This article highlights 5 important study guides to prepare you as an international student in the US. Being an international student in the US is not so easy, but if you arm yourself with the right information before embarking on your study, you will likely find most things easy as an international student. You should  bear in mind that no two countries are the same, different countries and institutions have things that set them apart from other institutions and countries, therefore it is paramount that you have this information handy, assimilate and keep it as a reference material while you make your plans to become an international student.

Information, they say, is powerful and those who are not well informed may likely become deformed. That being the case, before you embark on your journey to study in the US., you need to arm yourself with the right information so that you don’t get stuck along the way. In this article, we have highlighted 5 important study guides to prepare you as an international student in the US.

1. Make research about your program

Our first guide to helping you prepare as an international student in the US is to research your program. You need to know what it takes to study the course you are applying to study. In the US, Postsecondary education has six degree levels which are associate, bachelor, first professional, master, advanced, intermediate and research doctorate.

The United States of America also offers a postdoctoral degree but does not offer a second or higher doctorate degree. As an international student, you want to be sure of all the available options before making your choice.

While researching to see the options you have available, you should consider looking for an educational advising center in your country . These centers are responsible for giving advice to international students on higher education. They can also help students find study opportunities in the United States. You can also look up colleges by type of institution, locations and key programs.

Another area of focus during your research should be to know if the School you’re looking to study in the United states, is Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) certified. Also find and listen to the experiences of other international students and learn a thing or two from them.

ALSO READ: STUDY IN THE US WITH F1 M1 VISA

2. Fund Your Studies

The next step after research is for you to fund your studies. When planning to study in the US., you must bear in mind that the US. Government does not provide loans, grants or help with scholarships to international students. You will need to find alternative sources of income to gain financial aid during the course of your study. We have listed some options you can try in preparation to fund your fees as an international student in the US.

One of the options you can try when seeking financial aid as an international student is to try exchange programs administered by the U.S. Government, though these exchange programs only render help to qualified international students. These programs are available for all levels and you can look up to see if you are qualified to benefit from this program here.

 In addition to this, there is also the Fulbright Program. This program is led by the US. Government and is in partnership with over 160 countries worldwide. The Fulbright Program offers international educational and cultural exchange for passionate and accomplished students, scholars, artists and many other professionals to study, teach or pursue important research and professional projects. You can look up this program to see how to qualify to get financial aid for your studies through it.

Option two is to try your home country education authorities. Most countries offer financial aid to their own nationals studying in another country. Inasmuch as these authorities offer financial aid, these students must meet up with two criteria before the authorities can help. One of the criteria is, they have to be qualified for the program they have applied for.

The second criteria is they must already be admitted into an approved program or institution abroad. If You meet this criteria, you can look up your home country’s educational sites or visit their offices in your location to find out how they can help you with funds to run your international program in the US.

A third option is The International Admissions Office. Every school in the US has an “International Admissions Office”. This body coordinates international student admissions for undergraduate and graduate programs and also provides advice and assistance to students.

They also ensure that admissions procedures comply with immigration laws and regulations. Since this body provides advice to international students, they will likely let you know what scholarship options you have in their institution and guide you on the process to apply for it. Once you find a school, check their International students admission desk and find out how and if they have available financial aid to help you fund your studies and also see if you are eligible for any sort of financial aid.

The last option I can think of is Scholarships and Grants. As much as the US Government does not give scholarships to international students except on very rare occasions, many organizations offer scholarships and grants for study research. These organizations range from private foundations, businesses and nonprofits organizations. You need to do extensive research to learn about these organizations and how you can benefit from their study grants and scholarships here.

3. Finalize your Application

Universities and colleges in the US. establish their own requirements for admission. Some of these requirements are minimum scores on third party standardized tests. You are advised to follow whatever requirements the admissions office of the school you are applying to has set. Below are some of the requirements your school of interest may likely need in order to determine if you will be admitted or not.

• Test of English as a foreign Language: Otherwise known as TOEFL, is a test which is used to measure the English language skills of an applicant. You will need to check to see if the school you have applied to, do this TOEFL test so that you can prepare for it in advance.
• Beside the TOEFL, there are other tests which some schools require to determine the admission eligibility of applicants. Some of these tests are used to measure an applicant’s general academic ability, comprehension of scientific information, and analytical information which measures the readiness for graduate-level study. 

