Study in Canada – Key Factors

When you decide to study in Canada, you might have a lot of confusion. Here, we will walk you through the different ways by which you can select an institute while studying abroad.  We will also look into what DLIs and PGWP are while moving to Canada for higher education.

How to Choose an Institute in Canada to Study Abroad?

While you select an institute to study in Canada, you have to consider various factors. They include:

  1. Firstly, evaluate your personal and professional goals before you apply for a Canadian student permit. It means that you have to look into and analyze your short, medium, and long-term goals. For instance, you have to consider if you prefer to live in Canada after your studies.
  2. Before applying for your Canada student visa, ensure that the institution you enroll in has certification by the Canadian government. Besides, you have to consider the DLIs status of the institution as well. We will discuss the same in a couple of seconds.
  3. You have to seek the correct guidance and information from authentic and trustworthy sources like ours. It will help you to ensure that you are proceeding in the right direction.
  4. Before applying, you have to look into the options available for international students in the institute and the criteria on PGWP.

What are DLIs?

DLIs refers to a Designated Learning Institution, where an institution will have permission from the Canadian government to enroll foreign or international students. Hence, while applying for a Canada student visa, ensure that your institution has DLIs. For that purpose, you have to cross-check with concerned provinces or territories through the official website. Here, you need to add the details of your institution and include the DLIs number you obtain from there in your permit application.

When you apply for a Canada study permit, DLIs play a crucial role. Currently, some institutions are not coming under DLIs due to Covid guidelines and safety. Besides, you have to cross-check if your institute is on the DLIs list or not. Primary and secondary institutions don’t come under the list, but you can find post-secondary educational institutes.

If your DLIs institute loses its status as DLIs during your education, it can be a concern. Here, when you study in Canada under such a circumstance, you can continue the program until your Canada student permit expires.

Why are Not All Students Eligible for PGWP?

PGWP is the abbreviation for Post Graduate Work Permit, with which you can gain eligibility to work in Canada after completing your graduation. When you decide to study in Canada, one of the reasons will be acquiring a work permit, which will lead you to gain Permanent Residence in time. However, all the students who study in Canada are not eligible for PGWP. Different parameters decide the eligibility criteria for obtaining a work permit when you study abroad.

You have to apply for PGWP within 180 days of receiving your degree, diploma, or official letter from your school. However, while doing so, there are different factors to look into,

such as:

  1. You have to complete the course full-time in Canada. However, it won’t be a concern if you have studied part-time between March 2020 and December 2021.
  2. When you opt for distance learning, it can only be less than 50% of your course. If it is more than that, you cannot apply for PGWP.
  3. You have to complete your course without any issues and fulfill the criteria related to your program. For instance, when you study abroad in a flight school in Canada, the eligibility criteria for PGWP will be different. Hence, you have to look into these factors carefully while applying.
  4. You have to look into the validity of your passport. If it expires while you are in PGWP, your PGWP won’t be valid after that date. You can gain the opportunity to extend it if only the government permits you to do that.
  5. Your course completion time is also essential. If you complete a year’s program in eight months, it might not be an issue. But, if it is less than that, it can be a concern.
  6. Another condition where students fail to gain eligibility for PGWP is when the student takes an unauthorized leave of absence from studies.

Under these conditions, you might not acquire a work permit with your current Canada study permit. However, if you failed to apply for PGWP while studying in Canada, you can always do so within 180 days of returning to your country. Besides, you can also opt for restoring your student status by paying additional fees to the concerned authorities. Another way to do so will be opting for a visitor’s record while in Canada.