Education in Canada

Benefits of education for immigration to Canada

If you compare the cost of education in Canada with the cost of education in other popular English-speaking countries (USA, UK), Canada offers lower prices for higher education programs, where you can sometimes save up to 50% or more. At the same time, the high quality of education and international recognition of Canadian degrees are well-known facts.
You can study at Canadian universities and colleges at any age. Do not be ashamed if you are of a respectable age and your school years are long gone. In Canada, no one will look at a 30-40-year-old student because adult education is the norm here.

An important factor for an international student is the ability to officially work while studying: up to 20 hours per week during term time and up to 40 hours per week during official vacations. Working part-time while studying is not only a way to earn extra money, but it also provides the opportunity to make connections and networks, which can help you find a job much faster after graduation.

Opportunities for Student Family Members
Your partner is also eligible to apply for an Open Work Permit. Moreover, an invitation or contract from an employer is not required in this case. You can look for work in any field and work for any employer. This is a great help - being able to work and support your family financially is very important while you are adjusting to a new place. Children of international students can attend school for free until the end of high school.
Plus, with a Canadian diploma is much easier to find a job, because the employer knows what kind of diploma you show him, and the work experience gained during the study, will also help faster socialize and will be a great advantage in future employment.

Also note that Canada is a country of immigrants, which means that there are a lot of different accents, which, at times, are not easy to understand. During the study, there is a great opportunity to improve the level of spoken English / French and to deal with a variety of accents because the process of learning is a complete immersion in the language environment and interaction with representatives of cultures and peoples from all over the world. As a result, at the stage of employment, after receiving the diploma, a former student feels quite confident in his/her surroundings and understands the speech addressed to him/her quite well, so he/she feels free in communication.

Also, in most cases, graduates already have an understanding of the Canadian job market, details of resume writing and positioning themselves in professional social networks.

Summing up the information above, we can conclude that the graduate is fully adapted, equipped with knowledge and skills, armed with the right documents and ready to move on to the cherished citizenship of Canada.

First, you need to choose a university and enroll in a program

This is a very important step because it is necessary to remember that an open work permit for graduates (Post Graduation Work Permit (PGWP)) is possible only based on a diploma obtained from a university with DLI (designated learning institution) accreditation. Provincial or territorial governments award institutions this accreditation. If the institution is DLI, it has been assessed and evaluated and is suitable for accepting and teaching international students.

We recommend you pay attention to this important point and check with your advisor or school directly.

You will need a very small package of documents to apply to a college or university in Canada. The good news is that you do not have to be nervous about the entrance exams - in most cases, there are no such exams for international students. In most cases, the package of documents for admission includes an IELTS Academic certificate/certificate of proficiency in French as proof of decent knowledge of the language and several translated documents on education and work experience.

Requirements of universities vary depending on the province or territory of the educational institution.

If you are concerned about what's better: college or university, let's be clear.
College means applied, hands-on learning. Many useful life skills will come in handy in the future.

In terms of cost, the very average figure is 18,000 CAD per year.
The cost depends on several factors:

• College location (prices vary by province and territory)
• the program focus (for example, business programs will be cheaper than technical ones)
• the duration of the program.

Universities in Canada offer continuing education and degree programs. There is a solid academic base and a lot of theory and research. Finally, you can apply for higher and more responsible positions, especially after a master's degree.

Cost: Undergraduate programs tend to be more expensive than college programs. The cost per academic year starts at 18,000 CAD. Again, the price of the program directly depends on the location of the university, the program level, and the duration of the program.

So, you get into the university, then the next step is:
Collect and submit documents to apply for a study permit and a student visa.

Important! A Study Permit can be issued only on the basis of a letter of admission from a recognized university (DLI).

Work while studying

If you go to a Canadian college or university, you can offset some of your expenses by working while studying. You can work up to 20 hours a week while you study and up to 40 hours a week during winter and summer vacation or spring break. In Canada, the minimum hourly wage varies from 11 to 16 Canadian dollars, depending on the province or territory.

In Canada, hourly minimum wages range from C$14 to C$19, depending on the province or territory (as of August 2024). For example, in Ontario the minimum wage is CA$16.55 per hour, in Alberta it is CA$15 per hour, and in British Columbia it is CA$17.40 per hour. Thus, an international student can officially earn up to CA$1,450 in Ontario, CA$1,320 in Alberta and CA$1,530 in British Columbia while studying monthly.

It is extremely important to strictly comply with all conditions and restrictions on work during study in order to qualify for a post-graduate work permit after completing the study program.

Immigration through education

Education in Canada not only allows you to gain new knowledge and practical skills, improve your English to a fluent level, get to know the country and find new friends and future colleagues but also to build a future pathway to immigration or permanent resident status in Canada.

Upon completion of the program, under certain conditions, you will be eligible to apply for a Post-Graduate Work Permit, which is valid for 1 to 3 years and allows you to work in any job without limitations on the number of hours you are allowed to work. Depending on the employment category of the National Occupational Classification, a graduate, after 12 months of continuous full-time work, is eligible to apply for one of the immigration programs for permanent resident status.
Some provinces even have separate provincial immigration programs for recent graduates that do not require a work record, but only completion of a specific degree program (most often at the Master's level).

Immigration through education is a long and costly process that takes 3-5 years to obtain PR status. But it also has many advantages, which we talked about earlier.

Study and graduation

It is entirely up to the student to get through this stage. We recommend that you study hard, complete projects and assignments on time, and never miss classes.

PGWP and moving toward Permanent Residence

The duration of your PGWP will depend on how many years your program of study lasted: if your program was shorter than 2 years, your PGWP will be the same as the duration of your program of study, but if your program of study was longer than 2 years, you may apply for a 3-year PGWP.

Finding an employer and getting a job in order to gain the necessary work experience.
Usually, you need 1-2 years of qualified work experience (NOC 0, A, B) to be eligible for most of the immigration programs.

You can then prepare the required application package for the Canadian Experience Class program through Express Entry or the provincial and pilot programs available to former students. Almost every province is interested in attracting students and retaining them.

Once you have become a Permanent Resident (and have lived in Canada for 2-3 years), you can apply for citizenship.

An undoubted advantage of immigration through education is that Canada is interested in specialists with a local degree, with good English and already familiar with the culture and life of the country.

Both the educational system and visa stages are very well thought out and aimed at allowing foreign students to study and then successfully find a job and settle down in Canada permanently.

It is important to understand that an immigrant in Canada is not a second-class citizen, but one of the many educated and successful professionals who make Canada a second home and allow them to realize the potential that is often unclaimed in their country of origin.

Frequently Asked Questions

Getting an education in Canada is a responsible, long-term and expensive project, the quality preparation for which plays a critical role in the final result in the form of a diploma and further permanent resident status in Canada, and in future citizenship.

We work closely with Kiwi Education, an international educational agency that helps students from all over the world come to Canada to study. Professional educational consultants will help with the selection of educational institutions and programs of study, as well as the preparation of all documents for admission to college and payment for education programs. On Kiwi Education's website, you can find the most common questions and answers about education in Canada, as well as submit a request for an educational consultation.

Learn more about Kiwi Education Canada here.