This is a step-by-step process from when I was working in the Philippines in December 2018 to when I got my PR in July 2022. Here’s a timeline summary:
| Age | Time | Activity |
| 22 years old | December 2018 | Had my mind set to Canada |
| January 2019 | Started Canadian School & Study Permit application | |
| 23 years old | August 2019 | Got approved (8 months processing and waiting) |
| September 2019 | Flew and started studies (1 year program) | |
| 24 years old | October 2020 | Graduated (3 months job searching) |
| December 2020 | Got a full time job | |
| 25 years old | December 2021 | Got 1 year Canadian work experience |
| January 2022 | Started EE & PR application (6 months processing and waiting) | |
| 26 years old | July 2022 | Got my PR |
Disclaimer: This is based on my experience with becoming an international student and a PR in Canada. It may or will be different for everybody. When I refer to “you” in this article, it’s only a form of arbitrary writing, and are not actual instructions. Currency conversions in the list of expenses provided are also rounded up; and may have even already changed or increased by now.
Let’s get started!
Four parts to this article (summary of expenses available at the bottom of each section; expenses are highlighted in pink):
- Study Permit Process
- PGWP Process
- PR Process
- Final Tips
PART 1. Study Permit Process
(Total of 8 Months – 4 months or preparation + applying, and 4 months of waiting)
There are 2 streams/paths that I know of to become an international student in Canada:
- Normal Stream – Not super familiar with this but the gist of it is: You’ll have to enrol in a school and pay at least a semester first if you get accepted (you need to get accepted to a school before you can apply for a study permit).
- Study Direct Stream (SDS) – This is the path I took because it’s an easier guarantee to get approved for a study permit, but it costs more because you have to shed at least PHP 1M at a single time; and it has to be a post-secondary school. More info about SDS.
STARTING JANUARY 2019
- Research the program and city you want to live in. Make sure you’re looking at International Student pages of the schools’ websites – because tuition fees of international students are higher. Ex. IMMT at Centennial College. Some cities will also be more expensive than others. Ex. Living in Toronto or Vancouver is significantly more expensive than Calgary or Edmonton.
TIP: I took Interactive Media Management at Centennial College (Toronto). It’s a postgraduate diploma program, that’s only for 1 year. I decided on a shorter program because it costs less; however, I know people who prefer longer because from what I know longer programs result to longer work permits after graduating.
NOTE: Look for the application deadlines as well. Schools will have different deadlines depending on the semester/term you want to take and start with. - Take the IELTS test. IELTS has 4 sections: Listening, Reading, Writing, Speaking. Each section, you will be graded. Beware of the requirement that is needed from the school. Each program has different minimum requirements FOR EACH SECTION. For example, some schools may require that Speaking should not be any lower than 6 (9 is the highest) but Writing should be more than 8. Your IELTS results is also a requirement for the SDS application with a minimum score of 6 across all sections (requirement #1 for SDS application). The IELTS test is around PHP 13K. Also beware of the type of IELTS test required – this requires an Academic test most of the time, not the General one.
TIP: If you’re good with handling a laptop or computer, take the Computer-delivered test. It seems easier to me rather than having to hand-write long paragraphs. - Gather all school and program requirements. Go to that school’s website, go to the program’s page and look for the requirements for International Students (usually TOR, diploma, and IELTS results). Schools and programs have different requirements.
- Apply to schools. This should be straightforward. Just go to the application page of a school, submit the requirements, and wait for a response. Schools should have a “How to apply” section on their pages. Ex. Centennial College’s IMMT page. Application is not free, depending on the school, application fees can round up to PHP 8K.
FEBRUARY TO MAY 2019 - IF ACCEPTED, you’ll receive a Letter of Acceptance (requirement #2 for SDS application). This usually comes with instructions of how to reserve your slot and how to pay for the tuition fee. After paying any reservation fees or enrolment fees, you’ll get a receipt. Keep this receipt.
NOTE: Since I went with Path no. 2, we paid the tuition fee for 1 whole year (around PHP 1M). Keep this receipt (requirement #1 for SDS application). - Go to a Canadian Bank’s website. I went with CIBC. You’ll need a Guaranteed Investment Certificate (GIC) from a Canadian bank. You have to create an account with your chosen bank, apply for a GIC, and deposit ~PHP 400K. You can do this via wire transfer from your local bank. We did BPI to CIBC. Once the money is received, they’ll give you the GIC (requirement #4 for SDS application).