You are advised to at least take the appropriate test one year ahead of your application. These tests can be taken more than once incase your first result is low, to increase your scores. However, be advised, that this test varies according to your course, level of study and institution, therefore do an extensive research to find out which of the tests suits you depending on your course, level and chosen institution. Find out more about these tests from their individual websites. DAT, GRE, GMAT, MCAT, LSAT.

4. Apply for your visa

Another thing worthy of note is that you must be accepted by Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) certified schools before you can start applying for your visa. You can find a list of certified schools SEVP here.

After the SEVP approved school accepts your application, you will be registered for the SEVIS (Student and Exchange Visitor Information System) and pay the required fee. After this,the school will issue you a formI-20, after which you can proceed to apply for your visa at a US embassy or consulate for a student. You can carry out extensive research to learn how you can prepare for your US visa appointment and things you need to do before then. You are advised not to get any tickets till your visa is out.

This is because, if you book a flight ticket before your visa is out, they may be time discrepancies which may cause you to loose all or part of your ticketing fee, therefore, wait till your visa is out before booking for your flight.

5. Get Ready for departure

After successfully getting through the visa application process, you need to find out how to start life in the U.S. You need to find out how to live there and also learn more about their holidays, the states and places there. Also, if you desire to work  while studying there, you need to look up information for international students who wish to work during the period of their study in the U.S.

There are training opportunities available for international students and new graduates. This is an on-the-job training that adds to the knowledge gained during their academic studies. Also important is to learn about what it takes for a foreigner to drive in the U.S so as not to break any rules.

As a foreign resident in the U.S, some states will require you to have an International Driving Permit (IDP) and also a valid driver’s license from your own country and also a valid driver’s license from that state before you will be qualified to drive in that state. You will need to contact that state’s motor vehicle department to know all about their requirements. 

If you are not very fluent in the English Language, you want to immerse yourself in learning the Language so as to be able to communicate effectively, also improve basic reading, writing and listening skills so as to be able to communicate effectively with natives on your arrival.

After going through these steps and you need to speak with someone who can give you a one to one consultation on this subject matter and other related traveling matters, speak with our travel experts here and book an in-person consultation and be properly guided on how to go about becoming an international student in the United States of America.

This blog post is originally from 5 Important Study Guides to Prepare You as an International Student in the US and written by silvercloudtravels

As an international student, getting admission into a Canadian university or college is a major achievement. Before you pack your belongings and relocate to Canada, you must first obtain a study permit. International students are welcomed in Canada because they help to strengthen the country’s future workforce, and their higher tuition fees help to subsidize domestic education costs.

However, due to the increasing popularity of Canadian universities and colleges, as well as the ongoing application backlog, study permit applicants from many countries are facing a higher than average rate of rejection following the pandemic. Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) issued 329,213 study permits in 2021, and 60% of all student visa applications were approved. In contrast, the approval rate for study permits fell to 55% in the first quarter of 2022.

If you intend to apply for a Canadian study permit, this article covers the most common reasons for Canadian student visa rejection and how to avoid them.

Proof of Financial Support Is Critical

This blog post is originally from Top 7 Reasons for Canadian Study Permit Refusal and written by silvercloudtravels

Are you ready to come to Canada? I’m happy to see that you now have a student visa and are good to go! If your school is on the list here, you can now travel to Canada. Continue reading to see the list of things to do as a new international student, in addition to having the ArriveCAN, Visa, all documents, your quarantine plan (or full immunization), etc.

ALSO READ: 5 Most popular Study Abroad Destination

Things to do on Arrival

Here are the important things to do on your arrival in Canada as a new students

1) Obtain your study permit

Even though this is inevitable, many new students do not know. The majority of international students if not all of them have a temporary resident visa from their country. Upon arrival, a study permit is issued. To prevent unnecessary delay, pack your documents in your hand luggage.

2) Obtain your Social Insurance

You need to get your Social Insurance Number(S.I.N) if your study permit allows you to work in Canada . Upon arrival at the airport, you may even be able to get one (ask there). If not, you can find details on how to apply for Service Canada here.

3) Arrange accommodation

You may need to do this prior to arrival and have a place to quarantine (even if it’s a temporary apartment) given the present COVID situation. Incase if  you don’t know anyone in the city, university residence (or an Airbnb for the first few days) might be your best option. Make sure you have a place to stay.

3b) Accommodation

If possible, avoid a basement apartment if your preferred option is to live off-campus. Even though basement flats are affordable, they are also very cold, and as we like to say, winter is no joke. Additionally, look for other students to share a house with.

