Step by step guide to continue postgraduate studies abroad

14 min readJan 10, 2022

Based on my personal experience

Living in the home country can be good. It gives us the total freedom to spread our arms and spend blissful moments with our homies and families. We are endowed with the luxuries given to the citizens of the country. However, some of us, at some point of life, think through the future and get the urge to go abroad and experience the foreign living. No matter what compels us to leave our home countries back, we find reasons to fly away for our good.

I got this hunch, back in December 2020. What impelled me to think of migration was the poor living conditions and government policies in Sri Lanka. On top of that, as a fresh graduate who is aged 24 years, I needed to continue my higher studies as well. Preferably a Masters in Computer Science.

Then the biggest question appeared. Where should I go? I’ve heard that Sri Lankans mostly go to Australia, New Zealand, Canada and the UK but I didn’t have any choice. So I started talking to my friends, aunties, cousins and even the strangers I found on LinkedIn to get an understanding on how living in these countries look like. YouTube and Google gave me an avalanche of information too but I was yearning for more personalized experiences.

1. Selecting the country

With the plenty of information I’ve amassed, I started to think about the pros and cons of each country. Generally, all the countries I was looking for were developed countries. The factors I had to consider were the total cost for the course, chance to cover expenses by doing part time jobs and permanent residency options after graduation. After analyzing overwhelming information on my plate, I found below the unique characteristics of each country.

1.1 Australia:

Easy to get into a University to do a Course based Masters program
Can cover the total course fee by doing part time jobs
Near to Sri Lanka. So I can come home and check on my parents.
Time Zones aren’t distant. Hence I can upkeep communication with my family easily.
Wide array of Universities to select with programs such as Data Science and Artificial Intelligence.
PR is a challenge but totally worth it. Who doesn’t love to live in a paradise.
Three Years of post graduate work permit.
So many Sri Lankans in major cities
I can get a scholarship easily as I’ve a 1st class BSc degree.

1.2 New Zealand:

I fell in love with the weather and the scenic beauty of New Zealand.
Cost is high. Apparently I’ll have to ask my parents for the total course fee for 2 years.
An international student can go to polytechnics such as SIT, EIT and WIT to study more practical subjects.
Cost of living is comparatively high.
Can get PR easily as I’ve studied and worked in the IT industry.
I’ll be able to do a Masters degree which matters to the future.

1.3 Canada

Harsh winters.
Quality of life is high all the time.
I’ll have to ask my parents for the total course fee for 2 years.
Good public colleges.
Many PR options.
Beautiful country and I love snow.
Polite and posh culture.
Really nice village life.

1.4 United Kingdom

It’s easy for me to do a Masters in the UK as I’ve my BSc from a UK university.
I don’t have to do IELTS because of my BSc.
Most of the Masters programs are 1 year long.
Good Master degree in areas such as Cyber Security and Data Science.
surprising Scholarships are available.
Post study work permit after completing the course.
Expanding job market.

However, the 2021–2022 period was drowning in Covid-19 and both Australia and NZ were closed for the international students. Even though UK is a great country, I was not captivated by their education system as a person having a BSc from the UK. So the only option I was left with was Canada. I was somewhat relieved that I’ve passed the first milestone of selecting the country. Nevertheless, the hardest time started right after that.

Always listen to your heart when selecting the country. Because most of us have to go alone and live alone. We don’t enjoy the vibe if we don’t feel we listened to our hearts. So pick it wisely to be content and high flying.

2. Finding a college and a program

I had the attitude that any university or college will select me if I pay for the program. But unfortunately I was wrong. Foreign education is not available just for money even if it’s not freely available.

Amidst a lot of Universities and colleges in Canada, you must be careful when selecting one. As per the Canadian government,

To apply for a study permit (to get a student visa), you need an acceptance letter from a designated learning institution. A designated learning institution is a school/University/College approved by a provincial or territorial government to host international students.
You need to know if you are eligible to work after you graduate. Not all designated learning institutions make you eligible for the Post-Graduation Work Permit Program.

