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Canada Is Now Accepting 4 New English Tests For Study Visas.

Canada to Raise Financial Standards for Study Permit Applicants.

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Starting from January 1, 2024, if you want to apply for a study permit in Canada, the Immigration Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) is making a change. They are increasing the amount of money you need to show you can cover your living expenses while studying.

So, if you are applying for a study permit on or after January 1st, you will need to prove that you have at least $20,635 for living expenses. This is on top of what you already need to cover your first year of tuition and travel costs.

This new amount is more than double the old requirement, which was $10,000, and it has been the same since the early 2000s.

 

IRCC is changing the money requirement for students applying to study in Canada. They realized that the old amount wasn’t enough because living costs have gone up. Many students were coming and finding out they didn’t have as much money as they needed.

Starting January 1st, they’re increasing the required amount. And from now on, they’ll check and possibly change this amount every year based on how much it costs to live in Canada. They’re using something called the low-income cut-off (LICO), which shows the minimum income needed for basic living without spending too much.

This new money rule also applies to a faster application process called the Student Direct Stream (SDS). It’s for students from 14 specific countries.

IRCC believes this change will stop students from being financially vulnerable or taken advantage of. They know it might affect people differently, so they’re trying some new ideas next year to help more international students who haven’t had many chances before.

 

EXTENDING WORKING HOURS FOR STUDENTS.

 

IRCC (Immigration Refugees and Citizenship Canada) has some good news for international students. They’re letting students in Canada and those who applied for a study permit before December 7th, 2023, keep working more than the usual 20 hours per week until April 30, 2024.

This special rule started on November 15, 2022, and was supposed to end on December 31, 2023. But now, they’re extending it. So, if you’re already in Canada or applied for a study permit by December 7th, 2023, you can continue working more hours while your classes are going on. It’s a way to give students more flexibility.

 

Students may be eligible to work while studying in Canada if they:

  • hold a valid study permit;
  • Are studying full-time at a designated learning institution;
  • have started studying and remain in satisfactory academic standing as determined by their institution;
  • are studying in an academic, vocational or professional training program that is at least six months in duration and leads to a degree, diploma or certificate; and
  • have a Social Insurance Number (SIN).

Minister Miller had some updates for international students during a recent press conference.

Firstly, if students spend time studying online, they can still count those school terms toward their Post Graduation Work Permit (PGWP) until September 1, 2024. But, the online study time shouldn’t be more than half of their total program time.

Secondly, there won’t be any more special extensions for PGWPs. The government had extended them three times for 18 months in the past. If your work permit expires by December 31, 2023, you can apply under the recent extension policy, but after that, IRCC won’t be extending PGWPs further.

 

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