Over the years Canada has become a hotbed for students all over the world to come and study in the land of the Great White North. International students find studying here extremely beneficial due to quality & affordable education, flexible work-study options and pathways to permanent residency. People apply to study in Canada from their home country or inside Canada. However, it’s important for prospective students to understand the differences between applying for a study permit inside Canada versus applying for a study permit outside Canada.
While you applying for a study permit from your home country is comforting, you miss out on several benefits. The first one being that the eligibility requirements are quite strict. Moreover, if you’re above 30 years of age then the chances of being accepted by the Canadian Government is very low. The acceptance rate of study permit applications are much lower than those from inside Canada.
Many people prefer to first come to Canada on a visitor visa and then apply for a study permit. We have summarized the major differences of applying for a study permit inside Canada from outside Canada in the Infographic below:
However, all visitor visa holders can apply for a study permit. The following type of visa holders are ineligible to apply for a study permit:
These visa holders can either go back to their home country and then apply for a student visa. Or they can apply for a normal study permit inside Canada.