Click this link to find the DLI list.

You can easily find Universities colleges using the links below.

Whenever I found a good institute and a program, I checked the validity and the PGWP eligibility in the DLI list. Canada gives 3 years post graduate work permits if we study for 2 years. But the institute and the program must be eligible for the post graduate work permits. So do the search at your earliest to avoid delayed panic attacks.

More details about PGWP are as follows as per Canadian government website.

If your program was less than 8 months, You aren’t eligible for a PGWP.
If your program was at least 8 months, but less than 2 years, We may give PGWP that’s valid for up to the same length as your study program. For example, if you completed a 9-month program, you may be given a work permit for up to 9 months.
If your program was 2 years or more, We may give you a PGWP that’s valid for 3 years.
If you completed more than 1 program, We maybe able to get a PGWP that combines the length of each program. Each of the programs you completed must be PGWP-eligible and at least 8 months in length.
In case you can’t get a PGWP if you already had one after completing an earlier program of study.

2.1 Getting help from Campus Agents

It’s quiet popular among international students that they get support from Agents to apply for colleges and visa. In my experience, an Agent can’t guarantee that you’ll be selected to the University or the college as it solely depends on your profile. However, if you are eligible, going through an Agent speed up the whole process.

Pro Tip: A real Agent won’t charge you for anything since college gives a commission to the Agent for each student comes through him/her. Deny anyone who asks for additional charges considering that person or the agency as a scam.

2.2 Dealing with rejection

You have to pay for each application you submit and acceptance can’t be guaranteed. I had to deal with rejection two times. First time, I submitted an application and the university rejected me making me despair. The letter of rejection is as follows.

Second time, a professor who was willing to give me 20,000 CAD scholarship rejected my proposal saying that I had not completed a few modules during my BSc as he expected.

Either way, every set back is a setup for a come back. Don’t worry if you get a rejection. Welcome to the adulthood. You don’t fail as long as you try.

2.3 Extra Tip

Canada is not a dense country. It’s true that major cities such as Toronto and Vancouver are crowded. But most of the areas have less human presence. Empirically, if there aren’t more people, there won’t be ample part time job opportunities. So double check the geo location when looking for campuses. In addition, PR opportunities also vary based on the location. For an example, you can get more PR opportunities if you go to areas such as New Brunswick, New Foundland & Labrador, and Nova Scotia. In addition, if you are IT person, you better find a college in British Columbia as it demands more IT professionals.

3. Language proficiency tests

If you aren’t a native English speaker, you have sit for an English language proficiency test and prove that you are proficient. Canada mostly accepts IELTS and TOFEL. The score you are required may vary depending on your course. Nonetheless, overall IELTS band 7 or above equivalent proficiency will make you abundant and increase the chance of visa approval as well.

4. Main intakes in Canada

Canada has 3 major intakes which are Fall, Winter and Summer. Fall intake will be in September, Winter will be started in January while summer starts in May. Summer intake is known as the least preferred intake and not many colleges/universities have intakes for the Summer. Starting in winter intake can be really challenging since Canada has extremely cold winters which records temperature as -30 to -40 Celsius. So if you are travelling from a warm country, be prepared for this. On the other hand, Fall is the most famous and comfortable intake. It won’t be unbearably cold. However, you will have to continue 2 semesters at a stretch; Fall and Winter.

5. Submitting the application and getting the offer letter

Once you have your English proficiency test results, you will be able to apply for most of the programs which do not require additional exam results such as GRE, GMAT etc. Most of the time, you have to submit your degree certificates, transcripts, language proficiency test and letter of motivation (mostly for the Universities) along with 2–3 references. Be prepared and proceed with the application. Inform your references beforehand as it’ll help them to allocate time for you.

