like that.

lol totally agreed.....i liked the part where u said "absurd certificates or diploma programs that 2nd rate Canadian colleges have developed to make money off international students" ..this is so true.....i really dont know what people do with those diplomas / certificates? drive cabs?

 

[hell911]

^
so all diploma programs s*ck?

 

[on-hold]

^
so all diploma programs s*ck?

Well, I wouldn't go that far. But, consider the following:

- they seem to be offered by colleges, which in Canada are inferior to universities

- they aren't as much as a B.A., and so they seem to cover specialized aspects of things that a B.A. might not, but that should be easy to acquire

- they don't go as in-depth as an M.A.

- it seems very likely that actual working experience in the field would be more valuable

- large numbers of people with inferior academic credentials apply for them (e.g. many threads here)

Personally, I suspect that colleges invented them as a way to try and trick a bit of money out of locals who weren't up for longer courses of study, and then realized that they could market them to foreigners at huge tuition rates. The fact that CEC is an accepted route for citizenship adds to their attraction . . .

 

[mead]

Well, I wouldn't go that far. But, consider the following:

- they seem to be offered by colleges, which in Canada are inferior to universities

- they aren't as much as a B.A., and so they seem to cover specialized aspects of things that a B.A. might not, but that should be easy to acquire

- they don't go as in-depth as an M.A.

- it seems very likely that actual working experience in the field would be more valuable

- large numbers of people with inferior academic credentials apply for them (e.g. many threads here)

Personally, I suspect that colleges invented them as a way to try and trick a bit of money out of locals who weren't up for longer courses of study, and then realized that they could market them to foreigners at huge tuition rates. The fact that CEC is an accepted route for citizenship adds to their attraction . . .

+1 to u ...i know ur going get a lot of thumbs down but you just explained the ground reality

 

[hell911]

but i have seen many people here who completed diploma program with great jobs.

 

[on-hold]

That's good, then, I never said that the things were worthless. Or maybe I did, I can't remember. But I'd ask too:

1) did they get the job with skills from their diploma, or did the diploma get them into Canada where they got a job with their main degree?

2) are they permanent jobs that will grow and develop?

3) would they be better served with a masters?

 

[elokuu]

Wow, this is interesting. Thanks for all the replies, especially on-hold for providing your own experience. So, long story short, do you think that I should have no problem getting the study permit? Here's my profile:

** edited out for privacy reasons **

 

[on-hold]

Wow, this is interesting. Thanks for all the replies, especially on-hold for providing your own experience. So, long story short, do you think that I should have no problem getting the study permit? Here's my profile:

- 28 yo female from Finland
- have a B.Sc. (tech) in Engineering Physics from Finland
- going for a B.Sc. in Computer Science at Memorial University of Newfoundland
- will provide bank statements as proof of funding, planning to take a bank loan of maybe even 70000€ before applying for the study permit
- will explain in my SOP why I want to do another B.Sc. after my current one (desire to switch career paths, job market, etc.) and why I want to do it in Canada

I think you'll have to pay a bit more attention to the SOP, because it's unusual for someone with a B.A. to start over from scratch, and you're funding yourself with loans and doing so in a foreign country. The case I was thinking of was that of a stereotypical 18-year-old with their parents paying for them (myself, back then). CIC might pay you more attention than they did me -- are there no master degrees that would combine something of your old degree with something of what you want to do now?

You should look carefully at different universities, some let you do a second bachelors with only two years of study, or so.

 

[elokuu]

I think you'll have to pay a bit more attention to the SOP, because it's unusual for someone with a B.A. to start over from scratch, and you're funding yourself with loans and doing so in a foreign country. The case I was thinking of was that of a stereotypical 18-year-old with their parents paying for them (myself, back then). CIC might pay you more attention than they did me -- are there no master degrees that would combine something of your old degree with something of what you want to do now?

You should look carefully at different universities, some let you do a second bachelors with only two years of study, or so.

...