Urgent! Need some help changing my college (if possible)

[moustacheanonymous]

I have held my student visa since February 2020 and it is valid till November 2021 and I am enrolled at conestoga college with 16 months program (Mobile Solutions Development). I haven't started my studies yet and had constantly deferred my intake because I was afraid I might get stuck in my home country and would waste my money on online classes.

However, I made up my mind to start my studies in May 2021 and would have travelled in June. But my college deferred me again with 40 another students to September because they reached full capacity. This creates a lot of problem for me because college doesn't even reply to emails of anyone who got deferred and they hold the power to do this again in September if they feel like it and if they did then my plans to go to Canada will be shattered for good because of my visa deadline.

I have emailed my college several times and I don't get any response from them and my idp counsellor never picks up my calls and when I do get a hold of him, he isn't helpful at all and just tells me to mail the college.

Being afraid, I applied to other colleges for September and got an offer letter of Seneca college of two 1 year programs (Bundled). Now, I have a few queries about changing my college.

1. Can I change my college at this point of time? Will I be able to get an extension on my visa and study permit? My idp agent has been really persuasive for me to not change college and even told me that he would not help me at all if I decided to do so. He told me that border officers will not let me enter the country if I did change my college.

2. What kind of problems will I face if I do go through with changing college?

3. My ocas portal credentials are with idp, does changing DLI requires the access to portal? How can I circumvent this issue.

4. How does the fees get transferred? Do I have to file for a refund on Conestoga and wait for the refund and then pay Seneca college again? Or does the fees gets automatically transferred when changing DLI.

5. I have a deadline to accept the offer letter till June 3rd for Seneca, will I get time to pay the fees considering if I have to file for a refund with conestoga?

I would really appreciate if someone could help me out and lay out the steps I have to take to do this. My apologies if I asked any dumb questions and thanks in advance.

Edit:-

6. Forgot to ask another point, will any of this impact my pgwp?

 

[wonderbly]

Did you update IRCC about your deferral each time? I hope you did as you've had your permit for over a year. You can definitely change your college but you will need to apply for a new SP.

 

[moustacheanonymous]

Did you update IRCC about your deferral each time? I hope you did as you've had your permit for over a year. You can definitely change your college but you will need to apply for a new SP.

Isn't student visa different from study permit? I haven't had my study permit since I have not started my studies yet.

 

[Onyeomanacanada]

I would advice you get to Canada first, before changing to another college. This is because if your study permit is approved and you change college while you are still outside Canada you will have to start the study permit application process again.

https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/study-canada/change-schools.html

 

[wonderbly]

Isn't student visa different from study permit? I haven't had my study permit since I have not started my studies yet.

Yes it is different. Either way, you were supposed to have updated IRCC about any deferral beyond 150 days.

 

[Impatient Dankaroo]

I have held my student visa since February 2020 and it is valid till November 2021 and I am enrolled at conestoga college with 16 months program (Mobile Solutions Development). I haven't started my studies yet and had constantly deferred my intake because I was afraid I might get stuck in my home country and would waste my money on online classes.

However, I made up my mind to start my studies in May 2021 and would have travelled in June. But my college deferred me again with 40 another students to September because they reached full capacity. This creates a lot of problem for me because college doesn't even reply to emails of anyone who got deferred and they hold the power to do this again in September if they feel like it and if they did then my plans to go to Canada will be shattered for good because of my visa deadline.

I have emailed my college several times and I don't get any response from them and my idp counsellor never picks up my calls and when I do get a hold of him, he isn't helpful at all and just tells me to mail the college.

Being afraid, I applied to other colleges for September and got an offer letter of Seneca college of two 1 year programs (Bundled). Now, I have a few queries about changing my college.

1. Can I change my college at this point of time? Will I be able to get an extension on my visa and study permit? My idp agent has been really persuasive for me to not change college and even told me that he would not help me at all if I decided to do so. He told me that border officers will not let me enter the country if I did change my college.

2. What kind of problems will I face if I do go through with changing college?

3. My ocas portal credentials are with idp, does changing DLI requires the access to portal? How can I circumvent this issue.

4. How does the fees get transferred? Do I have to file for a refund on Conestoga and wait for the refund and then pay Seneca college again? Or does the fees gets automatically transferred when changing DLI.

5. I have a deadline to accept the offer letter till June 3rd for Seneca, will I get time to pay the fees considering if I have to file for a refund with conestoga?

I would really appreciate if someone could help me out and lay out the steps I have to take to do this. My apologies if I asked any dumb questions and thanks in advance.

Edit:-

6. Forgot to ask another point, will any of this impact my pgwp?

If you are not in Canada then you won't be 'changing colleges', you will have to start a new study permit application.

 

[moustacheanonymous]

I would advice you get to Canada first, before changing to another college. This is because if your study permit is approved and you change college while you are still outside Canada you will have to start the study permit application process again.

https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/study-canada/change-schools.html

Thanks for a polite response. If I go with starting a new study permit application, what will happen to my current study permit application(conestoga)? and I have to file for a refund at the college in that situation? and lastly, if I do this while in Canada, I still need some offer of other college to switch, right? and colleges often reach capacity months before the intake begins, how would that work?

 

[moustacheanonymous]

Yes it is different. Either way, you were supposed to have updated IRCC about any deferral beyond 150 days.

Thank you! I will look into it and notify them.

 

[Simba112]

Thanks for a polite response. If I go with starting a new study permit application, what will happen to my current study permit application(conestoga)? and I have to file for a refund at the college in that situation? and lastly, if I do this while in Canada, I still need some offer of other college to switch, right? and colleges often reach capacity months before the intake begins, how would that work?

If deferral was approved by your DLI and if they can reissue you with revised LOA, my advice is not switching college because study permit is issued at point of entry, what you have now is approved SP sort of confirmation and TRV to travel. Officer can consider your situation with supporting documebts and reissue SP at the border to cover your new study period.

 

[moustacheanonymous]

If deferral was approved by your DLI and if they can reissue you with revised LOA, my advice is not switching college because study permit is issued at point of entry, what you have now is approved SP sort of confirmation and TRV to travel. Officer can consider your situation with supporting documebts and reissue SP at the border to cover your new study period.

I'll receive a new LOA in June. I understood what you wrote. This might possibly be the worst experience from a college I have ever had but I'll stick with it. Would you answer one more question of mine?

I have my Ielts results valid till 12th August. Do I have to retake the exam again before I travel to Canada? or the expired results will be acceptable at the port of entry?

Thank you.

 

[Simba112]

I'll receive a new LOA in June. I understood what you wrote. This might possibly be the worst experience from a college I have ever had but I'll stick with it. Would you answer one more question of mine?

I have my Ielts results valid till 12th August. Do I have to retake the exam again before I travel to Canada? or the expired results will be acceptable at the port of entry?

Thank you.

Except on expired medical, I don't think IELTS will be an issue at POE.