The process of preparing applications and applying for a Canadian student visa often encounters many troublesome problems that make many people feel worried. Therefore, this article will introduce you to all the things to do when applying for a visa and 4 tips to make the interview better for your journey to study in Canada. Stay tuned!

1. Documents to be prepared to apply for a Canadian student visa

Among the types of Canadian study abroad documents, the application to apply for a Canadian student visa is divided into 2 main types: personal documents and financial proof documents.

1.1 Personal papers, education level

The 3 types of documents that you need to have to prepare for a Canadian student visa include:

1 - Health certificate: No matter which country you are studying abroad, you need a general health certificate to ensure that infectious diseases are introduced into the country and reduce the medical burden. The location of the medical examination will be designated by the embassy.

2 - Educational conditions: To study in Canada, your education must be at a Good/Good level to be able to keep up with the programs taught here.

  • Acceptance letter from a school in Canada and the degree and transcript you have in Vietnam.

  • If your studies are not continuous, you need to go to the Consulate to explain this.

3 - Foreign language proficiency: depends on the level of study you want to follow:

  • High school level: No English proficiency is required.

  • College: IELTS 6.0 or TOEFL IBT 71 or higher

  • Undergraduate: IELTS score of 6.5 or TOEFL iBT 79 or above.

  • Graduate Level: IELTS score of 6.7 or TOEFL iBT 90 or above.

1.2 Proof of financial support

You can demonstrate your financial means through at least one of the following:

  • You can demonstrate your financial means through at least one of the following:

  • A Canadian bank account in your name, if you have transferred funds to Canada

  • A Guaranteed Investment Certificate (GIC) from a participating Canadian financial institution

  • Proof of a student or education loan from a bank

  • Your bank statements for the last 4 years

  • Proof of payment of tuition and housing

  • Bank statements convertible to Canadian dollars

  • Letter from the person or school sponsoring your tuition

  • Proof of funding paid from Canada if you have a scholarship or are participating in a Canadian-sponsored education program

2. Documents to prepare for a Canadian student visa


In the types of documents to study in Canada, the documents to prepare for a Canadian student visa are divided into 2 main types: personal documents and financial documents.

2.1 Personal documents, educational level

3 types of documents that you need to prepare for a Canadian student visa include:
1 - Health certificate: No matter which country you study in, you need a general health certificate to ensure that infectious diseases are not introduced into the country and to reduce the burden on health. The location of the health examination will be as designated by the embassy.
(Health examination before applying for a visa, before or after applying for a regular visa)


2 - Educational conditions: To study in Canada, your education must be at a fair/excellent level to be able to keep up with the programs taught here.

Acceptance letter from a school in Canada and the Degree, transcript you have in Vietnam.
If your studies are not continuous, you will need to go to the Consulate to explain this.

3 - Foreign language proficiency depends on the level of study you want to pursue:

  • High school level: No English proficiency required.

  • College level: IELTS score 6.0 or TOEFL IBT 71 or higher

  • Undergraduate level: IELTS score 6.5 or TOEFL iBT 79 or higher.

  • Graduate level: IELTS score 6.7 or TOEFL iBT 90 or higher.

2.2 Proof of Funds

You can prove your finances through at least one of the following:

  • A Canadian bank account in your name, if you have transferred funds to Canada

  • A Guaranteed Investment Certificate (GIC) from a participating Canadian financial institution

  • Proof of a student or education loan from a bank

  • Your bank statements for the last 4 years

  • Proof of payment of tuition and housing fees

  • Bank statements convertible to Canadian dollars

  • Letter from the person or school sponsoring your tuition

  • Proof of funding paid from Canada if you have a scholarship or are participating in a Canadian-sponsored education program

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3. Steps to apply for a Canadian student visa

To make the application preparation process fast, please follow these 5 steps. The 5 steps include from preparing the application submitting the application and preparing for the interview.

3.1. Step 1: Prepare the application to submit to the school you wish to study in Canada

The first is to choose the school, and the field of study you want to study, the schools you choose are those that are recognized by Education Canada as eligible for international admission. It is necessary to learn more about the requirements for English certificates qualifications, and GPA for international students to be sure of receiving an offer of admission.

After you have fully prepared your application, you need to submit it to the school and wait for the offer letter. The offer letter will include the name of the school, the amount of tuition you have to pay for the first year, and the expected start and end dates,...

Note: Feedback should be sent back within the allotted time for the school to "reserve" for you.

3.2. Step 2: Prepare the application for a Canadian student visa

This is an important step and requires a lot of preparation time, so you need to start preparing 3 months in advance. The types of documents and documents required to apply for a Canadian student visa include:

  • Proof of finances (if required)

  • Transcript + a translation of the transcript

  • High school or secondary school degree

  • University transcript (for postgraduate level)

  • IELTS (Subject to school requirements)

  • Essay (if required by the school)

Note: Minors (under 18 years old) studying in Canada need to be accompanied by a parent or have a legal guardian in Canada. For more information, you should this is a complicated issue, so you need to contact reputable study abroad centers such as IDP for further advice.

