My Personal Experience Applying for a Study Permit

COVID-19 pushed me to apply for a study permit for Canada.

My name is Joanne Kee. I’m in my 30’s, from the Philippines, wanting to take charge of my life and pursue my dream of a better life. The COVID-19 pandemic gave me this opportunity. It made me realize that anything can happen in an instant and there’s no time to waste. I’ve been waiting for the right time to pursue my Canadian dream but the truth is, there is no right time. You just have to start. And that’s what I did.

SPIVAS gave me a tailored list of requirements for a study permit application based on my background and circumstances. I was able to comply with them in a few weeks’ time. My study permit application was submitted last October 2020. I didn’t give it much thought after that, as I had read online that it was taking more time for the visa officers to process study permit applications due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

What I did not expect was that only 2 days after submitting my study permit application, SPIVAS already received the letter from the visa office for Biometrics Collection. The 3-page letter included instructions and what I needed to do and bring. So I booked an appointment online, and had my biometrics appointment 3 days later.

6 business days after that, we received another letter with Medical Examination instructions. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has designated doctors/clinics for the medical exam, called panel physicians. Once again, the letter contained complete instructions.

The accredited clinic I went to in the Philippines is Nationwide Health Systems. They have 4 locations – Baguio, Makati, Cebu, and Davao. I booked my appointment and paid the exam cost online (PHP11,515). After paying, I received a confirmation email. I kept a copy of my payment receipt so I could present it to the clinic during my appointment.

Then came the tricky part. When I applied, the earliest appointment schedule was 26 days later. It was a very busy time for them because many applicants who lay low at the start of the pandemic were reviving their applications. I was concerned this would lengthen the processing time of my visa application. SPIVAS advised me to walk in to the clinic and try to take over a no-show slot. I was lucky enough to have a spot open up days before my own scheduled appointment. I quickly completed my medical exam. It’s similar to an annual physical exam. It included an eye exam, urine collection, blood extraction, chest x-ray, and a physical exam.

The clinic staff said it takes 3-5 business days to produce and release the results and send these electronically to the visa office. By mid-December, there was no update if the visa office received my medical exam results so I decided to ask the clinic via email if the results had already been forwarded to the visa office. They sent me a tracking sheet as proof that the result has already been forwarded.

26 days after my medical exam, we finally received the request for my Original Passport. At this point, I was beaming for joy. Best new year present ever. The letter once again contained complete instructions. I sent my passport to my local visa application center (VAC) through LBC Express Courier. I also had to secure a manager’s check to be sent along with the passport.

1 week after I sent my passport, I received the Correspondence Letter stating that my study permit application was APPROVED! 2 days later, I received my passport from the visa office with the temporary resident visa counterfoil. Praise God! An answered prayer indeed. Here’s my visa:

Overall, the whole process from study permit application submission until my approval took 12 weeks or 3 months. After that, all I had to do was plan for my trip. Canada, here I come!

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SPIVAS Immigration welcomes contributions from individuals, client or not, who want to share their own migration experiences for the benefit of those who may want to apply for Canada as well. You can send your contribution to [email protected].