After the application, if you are eligible for the program, college/university will give you the letter of offer(LOO). Some times you may get an unconditional offer letter if you have to prove some extra qualifications.

In my case, after getting the LOO, I had to make the 1st semester fee within a month. Then my college gave me the official acceptance letter once the payment is received. Amidst different ways of making the university payment, I went ahead with a telegraphic transaction from Bank of Ceylon. But as Sri Lankan government had imposed foreign currency exchange restrictions, most of the students had to wait in a long que to get their payment done while some made the payment through their foreign friends and relatives.

Pro Tip: Try to apply one year before the intended intake. For an example, if you are willing to study in the 2022 winter intake, apply in 2021 January.

6. Letter of Acceptance (LOA)

LOA witnesses that you are formally selected for the program and your seat is booked. This letter is one of the most important documents you get as it needs to be submitted when applying for visa and getting the study permit at the port of entry. LOA mentions everything about your course and it mentions your personal information as well. So any authority can see that, this acceptance letter is issued for this individual.

7. Getting ready for the Visa application

One of the best things about Canada is that they have a fully fledged website which makes the visa application process straightforward. Documents to be submitted and the whole process is crystal clear. Apart from that, IRCC website is a secured website which doesn’t give any chance to data breaches and vulnerabilities.

To submit a visa application, first you have to create a GCKey profile. You may click on this URL to create a GCKey profile

7.1 Required documents

Before you apply for visa, you need to prepare documents. Followings are the list of documents required. Note that all the copies should be in English.

1. Birth certificate in English

2. BSc Degree certificate

3. Parents’ birth certificates in English if they are sponsoring you

4. Parents’ marriage certificate in English

5. Your past employment service letters

6. Current employment confirmation letter

7. Your Last 3 months salary slips

8. Medical completed document

9. Passport with complete travel history

10. Statement of purpose

11. Sponsorship letter

12. Employment confirmation of sponsor

13. Last 4 months bank statements and balance confirmation letters of the sponsor. (Balance confirmation letter is enough for fixed deposits)

14. Application for study permit made outside of Canada

15. Application for temporary resident

16. Family information form

17. Any other supporting document such as home ownership documents to prove home ties.

18. Police report

19. Letter of Acceptance

20. A recent photo

Download all the required documents here.

7.2 Importance of doing medical examination before the application

It’s not mandatory to have medical done when applying for visa. But it’s recommended to do medical at least before 2 weeks before the visa application. Then it will reach Visa officer’s by the time you apply. The point here is, your visa will not be processed until you submit all the required documents. So the delay which is begotten by the medical can be eliminated by doing it prior to the submission.

7.3 Statement of purpose or the letter of explanation

The SOP is the most important document you submit and it requires a great effort to write as well. SOP explains your reason to study in Canada in detail. You have to convince the Visa officer that you are a genuine student who has a valid reason to study in Canada and you’ll return to your home country upon the completion of your course. It’s important to mention the truth in SOP. Never hide anything. Because if you get caught, you’ll be banned visiting Canada for the rest of your life. Importantly, Australia, New Zealand, Canada and UK shares the same visa application database. In case, if you have receive a refusal after applying any of these countries, mention it with valid reasons.

You can stick to the below template when writing the SOP.

1. Your personal information

2. Education and working history

3. What motivates you to study abroad

4. Why you think Canada is the best option you have?

5. Why you have selected the college or the university you selected?

6. What’s in the program for you? Describe how the learning will impact your future.

7. Your plan after completing the course.

The main point to remember is, don’t express that you are contemplating to stay in Canada after the graduation.

7.4 Proof of Funds

In a general norm, the amount you should show as PoF is,

Course fee for the rest of the program years as you have paid for 1st semester of 1st year+ living cost for the total stay + Return Air tickets.

Following the same, I showed the same amount which was around 50,000 CAD.

It’ll be great if you can show money in a fixed deposit as it increases the reliability of the fund. Further, the FD needs to be at least 4 months old but the older the better.

