Acceptance: Student Visa to Study in Canada

Recently I was contacted by someone who was also accepted to the program and questioned about student visas for Canada. Although this doesn't pertain to me in particular I thought it would be helpful to post the information I found here to assist others. As I found out, a student visa is actually officially referred to as a "Study Permit" here in Canada.

Before I go on I would like to encourage all students accepted to the MBA program at Queen's who want to know more about student visas to get in touch with Queen's. They have been very helpful with everything I have contacted them about and they assist a lot of students every year.

On the Queen's application process website I found the following excerpt concerning student visas:

International Students
If you are neither a Canadian citizen nor a permanent resident of Canada you must apply for a Study Permit from the Canadian government in order to enter Canada to enroll in this program. Depending on your country of citizenship you may also be
required to have a Temporary Resident Visa to enter Canada. You should begin
the application process as soon as you receive your offer of admission from
Queen’s. To determine your student visa requirements and to apply for a
student visa go to Citizenship and Immigration Canada.

Note: Acceptance into Queen’s MBA does not guarantee nor imply acceptance of your application for a study permit. You should not take any final steps, such as moving to Canada, purchasing plane tickets, or quitting your job, until your Study
Permit is approved.

It was explicitly state in the Citizenship and Immigration Canada website that you must have an acceptance letter prior to applying for a visa. You can read through all the specifications for the application process on their website as there are way too many for me to discuss in detail. However, I thought I would post links to the guide, application form , and document checklist here.

Thank you for your e-mails. I hope someone finds this information useful.

(Update: Found this other blogger at Ivey who has detailted the PR process and passport stuff in much greater detail. Suggest those interested in this information check it out)

Accommodations: Pictures of the suite arrived

Today we final got some pictures by e-mail of the furnished suite we have rented. It is the main floor of an older house not too far from campus, but definitely not in the "student ghetto". I made contact with the current tenant during my trip to interview for the program. Since then I have been in contact with them concerning the suite via e-mail.

The pictures have definitely alleviated a lot of the anxiety my wife and myself had about moving to Kingston. It looks like a nice place with high ceilings. After reviewing the pictures we were able to ask a few clarifying questions of the current tenant to get a better understanding of what is included and what we should plan to bring with us.

With this out of the way I can focus on work again. At least until I have to start packing up this place to move.

(Queen's Housing Website)

Correspondence: Feedback from Career Centre

After writing a follow-up e-mail the Queen's Career Centre replied with the sample material they mentioned during my phone conversation with them. It was comprised of 5 job posting from this past year for various "finance" and "strategic consulting" positions. This material was quite helpful and in line with what I had discovered before from the websites of the top firms involved in these industries.

I still don't know how these options might suit myself, but at least I have some idea what they might be like if I should be presented with the opportunity to pursue a career in one of these directions. I won't really know until I get into the material at Queen's.

Financing: Government Student Loan.

I recently discovered that as a mature student I might qualify for a government student loan. So, I filled out an application on line. I was pleasantly surprised at the automatically assessed amount. Now I have to wait to see if this will get approved.

Financing: Scholarship and Loan Information

Found the following on Queen's FAQ site:

FEES & FINANCING QUESTIONS
Q: How much does the program cost?

A: The program fee for the Class of 2009 is $58,000(CAD) for domestic students and $63,000 (CAD) for international students. This fee includes tuition, books,
cases, learning materials, photocopying, printing, and other program-related expenses (such as participating in case competitions and conferences).

Q: What is an estimated cost of living for a student in Kingston?

A: CAD $27,000.

Q: What financing options are available to me?A: Queen's School of Business and RBC Financial Group have teamed up to offer qualified Canadian citizens and permanent residents a tuition loan plan which allows you to borrow your full tuition fee and an additional CAD $15,000 for living expenses. Queen's covers the interest costs on the entire loan while you are in the program. Your personal RBC banker will work with you to establish a manageable repayment schedule. You have a maximum of ten (10) years to re-pay the loan. Please see the full details. Foreign residents and nationals should consult the numerous financing options.

Q: Are scholarships available?

A: Yes. Scholarships are awarded on merit. We look at a candidate’s GMAT score, GPA, and work experience equally in determining who will receive a scholarship. For the Class of 2007, the value of scholarships ranged from CAD $5,000 - $30,000. Separate applications are not required; all candidates who receive an offer of admission from Queen’s will be considered for a scholarship. Scholarship decisions are typically communicated within a month of the final application deadline.

So, some scholarships are available. The real question is do I "merit" one? I hope so.

Employment: Found some options

Came across the "Fortune" list of the top MBA employers for 2007.

Top 25 list. Has brief breakdown and profile of each company.

Top 100 list. Just a list that includes the top 25 list.

I found the lists very heavily weighted to the US, but it was good to take a look at the individual companies websites. I was able to get a feel for what kind of opportunities might be available after graduating. The recruitment pages for numbers 2, 3, 4, and 5 (McKinsey&Company, Goldman Sachs, Bain&Company, and Boston Consulting Group respectively) were insightful as to where these organizations would try to fit you and what your career path for the first 5 years might look like. The interview process for all of them seems very rigorous and there seems to be a lot of competition for a limited number of spots with these big names.

If you do check out these companies, make sure you also check them out at wikipedia. I found it to be a little more transparent. It lays the corporate structure and culture out in a much more logicial manner that allows you to see the benefits and drawbacks to these orgnaizations. For example McKinsey&Company has an "up or out" policy that isn't mentioned in the recruitment site. That could make the environment a little bit more competive than one would initially assume from all the smiling faces.