NOTE: Step 6 is only applicable if you’re proceeding with SDS. This is not the same process for Path No. 1 (normal path). You can ask for more specific steps from international education agencies. Beware of scammers! A trusted company is idp.com/philippines – and they offer free consultation (I personally worked here before, so I know they’re trusted).
Where does the PHP 400K go? The money deposited (400K) will be returned to you on a monthly basis once you arrive in Canada. You will NOT be able to take it out as a whole, and funds will only be released every 4-6 weeks in a span of 1 year. From what I understood, this money is a deposit to show the embassy that you can sustain living in Canada for at least a year. - Make plans of where you’re staying in Canada and create your statement of application / letter of interest (requirement #5 for SDS application). This is a letter addressed to the embassy which explains (1) why you want you to study in Canada, (2) what your living plans are once you arrive i.e. where are you going to live, and (3) what your plans are after you’ve completed your studies. You can visit Marketplaces or Kijiji.com for rentals, but I suggest you live with relatives for a good few months before being on your own. If you’re renting they’ll usually ask for a deposit. Beware of scams. Monthly rent in Toronto is around PHP 50K per month.
TIP: Google how to write a good letter for your Study Permit application. You need to state where you’re going to live in the letter. - Apply at IRCC. You’ll have to open an account with IRCC. This step has a lot of requirements, including the Letter of Interest, Forms (that you can get from the website), NBI Clearance, etc. plus the requirements I mentioned above. You’ll have to pay around PHP 10K, on top of all fees from other requirements (smaller fees for NBI or Barangay clearance applications, etc).
NOTE: Because I took SDS (path no. 2) I also uploaded and submitted the receipt of the 1 year tuition fee payment, and the GIC.
TIP: Google how to properly fill out the forms. There are countless tutorial videos and how-to articles. Also, if you’re not sure which field to upload which document, combine it with the closest related requirement, add a page with a short statement explaining why you attached it there, and upload it anyway. The more relative information the officer knows about you, the better.
JUNE 20219 - Medical. Once you’ve actually submitted, wait for the response. If all goes well, you’ll receive instructions to go for a medical exam. Take the medical exam. The hospital will attach the results directly on your IRCC profile after the exam.
NOTE: I got mine at St. Luke’s. Only selected hospitals are accepted, this should be stated on the instructions. Medical tests are another ~PHP 10K, I think. - Biometrics. After the medical, the embassy will review your profile again. Wait for response. But after that, they’ll ask you to process your biometrics and submit your passport. Again, the instructions should be on their response.
- IMPORTANT: Study Visa aka Study Permit. You will not be receiving this electronically. You’ll be given an important letter (port of entry letter of introduction) that you will need to present at the airport once you land in Canada. The immigration officer should personally hand you your Study Permit (this is an A4 piece of paper) when you land.
- Book your flight. My mom booked my flight ahead, even before I got accepted from the embassy (cause it’s cheaper). This is around PHP 55K, one-way.
AUGUST 2019 - Fly. When you arrive in Canada, go through the airport processes, and immigration should hand you your Study Permit. Do not ever lose this piece of paper.
- Familiarize yourself. Reach out to your school for any orientations or other last-minute requirements, get your school ID, and learn how to use transit. Monthly student transit pass in Toronto is around PHP 4K.
- (SDS Only) Formally open your bank account. Go to a branch of the bank where you got the GIC, show them your GIC, IDs and passport, and open your bank account. They will give you your Debit card, which will have CAD 2K. This is deducted from the PHP 400K you deposited. The remaining will be released on a month-on-month basis as your allowance. IMPORTANT: Even if you apply through the SDS path, the deposit being released monthly will not be enough to sustain you. My parents still had to send me money for daily needs such as groceries and other miscellaneous fees.
- Finish your studies. My program was only a year long. You can only work part time (20 hours a week) if you’re a student but you can work full-time during breaks. Not super familiar with this.