4) Attend your orientation events

This is crucial! You can learn more about your program, university, things to do or not do, and network with people here. At the orientation, you might also find someone with whom to share a house. Additionally, orientations are now primarily online due to the COVID-19 problem.

5) Submit copies of your study permit/docs

6) Get your student ID Card

7) Register for classes

9) Sort out your health insurance or health card

10) Bank Account

This blog post is originally from 15 Important things to do in Canada as a New Student and written by silvercloudtravels

Congratulations it is good news that you have been offered an admission letter, and you are a step away from achieving your study abroad goal. Now it is important for you to submit a strong, well-prepared, and presented Canada Study Permit visa application, continue reading, this post is for you.

You will possibly need a Canadian study permit visa to study in Canada if your proposed program of study is longer than 6months. However, you can check if you need a study permit, you can do a quick assessment here. And after the assessment, check the documents you need for a Canadian study permit visa here.

Apparently, you need to create an IRCC secure account because it is advisable to submit your application online. You can create this account here provided you have a Canadian Bank account, the “GCkey” account is what you need. Create one and ensure to keep your login details safe.

There are 3 key important things to keep in mind when applying for a Canadian Study Permit

i.     Purpose of Study/Program

ii.    Availability of Funds/Financial standing

iii.   Strong proof of home that can make you leave Canada after study

The success of your visa application is determined by the quality of your documents and how they are presented to show you meet the visa requirements.

–     Why do you want to study the course and how it will help you achieve your career goals?

–     How will you fund the program/

–     Do you have strong ties outside of Canada

Now that you have created your account then you can log in and begin your application. Once you’ve login into your account, you will see a landing page like the one below stating apply to come to Canada”. Click on it.

Once you are able to do things correctly and answered the necessary questionnaires, your visa application portal will come up and you will see the list of application forms and other required documents. These documents are tailored to you based on the answers you provided.

Note that the list of documents is tailored to you based on your answers to the application questionnaire, so this is a list of documents is not generally for everyone. Therefore there are some common documents you will also need

Some of the common documents you will need are:

Application Forms:

–      For Study Permit Application Made Outside of Canada. (IMM 1294)

–      Family Information Form ( IMM 5645 or IMM 5707)

–      Schedule 1- Application for a Temporary Resident Visa made outside Canada  option but recommended)

Other Important Documents are:

–      Letter of Acceptance for Admission

–      Proof of Means of Financial Support/ Financial Standing

–      Passport( International Passport)

–      Digital Photo

–      Proof of Medical Exam

–      Letter of Explanation/Statement of Purpose

The Application Forms:

–      Make sure you fill the forms accurately

–      No false information

–      Do not withhold any important information

–      You do not need to print the forms to sign, you just need to put your name and/ or the date below

–      Before you save and upload the forms back on the placeholder for your document ensure you validate them.

–      Schedule 1-   Application for a Temporary Resident Visa, Although the form says optional but is a very important form. Fill out and submit it as well.

–      Family Information Form, listing all your siblings & required family members, even though you are not on talking terms with them now, there is a reason for this.

ALSO READ: HOW TO USE A 1-YEAR STUDY PROGRAM TO STAY BACK IN CANADA

Proof Of Means of Financial Support

The things you should take note of for the proof of means of financial support is to make you and or all your sponsor have enough funds to support you and still be able to take care of other financial responsibilities they have. Although the idea is to be able to show that you have enough funds for all the costs of your study in Canada.

The total of your study expenses is the total of your tuition usually for the first year only even if your program is more than one year, plus your living expenses in the first year and other additional expenses like flight fees.

*       For example, if the total funds you need for tuition + Living expenses + other expenses for yourself or a family member who is a dependent is $40,000 CAD, you need to show that you still have something extra.

*       If you have a dependent going with you then you will have to show that you have enough funds to cover their living expenses in the first year including your own tuition, living expenses, and any other fees.

*       If you want to know the amount required for your living expenses and documents to show, you can check the IRCC Website here.

After you have proof that you have enough funds to cover your fees like tuition, living expenses, and any other expenses, etc. in the first year, prepare and present any other additional assets and source of income to show where your fees in the second year and other subsequent years will come from without having to work in Canada.

The Visa office is usually concerned about seeing that the funds for your first-year program are actually available in your account, they are also interested to know that you or your sponsor have genuine sources of income to show you will not be stranded in Canada in the following years.

The various ways you can show these sources of income are through your personal and economic assets such as:

*      Proof of income and investments from the applicant or sponsor(s)

*      Proof of property documents with the property valuation or proof of ownership

*      Document of business ownership for the applicant or sponsor(s)

*      Then any other sources of income or economic assets that can be easily converted to cash like rental properties, fixed investment, pension funds, etc.

