Blog / September 19, 2022

How I applied at VCC | Canada Student Permit Application

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In this blog post, I will share my journey in applying to Vancouver Community College as an international student. Note: it does not reflect an accurate representation of the timeline for applying at VCC as it varies per person and the situation.

What you can expect:

Making the decision to choose VCC and starting my application
Receiving the Letter of Offer from VCC and the next steps to secure my slot
Sending my Student Permit Approval to VCC

Making the decision to choose VCC and starting my application

In June and July 2021, I decided to take the Business and Project Management Program (BPM) at Vancouver Community College (VCC) after canvassing different programs and schools in Vancouver, British Columbia.

The VCC website is very helpful in guiding me about the process on how to send my application as an international student. There is a specific page per program, but they are outlined in the following format:

What you will learn – contains an overall description of the program and what are the expected knowledge and skills a graduate of the program will and should have.
What to expect – explains the teaching methodologies used in the program.
Admission Requirements specify the general and program-specific requirements when you submit an application.
Courses – outlines the terms and course names you need to take.
Fees and Other Costs – contains the list of expenses to be paid for the whole program.
Apply Now – provides the start date of application of the three upcoming intakes and its status (if it’s open for application or closed already). It also gives you the link to the application package requirements and where you can send it.

Important to note:

Each program may have its own set of admission requirements to be submitted (program-specific) on top of the general admission requirements for all programs. So, please make sure to check and include it in the application package.
There is a specific VCC website for international students. Here’s the link: https://www.vcc.ca/international/. So, don’t be confused with the website for Canadian residents.

On July 21, I paid the application fee of $145 (CAD) and sent the documents required in the application package and program-specific requirements.

Below is the format that I used in the application email that I sent to study@vcc.ca:

A few minutes later, after I sent the above email, I received an automatic reply from them confirming the receipt of my application.

On July 28, I received an email from VCC informing me that the International Education office had received my complete application to the Business & Project Management program. Along with the email are my student number and login details that I can use to login into the myVCC account, where I can check the admission status of my application.

Receiving the Letter of Offer and the next steps to secure my slot

On August 7, I received the Letter of Offer and the next steps I need to take to secure my slot. First, I need to accept the offer by paying the initial deposit specified in the letter. There were two options – pay the first term or the first-year tuition. Second, I must apply for a student permit from Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship (IRCC). The deadline for submission of the proof of study permit approval to VCC is also included in the letter. Ms. Rona, the Philippines’ Marketing Manager, also replied in the thread congratulating me for securing a slot, and she provided essential details and reminders.

On August 9, I went to a BPI branch to process the payment of CAD 10,000 (I chose the first option as I intended to apply via regular stream only). I used Flywire to get the payment instructions so I could transfer my tuition fee deposit to VCC. I asked the teller at BPI that I’ll be doing a fund transfer via Flywire and showed them the instruction document from Flywire.

On August 10, I received a text confirmation from Flywire that they received the CAD 10,000.

On August 12, I received a text and email confirmation from Flywire that VCC received the CAD 10,000. That day, I sent the proof of payment to VCC.

On August 13, VCC informed me that they updated my file and asked me to start processing my Student Permit using the flywire receipt and offer letter as supporting documents. With this, I secured my slot at VCC.

Sending my Student Permit Approval

On November 30, I emailed VCC and sent my study permit approval letter. Luckily, I could send it four months before their deadline.

On December 2, VCC acknowledged my email.

Overall, it took me 134 days, or a little over 4 months, from the day I sent my application at VCC to the day I sent them my student permit approval letter. But it only took me 17 days from the day I emailed them the application package to the day I received the LOO (Letter of Offer) – VCC’s equivalent to LOA (Letter of Acceptance).