Study in Canada: Fees, Intakes, Universities, Jobs for Filipino Students

Get accepted by a Designated Learning Institution (DLI), then apply for a study permit through IRCC with your Letter of Acceptance, proof of funds, and (if your province requires one) a Provincial Attestation Letter. AECC guides Filipino applicants through each step for free.

At least CAD 22,895 for living costs (single applicant, outside Quebec, effective since September 1, 2025), on top of your first year's tuition and travel costs. This threshold is adjusted annually based on Statistics Canada's low-income cut-off.

Tuition typically runs CAD 15,000 to 35,000 a year depending on your course and institution, plus the CAD 22,895 living-cost requirement, plus travel. Total first-year cost commonly lands between CAD 35,000 and 60,000+ depending on your programme and city.

Not as easily as it once did. Study permit approval rates have fallen sharply, from around 58% in 2021 to roughly 30 to 45% through 2024 and 2025, as IRCC has deliberately tightened the international student programme. Complete, well-documented applications with genuine study plans still succeed regularly.

Not automatically, but it's a realistic pathway. Studying for 2 years or more (plus completing a Post-Graduation Work Permit and gaining qualifying Canadian work experience) is one of the strongest routes into Express Entry's Canadian Experience Class, one of Canada's main permanent residence streams.

Gaining Canadian work experience through the PGWP in an in-demand field (healthcare, skilled trades, IT) and applying through Express Entry's Canadian Experience Class or a matching Provincial Nominee Program stream is generally the fastest route, since Canadian education and work experience both add points.

Not entirely, but you have options. IRCC also accepts CELPIP and PTE Core for English, or TEF Canada and TCF Canada if you're proficient in French, and French proficiency can actually boost your Express Entry points through the French-language bonus.

Under the Post-Graduation Work Permit, the length matches your programme, up to a maximum of 3 years for most Bachelor's and Master's graduates, giving you real time to gain Canadian work experience.

It depends on your programme level. Since 2024, only spouses or partners of students in Master's or doctoral programmes (of at least 16 months) are generally eligible for an open work permit; spouses of most undergraduate and college-level students are no longer automatically eligible.

No city grants PR directly, but smaller cities and regions with dedicated immigration pilots (such as the Atlantic provinces and various rural community programmes) often have less competitive Provincial Nominee Program streams than major hubs like Toronto or Vancouver.

IRCC has capped new study permit applications at 309,670 spaces for 2026, expecting to issue up to 408,000 permits total, down from 437,000 in 2025 and 485,000 in 2024. Master's and doctoral students at public institutions are now exempt from needing a Provincial Attestation Letter, a genuine advantage if you're pursuing postgraduate study.

Canada is deliberately shrinking its international student population as part of a broader plan to reduce temporary residents to under 5% of the population by late 2027. Study permit holders fell from over 1 million in January 2024 to about 725,000 by September 2025, and approval rates have dropped accordingly, so a complete, well-prepared application matters more than ever.

IRCC expects to issue up to 408,000 study permits in 2026, including 155,000 to newly arriving international students and 253,000 extensions for current and returning students.

There's no fixed number tied to studying alone, since student years don't count toward citizenship. Once on an employment permit (typically after Stamp 1G), Critical Skills Employment Permit holders can reach the reckonable residence needed for citizenship faster than General Employment Permit holders, since Critical Skills roles have a shorter route to Stamp 4 (long-term residence).

This depends entirely on your job and hours, Ireland's national minimum wage is €13.50 an hour for adults, so 20 hours a week during term could realistically bring in €1,000 to €1,200 a month before tax, more in higher-paying part-time roles.

Up to 20 hours a week during term time and 40 hours a week during scheduled college holidays, under standard Stamp 2 conditions.

For the year ending December 2025, the UK Home Office recorded a 4.1% refusal rate across all sponsored study visas (18,434 refusals out of 444,905 decisions), meaning roughly 96% of applications were approved.

Submit a genuine CAS with matching details across all documents, show maintenance funds held for the full 28-day period, and make sure your course and career plan are consistent and well explained. Most refusals are avoidable with careful preparation rather than being about eligibility.

The £558 application fee is non-refundable. The Immigration Health Surcharge, however, is automatically refunded in full if your visa is refused, since you weren't granted the immigration permission it was paid for.

Undergraduate applicants need completed Senior High School (Grade 12) under the K-12 curriculum and an accepted English test score, typically IELTS 6.0 to 7.5 depending on the course. Postgraduate applicants need a recognised Bachelor's degree and a higher English score, generally IELTS 6.5 to 7.0.

Yes. Student visa holders can work up to 20 hours per week during term time and full-time during scheduled breaks.

Yes. Most Filipino students need a Student visa, which requires a Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS) from your university, proof of funds for tuition and living costs, and the Immigration Health Surcharge.

Not directly. Graduates first move onto the Graduate Route visa, then typically switch to a Skilled Worker visa with employer sponsorship, which counts toward the years of UK residence generally required for settlement (Indefinite Leave to Remain).

Yes, beyond the fully funded Chevening and Commonwealth awards. University-specific scholarships, such as GREAT Scholarships (worth around £10,000) and individual university merit awards, are also open to Filipino applicants and typically cover a partial share of tuition rather than the full cost.