• Canada’s universities maintain high standards of academic excellence and are consistently recognized in top international rankings.
• Canadian tuition fees are some of the lowest in English-speaking countries.
• The country’s universities boast links to more than 5,000 global collaboration agreements. Combined with Canada’s focus on industry-specific applied research, it’s no surprise that more than 90% of Canadian alums are employed less than six months after graduation.
• High academic rankings and a reputation for friendliness is great, but it’s hard to beat eight consistent years of top rankings by the United Nation as one of the world’s best places to live.
• Canada is at the international forefront of computer and information technology, particularly in telecommunications, medical devices, aerospace engineering, lasers, biotechnology, ocean and environmental, and several others.
• Through its innovative SchoolNet program, Canada was the world’s first country to connect its schools and libraries to the internet.

Traditions & Culture: Throughout Canada’s history, its culture has been influenced by European culture and traditions, especially British and French, and by its own indigenous cultures. Over time, elements of the cultures of Canada’s immigrant populations have become incorporated into mainstream Canadian culture. The culture of Canada is a term that embodies the artistic, culinary, literary, humour, musical, political and social elements that are representative of Canada and Canadians.

Food: The Most ‘Canadian’ Foods Include Bacon, Poutine And Maple Syrup. The national dish of Canada is a food called poutine, which is a high-calorie creation that consists of fries, cheddar cheese curds and gravy. The Canadian dish was originally seen in the province of Quebec, but can be found all around Canada and has spread to the United Kingdom and United States.

Safety: Canada is a friendly, safe country with a high standard of living. Low crime rates, great student health benefits, and universities focused on student security and health make studying in Canada a good choice for anyone who’s uneasy about personal safety while abroad. The Global Peace Index ranks Canada among its top 10 safest countries in the world to visit.

Welfare:

Health: Relative to other countries, medical insurance in Canada is inexpensive yet the services that Canadian hospitals provide are among some of the most advanced and accessible in the world.

Transport: Using the general-purpose public transport is the most common means of student transport, in Canada. Below are few details:

Air

Due to Canada’s large size, people often travel between major cities by airplane. All main cities have airports with regularly scheduled flights to and from many places.

Rail

Canada’s rail network runs across the country, from Halifax, Nova Scotia, in the east to Vancouver and Prince Rupert, British Columbia, in the west. Trains in Canada are safe and comfortable. It is often cheaper to buy train tickets in advance.

Bus

Catching a bus can be the cheapest way of travelling between cities. It is often the only way of getting to smaller towns if you are not driving a car. Remember that bus travel can be very long due to the great distances involved.

Ferry

In coastal areas of Canada such as British Columbia and the Atlantic region, ferry boats are a common way to travel. Many ferries transport both passengers and vehicles.

Car

Canada has a large network of highways, making long distance travel by car possible between most destinations.

Masters Degrees (Universities): 30,000- 35,000 CAD per annum

PG Diploma: 11, 000 – 18, 000 CAD per annum.

Bachelor’s Degrees (Universities): 25,000 – 30,000 CAD per annum.

Bachelor’s Degrees (Colleges): 20,000 – 25, 000 CAD per annum.

Advanced Diploma: 10,000 – 15,000 CAD per annum.

Diploma: 10,000 – 15, 000 CAD per annum.

Living expenses would be approximately CAD 8,000 to CAD 10,000

Basics:

STUDY PERMIT

• Student visa is called as ‘Study Permit’
• Study Permit is issued by CIC (Citizenship & Immigration Canada)
• For courses less than 6 months Study Permit is not required
• Study permit is for course duration + 90 days
• As a student there are 3 different visa checklist/categories
  1. SPP Category
  2. General Category
  3. University Category

Dependents information: Your spouse or common-law partner may apply for a work permit if:

• you are a full-time student at:
  • a public post-secondary institution, such as a college or university or collège d’enseignement général et professionnel (CEGEP) in Quebec
  • a private post-secondary institution that operates under the same rules and regulations as a public institution, and receives at least 50 percent of its financing for its overall operations from government grants (currently, only private college-level educational institutions in Quebec qualify) or
  • a Canadian private institution authorized by provincial statute to confer degrees
• you have a valid study permit

Immigration on Arrival: Your passport will be checked when you arrive at a Canadian Airport to make sure you’re allowed to come into the country. It must be valid for the whole of your stay.

