Meripet: Studying in Canada

1. Preparing required documents

Unlike American student visa, when you are applying to Canadian student visa in China you are asked to send all required documents with non-refundable processing fee, amount of ￥940
( http://geo.international.gc.ca/asia/china/immigration/beijing/application-fees-ch.asp ) ,
to the embassy of Canada in Beijing through post office. For required documents please go to this link:
http://geo.international.gc.ca/asia/china/immigration/beijing/application-kits-ch.asp

Among notarized files on required documents list notarizing high school diploma can be eliminated for grad school applicants.( I have done so and seen many others did exactly the same )

Students who are studying in inner land colleges suggested to leave their Houku in the city they are located after graduating from university, which will be quit helpful when time comes.

2. Financial demonstration

One of the crucial points in succeeding Canada student visa is financial demonstration to prove that you have the ability to afford your expenses when you get there without bringing any financial burden to your family, which means a big savings should be locked down under your name or parents. Usually, if you are self-paying student, ￥600 thousand for degree study( four years) and ￥400 thousand for masters program( two years). The amount of money you are saving in the bank should have history of 18 month, otherwise you have to logically explain sources of all the money which do not have 18 month of history in your bank account. Money should not be necessarily saved under your name. Your parents are perfect candidates for this matter, brothers and sisters will be fine, even uncles but not as convinced as parents. Splitting the money into two parts is always recommended. Never try to outsmart the embassy, such intentions will result in serious consequences. Always remember that they all are pros and understand Chinese society better than us.

However, if you get full-scholarship and subtraction of tuition from the whole amount being offered is more than $ 10,000.00 CAD/year (scholarship - tuition bigger than $ 10,000.00 CAD/year) , then not providing bank savings would be OK. Not guaranteed though. Nevertheless, after subtraction mine was slightly over the amount mentioned above and I did not provide bank savings except my parents yearly income certificates( less than ￥50 thousand), simply because did not have enough nest eggs. Do not worry too much if your parents are farmers, because my mother is. And yet I got my student visa 3 months ago.

All properties, including car, house and stocks are only can be a supplement unless turned into money by selling them. When you do so make sure to keep receipts/ related materials and send them with the documents required.

Getting a letter, explaining the amount of money you have been offered is enough to pay for your tuition and living expenses, from the secretary of grad school department you are going to is always recommended. ( I have enclosed my supervisor's email saying the same thing mentioned above)

Completeness of documents you have prepared determines the time you will get your visa and result. ( I sent my package a week later than a girl who sent hers, we both have graduated from the same school and have been offered the same amount of money by the same Canadian university. Interestingly, I got my visa earlier than her and yet she ended up receiving a letter from embassy saying that she had to provide more materials. She neither enclosed any financial documents nor bank savings. She did not have job guarantee letter from the unit and it took her half year to get student visa. This case tells us that parents yearly income certificates and job guarantee letter make the difference. Quality of study plan is always a BIG plus.)

3. Checking visa status

The whole visa thing will normally take up to two months, so better start earlier. Four to six days after sending out the documents, the applicant should go to embassy's web page and check with status( http://visa.beijing.gc.ca/templates/bj-ch-visa.aspx?id=2298 ).
It requires your birthday and file number, getting your own file number is a bit tricky. Please refer to this link to learn how to get your own file number:
http://www.taisha.org/bbs/thread-684332-1-1.html.

After getting your file number you have to check with your status every day, checking after 9:00 pm is suggested.

When every time check with your status, you will only see certain numbers with short explanations of your status. Each number represents a whole sentence which states your status. Please refer to the link to find out more:
http://bbs.taisha.org/viewthread.php?tid=187387&extra=page%3D1%26filter%3Ddigest

Normally change of numbers will be in this order if everything goes well:
14- 12- 7- 12-13 . (Mine was 14-12-7-13.) 7 means you have passed first screening process and ready to get medical check whenever you receive medical form, which should be arriving within a week after turning 7.( I waited up to 10 days.) Receiving medical form means 80% of success in getting visa.

4. Medical check

Beijing and Chengdu are two designated cities for northwest part of China to get medical check. Your medical form contains all the information you need and amount of money( forgot exact number, about ￥2500) needed for the check. The whole process of checking will be done within an hour. Make sure to call them and make an appointment before going .

About test: http://www.taisha.org/bbs/thread-527367-1-1.html

5. Study Plan

You are required to write up to two pages long study plan. Do not ever copy from others. Always try to be creative and unique. Main point of writing study plan is to see if you have an intention of immigrating to Canada, so whatever your reason going to Canada is always make sure to state in your study plan that you will come back to China without any hesitation after finishing your school. You could always get some letter from some units as back up file explaining that this unit will accept you after finishing your study, but the unit you getting the letter from must be a good one.

Estimated amount spends on visa process roughly 5000 RMB.

You can have free access to following web, but need to register first http://www.taisha.org/bbs/forum-85-1.html. You will get answers for all of your questions regarding Canada visa application within two days.

If you get refused you can always try for second and third time.
Do not ever lose hope.