ALSO READ: HOW TO APPLY AND STUDY IN CANADA

Add all these documents to your statement of account or other proof of funds you are presenting and provide them as part of your proof of funds. 

Make sure you label and list them accordingly in your proof of funds cover so that the visa officers can clearly see them and know how to identify the additional documents in your proof of funds document.

Sponsors can be: 

*      Scholarships or Grants

*      Self Sponsor or Spouse

*      Parents or Partners

*      Direct Siblings

*      Employers

*      Close Relatives( who can proof that they are genuinely ready to support you)

*      Study Loans

Your sponsors could also be from multiple sources. For example, you may have 

*      Partial Scholarship + Support from parents

*      Scholarship + Siblings

*      Two of your siblings sponsoring you etc.

Your sponsor should have funds in excess of what you need not exactly the amount you need for your tuition and living expenses in their account. This is very important because convincing enough to say all they have is what they are giving to you, they have other financial responsibilities too even if they are your parents.

International Passport

You will scan the data page of your current passport, stamped pages/visas, and stamped pages of your previous passports to show your travel history if you have any.

Digital Photo

Check here for the digital photo specification

Medical Exam

For your Canadian study permit, you will need to do this, although you can wait for the IRRC to request the medical or you may decide to do an upfront medical exam. Although it is advisable you do an upfront medical exam to reduce your application processing time.

The upfront medical exam is compulsory for you if you are a Nigerian applicant and you want to use the Nigerian Student Express(NSE) route.

All other Categories of applicants can also do the upfront medical or wait until they receive the request for the medical from the IRCC. Although doing an upfront medical or NOT, it won’t have any effect on your application. If your application gets to the stage where the medical examination is needed, IRCC will send you a letter instructing you to go and get one.

If eventually, you decided to get an upfront medical after your application has been submitted, you can go and get one and then send in your eMedical sheet to IRCC using the IRCC web form here.

For more information on where to do the medical examination check the IRCC website here.

The Nigerian Student Express

For more information on what the Nigerian Student Express is all about check here

Apparently, NSE doesn’t have a separate application process, but you may be contacted to provide some documents for the NSE after submitting your Canadian study permit application.

If found eligible for the NSE application route, note that using the NSE for application is not compulsory, it is optional.

Client Information/Letter of Explanation/SOP/Study Plan

If it is stated on your application portal that it is optional, please don’t ignore it. This is where you need to provide additional documents. Your letter of explanation/SOP/Study Plan, police report, certificates/transcript/resume/etc should be converted into a single document.

There are some important things you need to address in your Canadian study permit Letter of Explanation/SOP/Study Plan.

Firstly, the Letter of explanation/SOP/Study Plan must be a clear, concise, and precise summary and any additional clarification/information.

Arrange the letter very well and analyze it in the sub-section to make it presentable.

A letter of explanation can also be referred to as a Statement of Purpose (SOP) for Canadian Study Permit Visa applications.

Some of the important things to address in this letter are;

• An introduction about yourself
• Why the program and why the school you apply to?
• How the program you are coming to study will be beneficial to you and your country upon the completion of your program
• Showing proof of financial standing
• Your professional experience, Home ties, Travel experience if any

Keep in mind to make sure you are only presenting relevant documents that will support the success of your visa application because every document placeholder in your application will only be able to accept a doc size of 4MB.

Getting a Canadian study permit is competitive and can be delayed too, also the rate at which Canada visa refusal is high. The quality of the document you are submitting has a big impact on the success of your application. Although, Canada needs people in their country that do not mean they will accept anyhow person.

ALSO READ: 9 Common Mistakes People Make While Writing SOP

Information for Applicants with Previous Canadian Study Permit Refusal

It is not the end of your dream of coming to Canada if you have a previous Canadian study permit visa refusal or a refusal of any type of Canada visa.

Take your time to address every issue raised in your previous refusal. If you need guidance on what you can do after a Canadian study permit Visa Refusal, click here.

More importantly, submitting your Canadian study permit on time must be a very strong, well-prepared, and well-presented Visa application.

Summarily, applying for a Canadian study permit is straightforward if you follow the step-by-step guide. We wish you the best of luck with your Canadian Study permit Visa Application. And if you want us to partake in your Japa success story click here to start your application now.

This blog post is originally from How to Apply for Canadian Study Permit Yourself and written by silvercloudtravels