For reference, this was the SOP I submitted, answering the refusal (which also got rejected):
"Dear Visa Officer,
Good day!
I am writing to you today regarding my reapplication for my study permit in Canada. I was previously refused for the study permit in Canada, with the visa officer providing the following reasons:
Kindly allow me to address each reason in detail:
“Applicant’s motivation to pursue studies in Canada at this point does not seem reasonable.”
In a highly competitive industry such as web content production, being competent in language skills is necessary in order to be at the top of your game. By choosing to study in Canada, I am availing one of the most affordable educational programs which is of the highest global quality.
Being also one of the friendliest countries on earth, the environment in Canada is conducive for learning. I have been to the country before, especially to Toronto. I have also gone to other countries like the United States and other countries in Asia as a tourist. However, compared to these other countries, Canada holds the upper hand, as I saw for myself how much more pleasant the environment is for studying; and because of the diversity of its population.
I also chose Canada because of its edge in advertising. I have come upon these particular figures that attest to this:
- In 2016, the Canadian advertising industry was found to be 10th on the advertising global scale, with an estimated expenditure of $9.14 billion CAD for that year.
- Internet in Canada continues to hold the biggest share of advertising revenues as of 2015, 9.8 percent larger than the TV segment.
- The Canadian industry is seen to go up at 5.2% in 2019.
I will be learning more about the industry alongside students from different parts of the world. By networking with them, I will be able to create a truly global network of colleagues that will serve me well in my future endeavors.
Lastly, as schools such as Seneca invite people at the forefront of Canada’s globally leading advertising industry to lecture or speak to their students, I would like to be able to experience it myself. I also aim to impart this knowledge to my countrymen upon my return from my studies.
I chose Seneca in particular as their Advertising program was the most intuitive among other schools in Toronto. Other factors which drove me to choose Seneca are 1) its combination of practical experience with comprehensive theory, 2) world class instructors and 3) state-of-the-art facilities.
“Applicant completed Bachelor of Science Communications Technology Management in 2002 and work experience since then in the same field and applicant’s intention to study in Canada at the college level.”
The degree that I completed is a hybrid of three disciplines: Communication Arts, Information Technology and Business Management. It tackled general aspects of each discipline, and I was not able to have an in-depth discussion on Communication Arts, which is the discipline I am most passionate about.
In taking up Creative Advertising, I will be able to get a holistic understanding of how advertising works: from the conceptualization of the idea, to the writing and designing of the ad, to the presentation to the client. Each course in my subject breaks down each of these processes. I was not able to learn these in my past degree; I originally wanted to get into the advertising industry from when I graduated, but I was not able to do so because I did not have major subjects in advertising at that time.
With this new opportunity, I will not only be able to learn subjects that I didn’t learn before—I will also learn updated versions of them, and at a standard higher than in any Philippine school. So the Creative Advertising program is an advancement compared to what I learned in my schooling prior to that.
“Motivation to pursue studies in Canada at this point does not appear reasonable given that a course is offered in their home country.”
While there are Communication Arts programs offered throughout the Philippines, the program “Creative Advertising” per se is not offered. The program that I have chosen in Seneca College centers on Advertising, and Advertising only. Alternatively, taking another Communications Arts program in the Philippines would be redundant and would only touch upon very general concepts. Meanwhile, the Seneca College will go direct to the point and teach you advertising in its purest form.
Advertising was a subject I didn’t fully study when I was in in my undergraduate program, and it is only being discussed here in more detail. By learning extra subjects in advertising, I will be fully equipped with the knowledge to become very persuasive in my craft.
I have also been mostly exposed to the writing side of advertising—through this subject I will be able to learn the very technical side of it, and also learn new techniques, such as being a visual advertiser through graphic design.
The difference of these subjects offered in Canada compared to that being taught in the Philippines is that they teach them at a higher global standard, and in pure English, in order to cater to an international audience. So far, the Philippines subjects in advertising only focuses on local brands of advertising, and are not as updated as what is offered in Canada, with Canada’s proximity to the US and the rest of the Western world considered.
In comparison, my degree has only touched upon three advertising subjects, so I was not able to fully grasp the subject in my undergraduate period. In addition, since advertising processes have evolved over time, especially with the influx of a more digital-based form of communication, learning these subjects will offer me new knowledge on the subjects, thus making me more competent in today’s environment.
“The applicant has failed to satisfy me that the course of studies is reasonable in Canada given weighted against the potential career/employment benefits.”
The advantage of studying these advertising courses in Canada (especially Toronto) is because it is based in the Western World, which is the epicenter of global advertising. Their techniques are way ahead of what education in the Philippines has to offer. On top of that, its multicultural environment and student population will encourage a richer sharing of ideas, and will give me an edge when it comes to networking.
My exposure to the Canadian environment will help stay highly competitive. For example, a person with a Canadian degree in advertising/marketing will immediately be hired at a supervisor level compared to a Philippines degree holder. There is also great potential for supervisory position employment in the Philippines, especially with many BPOs coming in from Canada and the US. I also will not leave the Philippines behind, especially since my parents also need me, as they are already in their 70s and require me to manage our family businesses and properties, which are continually bringing in income.
“Applicant’s study plan submitted is general and does not outline a clear career path for which such an educational program would be of benefit.”
Once I am done with the program, I will return to the Philippines, and either pursue a career in traditional advertising, or go back to digital marketing, and apply for a supervisory position.
Right now, I am in an entry position and my aim is to reach the managerial level in digital content production in a multinational company. My aim, once I come back from the Philippines, is to use my newly acquired education to apply to become a digital content manager or digital community manager in top multinational companies in the Philippines.
The digital marketing industry has many openings for this job in the Philippines at the moment. At that time, my newly-obtained global standard credentials will enable to apply for a high paying, senior level job.The program which I have chosen augurs well to these career prospects, as described on the website.
In the long term, after working up to the managerial position and acquainting myself more with the processes of digital content production, I eventually will branch out on my own and start my very own company in the same field, using , to an equal degree, the knowledge I have acquired from my education in Canada, and the knowledge I have acquired from my professional experience before and after my studies in Canada.
(cont.)