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. Through this article we hope to clarify the major differences of applying for a student permit from different regions. If you’re an international student applying for a study permit from your home country, then you need to have the following requirements to be eligible: Valid IELTS score with an overall band of 6.5 with no band less than 5.5 You need to pay one year tuition fee of the program you’re enrolled into It is necessary to open a GIC (Guaranteed Investment Certificate) account of $10200. Student has to write a letter of intent to the Canadian embassy explicitly stating that you have no intentions to settle in Canada and are only going there with the intention to study.   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: Who have been on a visitor visa status for more than 6 months. AND/OR Who are on a visitor visa and have not enrolled for a pre-requisite English course inside Canada. 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. Talk to.....