- Get your provincial health card, SIN and file your taxes every February. Google where the government offices are, and apply for your SIN and provincial health card. Even if you don’t have income i.e. you didn’t work for the year, you have to file your taxes in Canada annually (which requires a SIN).
SUMMARY OF EXPENSES IN PHP
| Before Arrival | |
| IELTS Test (Academic) | 13,000 |
| School Application(s) | 8,000 |
| 1 Year Tuition Fee | 1,000,000 |
| GIC Deposit | 400,000 |
| Study Permit Application fee | 10,000 |
| Medical | 10,000 |
| Misc (Police Clearances, etc) | 5,000 |
| One-way flight | 55,000 |
| Total | 1,501,000 |
| After Arrival* | |
| Monthly rent (**Should be covered by GIC Deposit) | ***20,000 |
| Monthly Student Pass (Transit) | 4,000 |
| Monthly groceries & Other fees | 40,000 |
| Total (x12 months) | 528,000 |
| Grand Total for 1 year of studies | 2,029,000 (Approx. CAD 50,143) |
**Not included in the After Arrival total computation because it should be covered by the GIC deposit that will be released by the bank.
***This rental fee can only cover a room rental (I lived with my aunt and paid ~CAD 500 for her room, and when I moved to downtown, I was lucky to have even found a room for only ~CAD 600). If I had to guess, room-only rentals will average up to PHP 32K (~CAD 800) per month by now. If you’re looking to have a place of your own, e.g. apartments, studios, or basement units alone, it’ll go up to no less than PHP 80K (~CAD 1900) per month in Toronto (remember, Toronto is one of the most expensive cities to live in in Canada).
PART 2. PGWP + Canadian Work Experience Process
(Total of 18 Months – 6 months of paper work, 12 months of work experience)
STARTING JUNE 2020
- Getting ready for PGWP. When you’re on your 2nd-from-the-last semester/term, get ready to apply for your postgraduate work permit (PGWP). Only applicable if you did a postgraduate program. Ask you professors or teachers what the final requirements are for the last term, if you’ve missed anything, if you’re grades are on good standing, and what else you need to finish on your last semester/term. You’ll need to prepare the (1) letter from your school that you’ll have to ask for that states you’ve completed your program or a certificate of completion, (2) the TOR from your school, and (3) your degree or diploma (if available already). More details about PGWP.
NOTE: Also sent out job applications for extra money and for job experience— I sent applications across industries from Walmart, Dollarama, up to big tech companies like Google, Facebook and Shopify.
AUGUST 2020 - Apply for PGWP. You need to finish all the school requirements by now i.e. you’re at the end of your last term and are officially done with internship, tests, assignments, etc. so that you can get the letter of completion from your school. Open your IRCC account and submit the requirements. There should be an option to choose to apply for a work permit, then select postgraduate work permit. Application fee is at PHP 10,500.
NOTE: Applying for the PGWP gave me the “implied” status – meaning since I was only waiting for a response after this point, I could already work full-time. IMPORTANT: You cannot work at all if you are not on implied status i.e. you have not submitted the PGWP application yet; or if you do not have a work permit. More details about PGWP.
SEPTEMBER 2020 - Graduated. I graduated September 2021. Since I had implied status, I started applying for jobs.
DECEMBER 2020 - Received PGWP in the mail. My PGWP was good for 18 months (expired June 2022).
- (Optional but recommended) Apply for a temporary resident visa or visitors visa (TRV). This allows you to enter and exit Canada as a tourist. The study permit or PGWP permits are not travel visas. You cannot enter the country without it. This is around PHP 4K.
TIP: Google how to properly fill out the forms. There are countless tutorial videos and how-to articles. - Moved. Toronto was getting too expensive, and I couldn’t land a job in Ontario. So I decided to move to Calgary, Alberta and look for work there.
DECEMBER 2020 TO DECEMBER 2021 - Work and collect hours. I got a full-time job in Alberta and I started to collect my work hours for my PR application. You need at least 1 year’s worth of Canadian experience to get a good score on your PR application.
