Hey, I need your advice

[aliniuz]

Hey guys

My name is Alin, I live in Romania and I'll finish my high-school next year. I'm planning to come in Canada to university and then establish here permanently if things go well for me.
I am posting here today because I heard the immigration process may be very lengthy and I don't want to take any chances.

I would like to apply at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver and I have a couple of questions.
First of all, is it possible to become a permanent resident in Canada ASAP, once I arrived in Canada and found a home and a job there?
Because the British Columbia University has different tuition fees for international students and for domestic students.
students.ubc.ca/finance/fees.cfm?page=tuition

The fees are ten times bigger for international students and I don't have this kind of cash. Besides, I would love to live in Canada and become an Canadian citizen after I graduate. Is this possible?

Maybe it will be relevant to mention that I've worked 1 and a half years during highschool as a professional webdesigner and I have numerous awards and I won many local/national/international contests. I'm pretty good at it and I would like to count on that to get a job when I first come to Vancouver.

Could you guide me please on what procedure should I follow when I'll be immigrating here so I become a permanent resident asap?
With respect,
Alin B.

 

[Qaxlor]

I'm not sure about Canada, but I assume it's similar to the US, you have to have lived there for a couple years to claim resident tuition. If you are applying from outside the country as a student, you're pretty much going to be stuck paying the international student rates for however long you are studying. As far as immigrating ahead of time, the process takes some time and you would need to be able to qualify under one of the existing categories. I don't think your experience would qualify you, but you can check out the self-asessments on the CIC web site here http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/immigrate/index.asp

If you wish to study in Canada now, not only will you have to pay the higher tuition, but you will need to prove you have funds to support yourself, since your ability to work while studying is limited (I think you can work up to 20 hours on campus at the place you are going to school or you can apply for a work permit to work off campus, but again it's limited to 20 hours a week while classes are in session).