3.3. Step 3: Complete the application form for a Canadian student visa

Many Vietnamese separate visa application forms for studying in Canada require you to fill out and agree on the information. Some forms must be filled out online, and there are also forms that must be filled out in person, so the completion process is also time-consuming and laborious.

Some necessary forms such as:

  • Sample IMM1294E:

Form to fill in student, school, tuition information,... has a total of 4 pages. This form must be filled out online to get the barcode and print it out directly.

  • Sample IMM5645E:

The form fills in information about family, parents, and siblings,... consists of 2 pages.

  • Sample Studypermitquestionaire:

This is a form to declare financial information of parents and relatives in Canada,...

  • Custodianship Declaration Form:

For underage international students. There are 2 different models, one is a model for guardians in Canada (made of 2 sets), and the other is a model for parents in Vietnam.

The application forms are arranged in order: IMM1294E > IMM5645E > Study permit questionnaire.

3.4. Step 4: Pay the Canadian student visa application fee

The two fees you need to pay to apply for a Canadian student visa are the application processing fee and the biometric fee. The application processing fee for studying in Canada is 150 CAD/person, the biometric fee is 85 CAD/person. This fee is non-refundable whether you apply for a visa or not. At the time of re-application, you will still have to pay the same amount again.

In addition to the above 2 types of mandatory fees, you need to pay for other costs such as translation, notarization, and travel insurance,...

Note: In the case of accompanying parents, it is necessary to register at the same time and at the same place.

3.5. Step 5: Submit the dossier

After fully preparing the application and fees, you will submit it at CVAC - the Canadian Visa Application Reception Center of the Consulate General at 2 main offices in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. If you cannot submit in person, you can also submit by post or online.

The processing time for applying for a Canadian student visa is usually 11 weeks for a regular visa.

4. Some frequently asked questions when applying for a Canadian student visa

The 4 most asked questions when applying for a Canadian student visa are:

4.1. Is it difficult to apply for a Canadian student visa?

As long as you prepare all the documents under the regulations, it is not difficult to apply for a visa. Actual statistics show that the number of Vietnamese students ranks 5th out of the total number of international students in Canada. At the same time, according to statistics in 2018, the pass rate of Canadian student visas is up to 86%, equivalent to 8,092 visas issued. Thus, it can be seen that applying for a Canadian student visa is not difficult.

4.2. How long does it take to apply for a Canadian student visa?

The time from the start of preparing visa applications to the time of receiving a visa usually lasts nearly half a year, so if you intend to study in Canada, you should learn early to have more time to prepare.

  • The time from the preparation of the application for admission to the time of submitting the visa application is approximately 3 months. After applying for admission, it is necessary to wait for the school to consider and respond, so the time is extended.

  • Visa waiting time: This is followed by a visa waiting time of 6 weeks to 11 weeks depending on the type of visa you need. The visa type usually has a longer processing time.

Thus, the total time to complete the application for a Canadian student visa is 4.5 months (135 days) at the latest.

4.3. How long is a Canadian student visa valid for?

Canadian student visas last from 1 to 5 years, depending on the program you are studying. After graduation, you can also extend your visa for another 2-3 years depending on the field you have studied and your future job. Therefore, many international students often choose majors that lack human resources in Canada to increase their chances of settling down and extending the visa period after completing their studies.

4.4. Some reasons for being refused a Canadian student visa

Some common reasons for being refused a Canadian student visa include:

  • Low academic performance

  • Unclear learning outcomes

  • False declaration

  • Have been illegally residing in Canada or another country

  • The financial ability is not met.

Therefore, in the process of applying for a visa, you need to comply with the set regulations. In addition, being denied a visa does not affect your next application, so you can still apply until it is granted.

Thus, it can be seen that the process of preparing the application for a Canadian student visa is not too difficult but also has many complicated procedures. Therefore, for the application to be correct and sufficient, you should ask a reputable study abroad counseling center to get a faster and more accurate process.

One of the leading consulting centers in Vietnam is IDP. IDP was established in 1969 in Australia and in 1996 in Vietnam to create opportunities for Vietnamese students/students to go to developed countries to study abroad and expand their understanding.

Coming to IDP, you will be consulted in detail from schools and majors to the necessary types of documents. In particular, the process of applying for a Canadian student visa is always closely followed by a consultant, so it increases your chances of getting a visa and studying in Canada as soon as possible.

Sharing tips for getting a visa with an IDP

IDP has helped over 450,000 students successfully study abroad in the UK, USA, Canada, New Zealand and Ireland. With the extensive experience of a team of consultants, IDP will share experience to carefully and thoughtfully prepare for the Canadian student visa application procedure.

In addition, you will also be consulted by experts to choose a school and major that suits your aspirations, with a success rate of up to 95%.

IDP is always ready to support international students with essential services such as accommodation, health insurance, and international student welfare, booking flight tickets, and organizing pre-departure briefing sessions (Pre-departure briefing sessions) are also supported free of charge by IDP.

You can also actively find out information about the school by experiencing the IDP Live application only at IDP with the Fastlane feature, which supports finding the right course and quickly knowing the results of admission documents with the time shortened by 2-3 times.

Contact IDP to start your Canadian study abroad consultation today!

Free visa consultation