SUMMARY OF EXPENSES IN PHP
| PGWP application fee | 10,500 (CAD 255) |
| TRV application fee (optional) | 4,000 (CAD 100) |
| Grand Total for PGWP Process | 14,500 (CAD 355) |
PART 3. Permanent Residence (PR) Process
(Total of 8 Months – 3 months of preparation + applying, and 5 months of waiting)
STARTING NOVEMBER 2021
- Prepared Express Entry (EE) requirements. There are three requirements each candidate will need. Fees are around PHP 24K all together. See 3 main requirements below (3 of 3).
What is EE? It’s basically a pool of applicants, and they rank the candidates based on scores. Each candidate has a profile; and is scored depending on their work experience, educational experience, English or French literacy, etc. The higher score you get, the higher your chances are with getting a PR invitation. NOTE: You cannot apply directly to become a PR – they need to invite you to apply aka the Invitation to Apply (ITA) for a PR. More details about Express Entry.
What is the ITA for PR? If your EE profile/score stands out, the Canadian government will reach out to you and will invite you to apply as a Permanent Resident.
NOTE: There are other ways (I think) to become a PR. EE was just the easiest for me. - (1 of 3) Take IELTS or CELPIP test (CAD 230 / PHP 9K). You’ll need to take another English language proficiency test.
TIP: I took mine with CELPIP because it’s cheaper. Beware of the type of test – this requires a General test, not the Academic one. - (2 of 3) Request proof of work. This is a letter you’ll need to request from your employer(s) stating the duration of your employment, your responsibilities, and your pay. This will prove the hours that you worked.
- (3 of 3) Educational Assessment (CAD 230 / PHP 9K). Only specific institutions are recognized. This is basically an assessment from a 3rd party institution that will state the equivalency of your foreign degree compared to Canadian schools. You’ll need to reach out to your college or university in the Philippines and ask them to submit your TOR to your chosen assessment centre.
TIP: I used WES – everything is online, and it was easier. I also applied for my TOR using the University of Santo Tomas’ online portal, and they sent it directly to WES.
DECEMBER 2021 TO JANUARY 2022 - Start and submit your EE profile. You’ll need your IRCC account again. Once you login, go to the EE section and follow the instructions. Lodged my application in EE together with the three requirements mentioned above.
Your EE will be reviewed by the provinces you selected (the application will ask you which provinces you want to become a resident of). More details about Express Entry. - Apply for a Bridging Open Work Permit or BOWP (if applicable). My PGWP was going to expire on June 2022 so I applied for a BOWP to keep my status of being allowed to work and receive pay/salary even after my PGWP expires and before I get my PR. This only requires IDs or documents that you should already have. Application fee is at CAD 250 / PHP 10K. More about BOWP.
TIP: Google how to properly fill out the forms. There are countless tutorial videos and how-to articles. - Obtain Police (NBI) Clearance from your country. This is required for the PR application, not the EE profile. Google how to obtain this, but in the Philippines, I just walked into the government office because I spent December there. Knowing Philippines, I applied very early in case of delays.
FEBRUARY 2022 - (Only if you receive it) Got an invitation to apply as a provincial nominee in Alberta. A nomination from a province will give you even more EE profile points; hence, making your profile rank higher. This is different from the ITA for a PR. Applying as a provincial nominee is not free, fee’s at CAD 500 / PHP 20K).
NOTE: At least in my case, I received this invitation at random. Not everyone will get an invitation to apply as a provincial nominee. I accepted the invitation and applied to become an Provincial Nominee in Alberta. - Got accepted as a provincial nominee of Alberta. I got an additional 600 points on my EE Profile.
MARCH 2022 - More waiting. Your EE profile will be pretty much on stand-by for a while.
TIP: Be mindful of your permits and SINs. Your permit may have already expired by now and if you did not apply for a BOWP, you are not on implied status i.e. if you did not apply for a new work permit, and your PGWP permit expires, you have to stop working and getting paid. - (Optional but recommended) Get a National ID. This is basically a local, official ID that has your address and age. It comes in handy. I actually can’t remember if this is free or not, but shouldn’t be expensive if not.
APRIL TO MAY 2022 - Got my ITA for PR. This was the next step after the EE profile. I applied under the Canadian Experience Class (CEC) stream/program. Important: An ITA is not a PR.
