How I DIY-ed my Canada Student Visa application?

Is it possible to DIY Student Visa application for Canada?

The answer is Y-E-S!

I will lay it all out here, so stay tuned!

Timeline:

Jan 27, 2020 (MON)-          medical exam upfront at Health Systems Nationwide

Jan 30, 2020 (THU)-          submitted my application through the cic.ca website

-       received a confirmation from cic

-       Scheduled an appointment via VFS global in Cebu since Davao does not have any VFS office for Feb 3

Jan 31, 2020 (FRI)- asked by CIC to do biometrics

Feb 1, 2020 (SAT)-  rescheduled my VFS appointment to Feb 5 ( due to airline ticket price)

Feb 5, 2020 (WED)-            flew to Cebu for my 1:30pm appointment. Plane delayed for 3 hours 8:50am flight moved to 11:50am; reached VFS office at 1:23pm

Feb 6. 2020 (THU)- received biometrics confirmation letter (correspondence letter)

Feb 7, 2020 (FRI) -  received a passport request letter

-       Passport submitted

Feb 9, 2020 (SUN)- flew back to DVO

Feb 10,2020 (MON)-           received approval confirmation

Honestly, I never really thought that I would be approved so soon! Unfortunately, I had weak points in my application. One, I do not have a payroll as I am a freelancer and two, I was refused in Singapore a year ago.

I used to work in Singapore for seven long years before I decided to move back in the Philippines in 2018. I stayed for a year vowing to have a break so I did not apply for any jobs back home and spent my time traveling, staying home, keeping fit and I did freelance writing jobs while assisting my family in a very small business. In 2019, I have traveled to Singapore from a family vacation in Seoul. I have stayed in Singapore for about 24 days while I arranged closure of my Singapore bank account and packing those stuff I left. I traveled to Vietnam for a week and reentered Singapore to attend a Singaporean friend’s wedding before I head back home, I was refused.

I considered these points as a serious possible reason for the refusal and I was preparing myself for the worst. But lo and behold, my DIY application process was a success and the approval was a cherry on top!

I think that my approval was due to the fact that I made a lot of effort in the arrangement of the documents, the points I highlighted in my Statement of Purpose and I went beyond the usual “what is needed” to “what should be needed” by the visa officer. I also honestly think that my colourful travel history and the previous visas I had helped in this smooth approval. 

But for the record, it is very important to write the Statement of Purpose in a segmented way. Below is the format of my SOP:

The Introduction
- should comprise more about yourself, your credentials, your goals in the next 5 years or so

The Body
- your program taken, your purpose why you chose that program, your payment pattern, how do you intend to pay your tuition. (Helpful tip: bank account should cover your tuition, mention any grants received, the area of sponsorship, for example, parents are sponsoring your tuition, your aunt for your accommodation, your savings are for the daily expenses, etc.)

The Conclusion
- Plead not Beg. Plead your truth. Plead to the visa officer that their decision is an important step in achieving your goals. State your awareness to the responsibilities of an International student in Canada and Thank them for giving you a chance!

Document preparation:

I have spent a lot of time going back and forth so many blogs, vlogs, articles about the documents to be submitted. Important sections to be considered:

I.              LOA

-       Letter of acceptance

-       Academic diplomas (college, hs)

-       IELTS results

II.            Proof of Funds:

-       land titles (yours, sponsors)

-       bank statements (yours, sponsors)

-       car registrations (Or/Cr)

-       business registration (if any)

-        

III.          Passport and Stamps

IV.          Client Info:

-       Statement of Purpose

-       NBI

-       Medical Exam letter copy

FAQs:

1. Is IELTS necessary?

Fortunately, my school does not require an IELTS. But I did take IELTS anyway because I feel that applying for an Immigrant is a much better choice with Express Entry (EE) than Student Visa. When I received an “ineligible” mark in my EE assessment, I moved on and made the Student Visa entry my option

2. How long did it take for my Visa processing to get approved?

Without weekends, it would be a week!

3. What should I write in the Statement of Purpose?

I stated my current position and the general purpose of my application. I do think that it is necessary to choose a theme , my theme was positivity.

4. Should I declare any refusal of entry or refusal of previous visa application?

Yes, You should. I have been refused entry in Singapore and I declared it in the form. I supplemented this through the Statement of Purpose, whereby, I explained my position and the events that had transpired during my travel reentry.

5. Who should I get to be my sponsor?

Choose wisely. It is so much better to have your immediate family as sponsors.

6. How much do I need to have as proof of funds?

Approximately 1.2M or The larger, the better! Yes, size does matter! :P