Pro Tips: If your sponsor(s) are still working and having a regular income, it’ll be a plus point. Because it proofs that the sponsor is rich enough to take care of himself/herself after sponsoring you.

7.5 Submit your application

Once you have got all the required documents, you have to cluster them. Specially the documents which come along with SOP and the documents to prove financial stability. You can upload files up to 4MB. So once you have merged all the documents, you have to change the quality of the PDFs. It’ll be always great to give more information rather than dropping. Hence, attach all the documents you feel required. Canadian visa application is straightforward. You can apply alone if you are comfortable.

To apply visa, you have to go the GCKey profile and start a new application. Then you’ll get places to upload documents separately. To complete the submission, you’ll be asked to pay for the visa application and biometrics. The total cost will be 235 CAD. (150$ for visa and 85$ for biometrics). You need this amount in a Visa or a MasterCard to do the payment.

Once the payment is successful, you’ll receive an email for the biometrics appointment. Then you have to visit VFS website and book an appointment. Click here for the bookings page.

Pro Tip: Apply visa 6 months prior to the course commencement. Then you’ll have enough time to prepare for the departure if you get visa or to apply again if you get a refusal.

7.6 Biometrics Day

You have to go to the given biometrics center on the given date but be there 30 minutes early. You’ll have to show the biometrics request from IRCC (Which you get once the visa application is done) and the biometrics appointment letter you get from VFS.

During the biometrics, VFS will get a photo of you and your fingerprints. This whole activity doesn’t take 15 mins.

Additionally, you can register for the VFS premium service by paying 46.66$. Remember that you have to pay in cash if you need premium service. For me the advantage of the service was, I got my Visa stamped within a week and didn’t have any hassle in sending my passport. I just couriered it and received it easily. Otherwise, I had to send bank drafts for courier charges.

8. Passport request

After all, a great day will dawn. The day you’ll be truly happy and relieved for your future. I still remember the day I got my passport request. It was a blissful moment. The feeling that I’m leaving my country made me truly glad even though I knew that I’ve to confront unknown challenges. It’s good to celebrate your own victory. Because not everybody can get visa to go to Canada. Canadian government always sieve applicants to give opportunities to only who deserves it. So if you have received visa, you are something and remember that. Be proud that you are now eligible to go to the best country in the world. For the safe side, don’t make it public that you’ve got visa. Keep it a secret within your most reliable friends and relatives. Don’t let any other person know that you are going until you stand on the land of Canada. Not everybody deserve to know what is happening in your life. Learn to enjoy your victories in silence.

9. Getting visa stamped

You have to courier the original passport, passport request letter and the VFS consent from to the VFS office. I got the consent form once I paid for the premium service. They pasted a sticker on the VFS appointment letter and asked me to send it along with the other documents after getting the passport request. So I did the same and received the stamped passport within a week.

10. Inform your University or the college

Doesn’t matter you have received the LOA, always keep that in your mind to inform your institute that you have received visa. Because, if you keep silence, institute doesn’t have any clue whether you are coming or not for the program. So they may give your seat to someone else. So don’t let the golden opportunity dribble after months of hard work because of a menial mistake.

11. If you get a refusal

If you unfortunately get a refusal, first don’t worry. It’s not the end of the world. There are so many people who are already in Canada who had multiple refusals in the past. You didn’t get the visa because the Visa Officer wasn’t convinced. As the first thing after the refusal, you should request GCMS notes.

GCMS notes are the only accurate way of providing a detailed record of an applicant’s file. These notes tell what actually has gone wrong and why Visa Officer rejected your visa. You can apply for GCMS notes here.

To wrap up, this has been a lengthy post but I believe you learned something. Drop questions you have in the comments. I’ll try my best to help you with your unique query.

Results of the knowledge should be actions. Work towards your dreams. You’ll win.

Good Luck !!!!