What is CEC? You can apply via different streams/programs depending on the work experience you have, and the savings you have. CEC was best for me, because I had work experience in Canada and I did not want to provide proof of funds. You can apply through other streams too like the Federal Skilled Workers (FSW) program which has different requirements—it all depends on the program you choose. I think, you can go through more than 1 stream, just depends on how much you complete each stream’s criteria.
What are these “PR streams/programs?” The simplified explanation in my head is these are just different ways on how the Canadian government processes PR applications. Each stream has a different bucket of requirements like work experience and funds, and depending on which ones you can fulfil, they’ll group you into those buckets. Making an intelligent guess: it’s a process to make it easier for the PR application reviewers/officers to group applicants since they receive thousands a day. - Received a link where I can start my actual PR application. You’ll receive this once you get an ITA. This link will open your profile where you can upload all the required documents. There will be many requirements, one of which was the NBI Clearance (see no. 7) and a lot more.
- Compiled all my work experience and proof of work. Uploaded those documents, too. This step requires you to ask for references letters from your current and previous managers or employers (I only reused the letters that I already used in my EE profile, see no. 3).
- Took care of other requirements like proof of funds, letter of purpose aka supporting letter i.e. a letter explaining why do you want to become a resident of Canada. Uploaded all those, including my National ID (see no. 11).
NOTE: I uploaded my payslips on the proof of funds field, but CEC doesn’t actually require proof of funds, and payslips are not actually recognized as official proof of funds (it has to come from a bank). Since I wasn’t required to show proof of funds, and I still wanted to show my ability to earn and save money, I just uploaded my payslips anyway.
TIP: Google how to write a good letter for your PR application and how to properly fill out the forms. Also, if you’re not sure which field to upload which document, combine it with the closest related requirement, add a page with a short statement explaining why you attached it there, and upload it anyway. The more relative information the officer knows about you, the better. - Did my medical (around CAD 80 / PHP 3.5K). Uploaded only the receipt for that — the clinic will upload the results themselves and attach it to your profile.
- Submit and pay fees (CAD 1.3K / PHP 53K). I paid these in instalments due how large it was.
JUNE 2022 - Approved. Got an email that I passed my medical, and after a few weeks also got an email saying my PR application has be approved. Got more instructions on how to get my PR card. The instructions have a link, too, which will ask you to login to process your PR card.
- Getting my PR card. The link will require you to login and upload your address and your photo for your PR card.
- Got my eCOPR. The eCOPR basically is your temporary document proving you are now a permanent resident.
JULY 2022 - Got my PR card in the mail.
SUMMARY OF EXPENSES IN PHP
| CELPIP Test aka English Language Proficiency Test fee | 9,000 |
| WES aka Educational Assessment fee | 9,000 |
| BOWP application fee (optional) | 10,000 |
| Provincial Nomination application fee (if applicable) | 20,000 |
| PR Medical Fees | 3,500 |
| PR Application Fee | 53,000 |
| Grand Total for PR Process | 104,500 (CAD 2,590) |
PART 4. Final Tips:
- Choose Tech. Tech is in demand these days. I think my program (Interactive Media Management) and my work as a Product Designer in Canada helped a lot with my PR application.
- Plan ahead and GOOGLE. Plan how you’re going to get the money, pay for everything, and when and how all the application steps and paperwork should happen. Everything can be search on the web nowadays, so if you’re confused with how to fill out forms or write letters, go to websites of immigration agencies or simply just google templates and how-to’s. Remember,timing is everything. It’s hard but it’s not impossible.
- Instalments are key. My study permit and tuition fees were covered by my parents. I paid for my PR requirements. However, my mom and I had to pay most of the fees in long-term instalments. It doesn’t always have to be one-time-big-time payments.
- It’s overwhelmingly expensive, but it’s absolutely worth it. I make enough right now that I can fly twice a year back home, and support both myself and my family back home. We’re slowly trying to earn back what we lost. With hardwork and dedication, the money will run back to you quickly.
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I’m not a consultant nor an agent, but I’ll try to help and direct you to where you need to go if you have questions. You can reach me at karensueannyao@gmail.com.
KSY, MDEI | YOUR FULL-STACK PRODUCT SPECIALIST 
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