November 5, 2022

What is Student Partners Program (SPP) in Canada – Everything You Need to Know

The rise in demand for studying abroad also increases the need for getting study visas. It has been observed that every year, many Indian students apply for Study Visas in Canada. Due to this spike in demand for Study Visas in Canada, the entire process of getting visas became very dilatory and burdensome. Applying for Study Visas in Canada or other countries involves a lot of paperwork and documentation process. To avoid any kind of delay due to such time-consuming processes, and for increasing the efficiency of student visa applications, the Canadian colleges and Canada High Commission developed a program, known as the Student Partners Program (SPP). This program helps Indian students who apply for Study Visas in Canada to go through a hassle-free application process. Our study abroad consultants are there to help the students going to apply for Study Visas in Canada.

By the end of this article, you will get clarity on this Student Partners Program (SPP). Also, you shall understand how effective and efficient this program is for the students who apply for Study Visas in Canada. 

Understanding Student Partners Program (SPP) in CANADA

Students Partners Program (SPP) in Canada is an administrative framework developed by the Association of Canadian Community Colleges (ACCC), Government of Canada in partnership with the Canadian Immigration Offices in India and China, for a seamless visa process to get admission to Canadian colleges. The purpose of SPP was to provide the utmost support to students from India and China aspiring to study in Canada. This program was launched in the year 2009.

Why apply under SPP?

There are several reasons to apply under SPP for the aspirants wishing to apply for Study Visas in Canada. We have listed a few of the most important reasons to choose SPP:

  • Faster visa processing

Applying under SPP saves the aspirants’ time and energy as it requires minimum documents for completing the application process to avail the Study Visas in Canada.

  • Government recognised institutions

If you are desiring to apply for Student Visas in Canada, and are doubtful of the institutions that you are opting for, this program assures you of admission into the institutions that are recognised by the government.

  • Prior Submission of Medical Report

For making the process hassle-free and quick, students can submit their medical information in advance.

Eligibility criteria to apply under SPP

Aspirants applying under the Students Partners Program are required to meet the following eligibility criteria:

SPP India 

For SPP India, the students must meet the following requirements: 

Post-Secondary

  • The student must have secured an overall IELTS score of 6.0 with no band less than 5.5 issued in the past 24 months.
  • There should not be a study gap of more than 2 years. Although there are exceptions for students with excellent grades, the permissible gap is of 3 years.
  • Admission into a 3-year program is allowed if the students have 6 failures. If the applicants have an overall average of 65%, they may accept 8 failures.
  • For admission into a 4-year program – the applicants are allowed to have 8 failures. If they have an overall average of 65% they may accept 10 failures.
  • The program must be in alignment with the previous education of the applicant for adding value to it.
  • Applicants to SPP should have a minimum Second Class of C level with an overall minimum score of 50% in their more recently completed courses such as a diploma or any other equipment degree.

Graduate Programs

  • The applicants must have an overall IELTS Score of 6.5 with no band less than 6.0 acquired in the past 24 months.
  • The permissible study gap should be no larger than 5 years. There are some exceptions provided to students with excellent grades and a 6-year gap.
  • For admission into a 3-year program – Students must only have 6 failures. If they have an overall average of 65%, they may accept 8 failures.
  • For Admission into a 4-year program – the applicants can have 8 failures. If they have an overall average of 65% they may accept 10 failures.
  • The applicants should make sure that their applied program must be complementary to their previous education.
  • Applicants should have a minimum Second Class of C level with an overall minimum score of 50% in their most recently completed diploma or degree.

SPP China

Students should meet the following admission guidelines to be eligible under SPP China:

  • Applicants must have a minimum overall IELTS score of 5.5 with no bands less than 5.0 issued in the past 24 months.
  • Or, they should have graduated from a Canadian Curriculum high school in China.

Note

An important point to note here is that students who have already applied once under SPP are not eligible to apply a second time under SPP.

