Canada Student Visa After 5 to 25 Years Long Gap

“Can one apply for Canada’s Study Visa after a 10-year gap?”

Yes, you can. It doesn’t matter if you are applying for a Canada study visa after 7 years, 10 years, or even 25 years. However, most universities allow a study gap of two years for undergraduate courses and five years for postgraduate courses.

This does not mean that applicants with long educational gaps are unqualified. Many people pursue higher education later in life due to exceptional circumstances.

Such individuals may be interested in studying at Colleges and Universities in Canada under a study permit. The Canadian student visa allows students to enter and study at one of the country’s prestigious educational institutions.

Let’s explore the challenges of applying for a Canadian student visa after a gap of 5-25 years and find possible solutions.

Does a Canadian Student Visa Get Rejected Because of Academic Gap?

IRCC aims to attract the brightest international candidates to study at Canada’s educational institutions. For this reason, it tends to be incredibly strict about approving study permits and student visas that don’t meet its criteria.

It is estimated that Canadian immigration officers reject 30% of the study permit applications they receive yearly.

Some of these rejections may be due to the applicant’s lack of funds or failure to convince a visa officer they will leave Canada after completing their studies. Canadian visa officers may also reject applicants for having a study gap.

For example, someone applying for a Canada study visa after 10 years gap will be at a significantly higher risk of rejection than an applicant that has completed their high school education the same year.

Learn more: Canada Student Visa Rejection Reasons

How do you justify an education gap for a Canadian study visa?

• Gather Documents for Study Gap Justification
• Choose the Right Field of Study
• Select the Right Universities
• Write a Solid Cover Letter Explanation
• Show Intent to Leave Canada After Studies
• Be Honest and Transparent
• Hire Licensed Professionals Approved by CICC

An individual may have a study gap in their history for a legitimate reason. Such reasons are essential to note as they may be used to convince a Canadian visa officer to approve a study visa or study permit application. Some of these legitimate reasons include:

1. Medical Reasons (Health Issues and Treatments)

Many people pause their studies to address significant medical issues they face. For example, someone who has been diagnosed with cancer may need to put off their studies for many years until they have completed treatment.

Such individuals may be unable to travel abroad due to their condition and because treatment is more affordable in their home country.

Medical issues tend to be unavoidable, so they are considered a legitimate reason for a study gap. Once their health has returned to normal and they are fit to live abroad, such individuals can apply for a study permit or study visa.

2. Family Responsibilities

Some may also halt their studies for family reasons. It’s not uncommon for people to be forced to put their academic pursuits on hold to take care of aging family members. This can be a common reason in cultures where retirement homes are uncommon.

3. Relationship Issues

Other family reasons include marriage breakups and the legal issues they entail. Some family reasons may not be considered significant enough to count as legitimate reasons to halt your studies. You will, therefore, need to specify how exactly the event disrupted your studies in your application.

4. Preparation for Competitive Exams/Language Tests

Certain people may dream of pursuing higher education in Canada but may be unable to do so due to external tests. For example, you might have been interested in applying for a study permit in the past but scored poorly on your English language proficiency exam.

IRCC generally requires applicants to possess a minimum score of 6.0 on their IELTS to apply for a Canadian undergraduate or diploma program study permit. Applicants who scored below this requirement may have chosen to submit their application later once they have improved their language proficiency score.

In other cases, applicants may have delayed applying for a student visa to take other educational tests. For example, they may have chosen to write their SAT, LSAT, or MDCAT after completing their high school education.

Such tests require many months or even years to prepare for. For these reasons, external tests may be considered a legitimate reason for a study gap.

5. Poor Financial Conditions

One of the most common reasons for a study gap is a poor financial situation. Many people dream of pursuing higher education in Canada but might not possess the funds to start and complete an education program.

It’s not uncommon for the tuition fees for educational programs at Canadian Universities to exceed $30,000 CAD per year. Prospective international students must demonstrate on their study permit application that they can cover this amount plus their living expenses. Those who fail to demonstrate they possess enough funds will likely be rejected.

For this reason, many prospective international students choose to work in their home country after completing high school. They then pursue higher education in Canada after saving up enough funds many years later.

6. Career Development (Work Certifications/Courses)

Some students may put off their education abroad until they gain work experience. This reason is valid because many graduate programs in Canada require students to possess a certain amount of work experience to be eligible for the program.

How much study gap is accepted in Canada after 12th?

You might wonder if a study gap is acceptable in Canada after the 12th year of high school. This gap is considered quite long. However, it may be acceptable if explained using a legitimate reason. It’s essential to ensure that the reasons for the study gap are genuine and valid, as Canadian universities may require documentation justifying it.

Justify a Study Gap on a Canada Student Visa Application

There are many ways to address a study gap on a Canadian student visa or study permit application. This includes:

Prospective study permit applications should ensure they choose the right field of study for their education in Canada. For example, if you have studied science in high school primarily, it is best to pursue a science-oriented degree or diploma in Canada.

It is vital to ensure your upcoming field of study aligns with your previous one as it demonstrates that you intend to continue building on your current educational history. Applicants who are pursuing a new field of study with no prior education or work history that aligns with it are likely to be rejected.

The most important method for addressing a study gap is to state the reason for the gap in the cover letter accompanying your application.

This cover letter is essentially a letter of explanation that describes your educational and professional history. It should also include your reason for coming to Canada and a declaration that you intend to leave after completing your studies. You can also use this cover letter to explain your study gap.

For example, you can state what you studied in high school and that you could not pursue higher education in Canada because you did not have enough funds. You can then discuss where you worked and how you managed to build up enough savings to attend a Canadian College or University finally.

There is no guarantee that your student visa application will be approved if you have a long study gap. As mentioned earlier, IRCC can be incredibly strict about approving applications from prospective international students.

Visa officers will look for any potential red flags that indicate you aren’t being truthful about your intention to study in Canada and that you might use the study permit to enter and stay there. You can attempt to present a good case for yourself by including a detailed account of your history and reasons for coming to Canada.

For this reason, the cover letter is considered one of the most vital parts of your application. Our unique guide will help you create the perfect cover letter.

A Perfect Cover Letter for Student Visa Application Canada

What should I do before applying with a study gap?

Answer: Before applying, ensure the following:

• Research: Check the specific requirements of the colleges or universities you’re interested in.
• Documentation: Gather relevant documents (such as work experience certificates, exam results, and gap-year activities) to support your application.
• Transparency: Be transparent about your study gap in your application and provide a clear explanation.

A number of senior students with long study gaps have sought our help with complex Canadian study visa cases. The oldest person who has successfully applied for a study permit with our guidance is more than 60 years old.

Our team is led by Keshav Sharma (Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultant). The entire process, including writing a cover letter, choosing the right field of study in Canada, applying for a study permit, and getting you to Canada, will be handled by us. You can contact our experts here to get started with your study visa.

Work with a team of Regulated Canadian immigration Consultants who understand the detailed ins and outs of the application process and can help you make a stronger application with a higher chance of being approved.