How to Apply: AEC Experts will help you

Planning & Housing:

1. Student Residence – Dormitories & Townhouses
   Some schools provide student residence on-campus or nearby the campus. Dormitories are usually larger buildings housing many students, while townhouses are detached, housing usually three to six students
2. Off-Campus Shared Apartment or Condominium
   Off-campus shared apartments provide students with a single room, in a living space with one or more other roommates. Like townhomes they most often contain a single occupancy bedroom or living space and have a shared kitchen, bathroom, dining, and living room area.
3. Host Family/Homestay
   Living with a host family can provide you with a sense of home and security as you start your new life in Canada. Host families normally provide a private, single-occupancy room, and serve one – three meals per day and internet access.
4. Furnished or Unfurnished Apartment Rentals
   There are many secure ways to find a temporary furnished apartment rental before your arrival in Canada by using websites such as Airbnb, Craigslist, HouseTrip or Wimdu. These apartments are normally furnished, private rentals. Be sure to read the reviews of each rental and check the feedback from other guests who have previously stayed there.

Restricted items to bring to CANADA:

• live birds and hatching eggs
• eggs, yolks, egg whites
• poultry meat (other than fully cooked, canned, commercially sterile meat products)
• raw pet foods containing poultry products
• feathers
• poultry manure and litter
• laboratory material containing poultry products/by-products and etc.

Welcome week: Welcome Week is your opportunity to make friends, learn more about studying at the university and living in the country. You will be invited to attend a number of events throughout Welcome Week – some of which are optional and others compulsory.

Travel to your institution: If you are staying near the university, there is shuttle service available. Else, you may chose to travel by trains or buses.

Opening a bank account: In order to open a Canadian bank account, you will need two documents: one to prove your identity and one to prove your address. This applies both in branch and online. Proving your identity is simple. You just need your passport.

Part Time:

Can you work? Yes

What kind of work can you do? There are various part-time jobs available in all the sectors across hospitality/catering to call centre to banking and finance and etc. With few exceptions, it is very unlikely that you will find a part-time job related to your course of study.

How many hours can you work? 20 hours per week during studies; 40 hours per week during vacations.

Do you need prior approval when you work? No.

About Tax? If you are an international student studying in Canada, you may have to file a Canadian income tax return. You must determine your residency status to know how you will be taxed in Canada by following the given link:

http://www.cra-arc.gc.ca/internationalstudents/

Full Time:

To work in Canada after you graduate, you must apply for a work permit under the Post-Graduation Work Permit Program (PGWPP).

The PGWPP allows students who have graduated from a participating Canadian post-secondary institution to gain valuable Canadian work experience. Skilled Canadian work experience gained through the PGWPP helps graduates qualify for permanent residence in Canada through Express Entry.

A work permit under the PGWPP may be issued for the length of the study program, up to a maximum of three years. A post-graduation work permit cannot be valid for longer than the student’s study program, and the study program must be a minimum of eight months in length. For example, if you graduate from a four-year degree program, you could be eligible for a three-year work permit if you meet the criteria. If you graduate from an eight-month certificate program, you would be eligible for a work permit that is valid for no more than eight months.

How to find a job?

1. Choice of Province– In case you start looking for a province that is not well populated or where the development is yet to happen in a big way, you can get job faster. Some examples of such places are suburbs areas in Calgary or suburbs of Ontario
2. Hiring Services of Placement Consultant– Some Professionals are doing good work. Starting from helping you make a good resume that projects you in a good light before employer, to arranging interviews with various employers, these agencies can expedite your job hunt
3. Making a Killer Resume– Making a great resume helps. Make a good resume that helps you showcase your skills better
4. Get registered on Various Job Portals– There are some very good portals as Monster, Canada Jobs etc which have latest listing of good job offers. Get listed over there, stay active and respond to various opening
5. Networking– Nothing works better than networking. Share your plans with all your friends and other circles there that you are reaching there. Most Jobs get filled up by networking only

Some Job searching sites are given below.

– http://www.workopolis.com/shared

– http://www.simplyhired.ca/

– https://www.jobbook.com/en-us

– https://www.job-applications.ca/

– Canadajobs.com

– http://www.jobsincanada.com/

– http://www.canada.workcircle.com

Average Salary?

Undergraduate: C$ 30,000 – C$ 40, 000 per annum

Postgraduate: C$ 50,000 – C$ 70, 000 per annum

Useful Links

• https://www.canada.ca/en.html
• http://www.cic.gc.ca/EnGlish/study/index.asp
• http://www.educanada.ca/explore-explorer/canada/index.aspx?lang=eng