Canadian Student Visas for Chinese students needs further simplification

Each year hundreds of thousands of Chinese students and parents consider an overseas education and more than 13,500 Chinese people received visas to study in Canada in 2008, a figure that is expected to increase another 20 per cent this year.

At the education fair, Canadian Embassy officials gave a PowerPoint presentation for students and parents, going over topics such as the high standard of living in Canada, tuition costs and the application process for Canadian student visas.

In recent years, the Canadian government has moved to reduce the barriers for foreign students coming to Canada by  simplifying the Canadian visa process and introducing a new quicker immigration process for graduates of Canadian universities.

Canada was also granted by China the important “approved destination status” for its tourists, making it easier for parents to visit children studying in Canadian colleges.

However, Mr Zhu of the Jin Jielie Group , which helps match Chinese students with an overseas education provider, said while the changes to make the Canadian student visa process less onerous were positive, it’s still far harder to get permission to study in Canada than in other countries.

The Canadian Visa Bureau is an independent consulting company specialising in helping people lodge their Canadian Visa with the Canadian High Commission London.