International Student Faces Dilemma Between School Deadline and Visa Denial
An international student had to pay the college's fees before receiving a decision on her visa and ended up missing the school's refund deadline when her visa was denied.
According to CBC News, a student from Nigeria applied for a study permit to study at a college in Canada in July and was told the process would take six to eight weeks. She had to pay the college's fees before receiving a decision on her visa and ended up missing the school's refund deadline when her visa was denied on October 6.
A support staff member at a college in Toronto stated that many international students find themselves in situations where they are caught between college deadlines and visa approval.
Currently, study permits for international students outside Canada take up to nine weeks to process. International students are encouraged to apply for study permits as soon as possible after receiving acceptance from a designated learning institution to ensure their application is processed in time.
A spokesperson for Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) stated that they are working to address current application backlogs after a "record-breaking year" for processing immigration applications. The IRCC has implemented various efforts, such as digitizing applications and hiring new staff to increase efficiency and has processed more than 670,000 study permits as of November 30, 2022, compared to over 500,000 during the same time period the previous year. The IRCC aims to process 80% of new applications within six weeks.
It is important for students to know about the visa process and the risk of denial. The visa application process can be complex, especially when attempting it independently. Contrary to popular belief, the approval rate for Canadian study permits is not high, with a 34% approval rate for Nigerian students and an average approval rate of 60% globally. Many students from developing countries face significant challenges in obtaining a study permit. It is crucial that students planning to study in Canada are well-informed and have realistic expectations, as the denial rate is high. Seeking assistance from experts can prevent disappointment and costly reapplication expenses.
International students often face a daunting task when it comes to getting their visas approved and meeting school deadlines. In this case, we would suggest the student from the story delay her program until close to the refund deadline for tuition, which may help circumvent the potential problem of needing to go through the tedious process to receive a refund. This could be an effective resolution, given the lengthy processing time required by the government.
Ultimately, it is most beneficial for international students like this individual to seek professional advice when faced with such dilemmas.
