Québec is simply the most fabulous and magical province in Canada. It is also the only predominantly french province in Canada. I mean no disrespect for the other provinces, but Québec has truly stolen my heart. The culture, the heritage, the lifestyle, the people – I mean everything is a fantastic mix of North American and European cultures.
I think that Québec is the perfect place to get a wonderful student experience. I spent four years in Montreal for my undergraduate studies – and could not have asked for a better university or city to live in. I dont really know, may be its the french atmosphere, but other than the weather (it can get really really cold), Montreal is the perfect city for an international student. And here is why -
1. Legal drinking age is 18 in Quebec!!!! Thats the lowest in all of North America!!
2. It is home to 4 universities and many colleges/CEGEPs and has a huge student population and an even better nightlife.
3. You get to learn french!! (I personally picked up a little bit of french too and the great thing about this place is – you get to practice it – a lot)
4. Montreal is surprisingly multicultural….. You will be amazed to find all kinds of people here – french (obviously), africans, europeans, americans, latin americans, asians, south asians, arabs – and the cool part is – as a student, you will probably meet them all.
5. It is also a relatively safe city compared to a lot of other North American cities. I have been out alone at 3am in the morning and am still in one piece. Not to mention – a pretty good public transportation system.
6. Montreal also has an excellent collection of restaurants, cafes, bistros and bars offering international cuisines and great student prices.
7. Sure it gets really cold, but there are a lot of fun winter activities like skiing, snowboarding, ice skating and tubing – and I did them all for the first time in Montreal!!
8. It is culturally stimulating!! Whether you want to arouse your aesthetic senses in museums or are more inclined towards performing arts or just want good old fashioned fun and excitement of theme parks - its all there in Montreal. There are also some magnificient churches in Montreal.
9. Summer is probably the best time to be in montreal. In a span of 3-4 months, you have the Montreal Grand Prix, and festivals like – Just for Laughs, Jazz festival, Francofolies (which is a festival featuring french language performers) and so many street sales.
10. Montreal is also close to most of the Metropolitans on the East Coast – Toronto, New York, Boston, Ottawa, Quebec City. What’s better, it is well connected to all these places with buses running nearly everyday.
Though I list only 10, there are many things about Montreal that make it a truly unique city. I think that most international students are not very inclined to study in Québec because of the french factor. Montreal would be the best place to study if you dont know any french as it is completely bilingual. McGill University (where I graduated from) is also ranked 12th in the world. Dont believe me? Check this link out – http://www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/hybrid.asp?typeCode=144
So if you plan to study in Québec, it would be good to be aware of the administrative and legal pain that you will have to go through as they dont make particularly easy for international students. I suppose they are justified as a Canadian education is also very cheap compared to universities in the US.
For most international students, the legal paperwork for studying in Québec is a 2-step process. The first step is to obtain a CAQ (Québec acceptance certificate). It is sort of like getting permission from Québec to study there. The next part is to get a study permit from Canada. Most students will also need to get a temporary visa to be able to enter Canada. I say most because students from the US and some European countries don’t need a visa – just a study permit. Without confusing the reader any more, let me just start with the steps.
Step 1. Getting a CAQ
You will need to send a huge envelope with the following documents enclosed. The documents should be in English or French.
a. Completed CAQ form.
b. 100 CAD non refundable fees.
c. a passport size photograph
d. Aceptance letter from your university
e. A photocopy of your Passport (all pages that contain your personal information)
f. Financial documents to show that you have sufficient funds to pursue your studies. It would work in your favor to show enough funds for 2 years.
Minors (below 18) will need a letter from a guardian – a legal adult residing in Quebec. Most of the time, the dean of the university is happy to oblige – though you need to check this out – I know it happens at McGill. The site below has all the information you would need to obtain a CAQ including the forms (you will have to click a big orange button on the end of the page to get the forms) and also the address to send these documents.
It takes up to 4 weeks for the CAQ to come through. Once you get that – it is then time for the study permit. To apply for a study permit – you need to collect all those documents mentioned above with a few minor changes (replace the CAQ application form with a study permit application, and the fees is now 125 CAD) and submit them to the Canadian Embassy closest to your place. For students from countries which require a visa to enter Canada – be prepared to shell out another 150 CAD. This site below puts together all the information you need rather nicely. It has a neat guide, forms and a document checklist to help you out while filling in the application form.
http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/information/applications/student.asp
And now you sit and wait till all your documents come through. You probably will be asked a lot of questions at immigrations when you enter Canada – things like what is your major?, why do you want to study this? etc etc. Word of advice – be really serious and enthusiastic about your major, they dont really want people who pretend to be students and then live in Canada illegally. So here is all the information you need to get all the paperwork done before you enter Quebec. Once you enter – I promise you will have the time to your life. Wish you a successful career and a very Happy Future!!