I'm not assuming I will even try to get into these organization or that I would even be able to, but I'm sure that there are other organizations I might find an opportunity with that would be similar in corporate structure, function, and experience. I'm not even sure if I would want to move my career in this direction, but looking at these organizations did give me a better idea what the "finance" and "strategic consulting" opportunities, mentioned by the Queen's Career Centre, might be like.

(Aside: also found this website that seems to have information on salaries at different organizations)

Financing: Take what you can get.

Well, it is finally done. The paperwork for the line of credit that Queen's will pay the interest on during and for 12 months after completing the program is on the way. Queen's is covering tuition plus fifteen thousand dollars. I tried to get more, but to no avail. That is as high as the bank is willing to loan on this particular "product". I also had to have a co-signer since I have zero assets.

Nothing reminds you how poor you are like asking the bank for money.

We provided a detailed breakdown of the years expenses to the banker. After reviewing it, the picture the banker painted for me of my financial situation upon graduation was pretty bleak. I got pretty depressed about the whole thing and was almost ready to pull the plug and cut my losses at that point. I had to sit down and crunch some numbers. I also took yet another look at what prospects might be available after graduation for employment. If I manage to find a job that pays well while I'm in school and I can start right after graduation I might be okay.

As if that isn't worrisome enough, the finances I have set up won't be enough to cover my expenses for the whole year, but I figure with the little bit I can save, a good tax return, and taking what little I have in RRSPs out through the "lifelong learning program" I can make it to September. Maybe December if things really stretch. At that point I will have to look for an additional line of credit for the final four to six months. I feel like I'm calling "all in" with a pair of tens pre-flop and I haven't even reached the final table.

I really need some sort of entrance scholarship, but I don't know if that is going to happen. From my conversations with the students during my interview it sounded like scholarships were few and far between. Still, I can hope!

I'm also going to apply for another scholarship I found, but I'm not writing about the details here until after I have found out if I get that one or not. I don't want extra competition.

(This deadline has come and gone. It was the Engineers Canada-TD Meloche Monnex scholarship for professional engineers in Canada returning to school to study a subject other than engineering. There is also a scholarship for professional engineers in Canada returning to school to study engineering futher.)

I've even started to "pay the stupid tax." By that I mean purchase lottery tickets. If I ever needed a small financial windfall, now is the time, but I have a better chance of getting hit by lightning.

It is unnerving to be setting out on this kind of venture with two thirds of your financing in place. Everyone keeps telling me that, "this is a great opportunity," but who really knows? It's not them climbing out on the thinnest tree limb hoping it doesn't break. Is "the fruit sweeter further out on the limb?"

For now I will take the tuition plus fifteen thousand that is on the table and hope for some kind of scholarship to help, while continuing to look for other ways to make this work. I'm either incredibly brave or incredibly stupid. The only difference between the two is the result. Time will tell since I'm jumping in with both feet.

Correspondence: Talking with the Career Centre

David Edwards, the Director of the Career Centre for Queen's School of Business, called me today. I had requested someone from the Career Centre contact me so I could find out where a Canadian professional engineering with oil and gas experience could ended up after the program. I wanted this information for two reasons:

1. To find out if there were any career possibilities I could research now to ensure I was better informed to make a decision should one present itself while I'm in the program and busy with course work, and

2. Find out what type of compensation I might expect after graduation so I could see if I would be able to pay off the massive amount of debt I'm about to take on. Especially since it will add to the debt I'm still carrying from my first degree. (i.e. will I be able to afford a spacious fridge box or just a small computer box to live in afterwards...)

David mentioned that most graduates either head to finance or consulting. Neither of these mean too much to me. He tried to explain, but it all seemed very high level and vague. No specifics. He mentioned it was hard to get into specifics since most of the answers I wanted I could only get by taking a class on "finance" or the such. I agree with him, but that still doesn't help me with my anxiety concerning the uncertainty that is my future.

He did mention that they like all students to "keep an open mind" and to consider all the possibilities that present themselves. He also mentioned that from day one in the program the staff at the Career Center work with the students to help them find what they might like and to assist them with finding a job.

Overall I was still left with a lot of questions, but I am encouraged that I will have a strong support network from the Career Centre. Also, David said he would send me some literature to try to help give me a better feel for a few of the opportunities I might be presented with. I'm looking forward to what he sends.

Accommodations: Lease is finalized.

Well, sent back the lease today with my deposit. I am now committed to a fully furnished 2 bedroom suite in Kingston, ON from May 1, 2008 to April 30, 2009 for $1125/month. A little pricey, but it means not moving or purchasing furniture and it provides the space my wife will need to take her correspondence course. It is also a short walk to campus and not in the notorious "student ghetto".

I still haven't seen any picture of the place.

However, from my conversations with the current tenant, whom I lucked out in meeting during my trip for my interview, and with the landlord I'm sure it is as good or better than any other place I would find.

In addition, I have been assured it is rat free. My wife is a little apprehensive about moving to a place with rats. Here in Alberta the whole province is rat free, but that is not the case in Ontario. My friend who took his engineering degree at Queen's has had more than a few stories concerning rats to share with us.

Oh well, it is nice to have this issue out of the way. Now how to raise the funds to pay for all this crazyness...

(Queen's Housing Website)