Requisite document to apply under SPP

Eligible students aspiring to study in Canada, are required to submit the following documents to apply under Student Partner Program (SPP):

  • Valid Passport and Photographs
  • IELTS Scorecard
  • Offer letter from SPP authorised college
  • Proof of funds
  • Mark sheets, degree certificates, and transcripts
  • Medical Examination report
  • Family Information Declaration
  • Get a specific Guaranteed Investment Certificate (GIC) from Scotia Bank, SBI, or ICICI Bank to cover living expenses for the first year of stay in Canada.

How to apply?

  • There are more than forty Colleges in Canada that accept applications under SPP. The students are required to apply for the course at the college listed under SPP.
  • The students have to meet the eligibility criteria. After having met the eligibility criteria to apply for study visas in Canada under SPP, they have to submit the documents and application form to the SPP college.
  • The application must be submitted four weeks ahead of the start date of the applied course.
  • The average time for processing an SPP student visa application is 5 to 10 days.

List of Canadian colleges under SPP

For your convenience, we have listed, below, more than 30 Canadian colleges under the Student Partners program for students wanting to Study in Canada and build a bright future:

  1. Algonquin College, Ontario
  2. Bow Valley College, Alberta
  3. Cambrian College of Applied Arts & Technology, Ontario
  4. Camosun College, British Columbia
  5. Centennial College of Applied Arts & Technology, Ontario
  6. College of New Caledonia, British Columbia
  7. College of the Rockies, British Columbia
  8. Columbia College, British Columbia
  9. Conestoga College, Ontario
  10. Confederation College of Applied Arts & Technology, Ontario
  11. Douglas College, British Columbia
  12. Durham College, Ontario
  13. Fanshawe College of Applied Arts & Technology, Ontario
  14. George Brown College, Ontario
  15. Georgian College of Arts & Technology, Ontario
  16. Grant MacEwan University, Alberta
  17. Humber College Institute of Technology & Advanced Learning, Ontario
  18. Kwantlen Polytechnic University, British Columbia
  19. Lambton College of Applied Arts & Technology, Ontario
  20. Loyalist College of Applied Arts & Technology, Ontario
  21. Marine Institute of Memorial University, Newfoundland
  22. Medicine Hat College, Alberta
  23. Mohawk College of Applied Arts & Technology, Ontario
  24. Niagara College, Ontario
  25. North Island College, British Columbia
  26. Northern Alberta Institute of Technology, Alberta
  27. Northern College, Ontario
  28. Northern Lights, British Columbia
  29. Okanagan College, British Columbia
  30. Red River College of Applied Arts, Science & Technology, Manitoba
  31. Selkirk College, British Columbia
  32. Seneca College of Applied Arts & Technology, Ontario
  33. Sheridan College Institute of Technology & Advanced Learning, Ontario
  34. St-Clair College of Applied Arts & Technology, Ontario
  35. St. Lawrence College, Ontario
  36. University of The Fraser Valley, British Columbia
  37. Vancouver Island University, British Columbia
  38. Vancouver Community College, British Columbia

If you have any queries and are looking for assistance regarding Study Visas in Canada, feel free to reach out to our study abroad consultants.

Working under the student partners program

The Student Partners Program is not restricted to seamless Student Visas processing in Canada, rather, it also helps you to work upon successfully completing your graduation from the reputed Canadian college with a Canadian work permit.

The Canadian work permit has its own set of terms and conditions that must be met by every student who is looking to work in Canada.

As per the Canadian work permit requirements, students opting for a two-year or longer course, are granted a Post Graduate Work Permit for the same time period or a maximum of three years. Those students with a course duration of one year are eligible for a work permit for the duration of the course.

Now you don’t have to go through the conventional method of applying for Student Visas in Canada, thanks to the Student Partners Program (SPP) for making the entire process efficient and hassle-free.

Also, the students can contact the study abroad consultants anytime if they are facing difficulty while applying for Student Visas in Canada under SPP.