Only an international student knows the tension that surrounds visas. There are so many details involved that the worry about your visa does not end when your passport with the authorization to enter into Canada arrives. To stay legal in this country, we need to be well informed about the number of hours we can work, how many courses we can do per semester at college, what the schedule breaks are, and other details that may interfere with our planning.
We are always thinking about visas. If it’s not the one we currently have, it’s the next one that we will apply for. Visas do not last forever, and when the expiration date approaches we need to have a clear plan. This means knowing what type of visa we are going to apply for next, what documents are needed, how long the process will take, whether we can leave the country or not, and whether we can work while we wait for our next visa to arrive.
In the case of students, when the study permit expires we have the option to apply for one of the types of work permits, extend the study visa itself, or apply directly for permanent residence. It’s important to know which of these options you qualify for. Of course, if the idea is to stay in Canada, the most comfortable option is to apply directly for permanent residence; however, most of the time students are not yet eligible for this process, and we need to apply for a new temporary visa before applying for permanent residence.
You can see that the path from one visa to another is very troubled and full of uncertainties. So, my tip for you is to gather as much information as possible about the type of visa you want to apply for so you don’t waste time or cause unnecessary stress.
Another tip is to never wait for the last few months to begin gathering the required documentation. If any document requires more time to be provided, this may adversely affect the timing of the application process for the new visa.
It’s important to have perseverance, calmness, and good planning skills when dealing with visas. The challenges that are involved in all this are part of a student’s new life and should be seen as a way to build our dreams.