What’s the Difference Between a Student Visa and Study Permit?

If you are on a journey abroad to pursue further education, you will face several stops before reaching your final destination. Standardized entrance tests, language proficiency tests, educational and financial documents, and the penultimate stop on this journey is your student visa process. While applying for Canada, apart from gathering all the documents required, you should know the difference between a study permit and a student visa. 

Obtaining a student visa is an indispensable part of the application process for international students. After all, you won’t be allowed to enter Canada, let alone go to university/college, if you do not possess a visa. However, a visa is not the only vital document international students would require to embark on their study journey in Canada. 

You must be mulling over the importance of a study permit when you have a student visa, right? A study permit enables international students to pursue their studies at designated learning institutions (DLI) in Canada. It seems simple, right? The problem is they are used interchangeably, whereas they are two different documents. 

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Student Visa Vs. Study Permit

After deciding which university to study in Canada, it is paramount to understand the difference between a student visa and a study permit. Below we have encapsulated the difference between them to make it easier for you to comprehend. 

Difference between Student Visa and Study Permit 

Basis	Study Permit	Student Visa
Definition	The study permit is an indispensable immigration document for all those who study in Canada.	It is an authorization that only lets you enter Canada but not stay and begin your classes.
Cost	CAD 150	No separate cost *
Who Requires One	All international students, however; students studying a program for less than six months don’t need it.	Foreign nationals who desire to study in Canada.
When to Apply	After receiving the confirmation approval from their applied institute or Certificate of Acceptance of Quebec (CAQ) application.	You are not required to apply for a student visa separately.
How to Apply	i) Online At a Port of Entry (Border) – ONLY U.S. Citizens and permanent residents are eligible. OR ii) Offline Using a Paper application – ONLY if you are NOT eligible to apply online.	No separate procedure is required to apply for a student visa.
Needs to be Applied Separately	Yes	No

* Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) fee is CAD 7 

Your Study Permit and Entering Canada  

A Study Permit is a document that gives you the authority/permission to stay in the country. This document entails details about your purpose: why you are here, if there are any limitations in terms of work, what is your reason for studying here, and what course level you are studying. 

Furthermore, you should know that your study permit will be valid for 90 days after you have completed your study program. If you desire to work in Canada, you will have to apply for a post-graduation work permit(PGWP).

Note: The Government of Canada is not responsible for issuing a “Student Visa” to international students. 

After the study permit approval, an international student also receives an electronic travel authorization (eTA) or a visitor visa, which will allow an international student to enter Canada.

Moreover, according to the Government of Canada website, your final authorized study permit will be provided/issued by a border services officer. The officer will utilize your permit reference number, available in the letter of introduction provided by the visa office when they approve your study permit. Remember to double-check that your study permit’s expiration date and personal information are accurate.

The Bottom Line 

A Student Visa is authorization to enter a country. It is a conditional authorization, which indicates that even if you possess a student visa, the officer at the border can deny your entry into Canada. Thus, having a student visa won’t suffice, and you will need a study permit. 

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