Things I have learned

Documents needed for a UK Student Visa

-          CAS statement from UK university, plus one copy

-          OSAP statement and/or bank statement (or letter) of personal funds

-          Passport

-          Birth Certificate to go alongside bank statement

-          Letter of registration from home university

-          Transcript from home university with your grades grades

-          Appendix 8 Self Assessment

-          Application for Tier 4 Student General Visa for over six months/Student visitor visa for six months and under

-          Biometrics (Passport Photo and Fingerprint record), passport photo must be submitted with application, fingerprint this will be done at the Application Centre

-          Visa Fee

-          Bill received at the end of appointment

All documents must be originals or stamped by the issuing business or organization.

There are only a few application centres in Canada, go to the closest and make sure you have absolutely everything.

Breaking a security seal is considered a Very Bad Thing, so, it should never be done, you are warned that you will have to start your visa process all over again.

Help will be limited, sorry, that’s the facts. Google is your friend however.

Your OHIP can expire if you're gone too long, always go to a nearby OHIP location and file an extension if you're gone for a long time.

Visa Appointment

At 10am this morning I arrived at the Eaton Centre, early by a long shot but I've either never been to the Eaton Centre or I just can't remember ever going, so I explored. Neat place! I dislike elevators that shoot from 0 to 25 though, very awkward feeling that. At 11:15am I was at my Visa Appointment, sitting at a desk when I received a paper about the most common reasons visa's are denied. Top of the list, lack of evidence of financial support. Uh oh.

When I finally got to the processing desk, I ask the girl working there what could I do? I hadn't received anything from OSAP stating I was to receive funding, I certainly wouldn't see the funds for a few more weeks. I was nervous and worried, maybe I was going to be rejected. She looked over my documents, asking me a few questions, I asked if I had everything else that was needed. She asked, did you fill out Appendix 8? The blank stare on my face likely gave it away, I hadn't even heard of it, she told me where to go to find it. Okay! More questions, I tell her it's for an exchange and my fees would mostly be paid to a Canadian institution, so she said she didn't need anything to show I could pay my fees, but she still needed proof to show I had the money to pay for rent, food and all that fun stuff. Back to needing proof from OSAP. I also learned I needed a letter of registration from Algoma, my home university and the transcript used in my application from exchange. Oh my.

She told me I could either reschedule my appointment, or I could mail everything in myself after gathering it. If I chose the second option, I would have 10 business days to do so. Doable, I thought, gotta be. OSAP document will be the hardest, I think. She sends me on to the next counter, where my picture is taken and my fingerprints are taken down digitally for reference for when I cross the border. Then, all done. My boyfriend had mentioned there was a nice bookstore there, and I need to calm down and get something to eat anyways so I explored the Eaton Centre a bit more since my first look around I had to keep an eye on my watch. Huge Indigo! It was awesome, I'd like to go back. Then, all that's left is to go home on the subway, which is easy enough.

After the subway, I made a few phone calls to Algoma (ow long distance), Nicole (financial aid office) was able to print off the OSAP document I needed right away which was awesome since I thought that would be the most difficult part. Mark was also a big help, getting the documents I needed plus some just in case, and having them all together in time for my boyfriend to come by and grab them. So a big thank you to those who helped, Nicole, Mark and Michael.

Travel Insurance

Blue Cross saves the day, will be able to get a plan from them to cover my time out of the country, and they warned me that I will need an extension on my OHIP card or I could risk losing my insurance. Yikes. Another thing to add to the list of things to do, but I'm almost done!

Update

I finished the Visa application today, and I have an appointment for it on Thursday at 11:15am at the Eaton Centre. I still need my fingerprints but dear god is it hard to find a place to get it done. I may just march into the police station and ask for it heh, the only way I'll get a reply back I guess.

I was asked if I could write a paper about my experiences in doing so, I've already started because I think it will be fun and really it's been a process a year in the making. Ups and downs so far, but it seems to be all coming together. I'll have to try and call and ask if it'll be okay if I don't have my fingerprints done in time for the appointment, or if I need to reschedule it.

Anyways, tomorrow and Saturday I will be at my Vavo's funeral and visitation, as she passed away recently so I wont get to think about this very much at all.

So it begins

Yesterday, by email, I received my finalized CAS statement from Canterbury which means I can (and have) start my Tier 4 Visa to the UK. I will be going for about eight months it seems, though exact dates of when I will be heading back home will be learned when I arrive.

My set date to leave is September 11th (great day to fly), I will be purchasing my ticket soon enough. I will be arriving there on September 12th, early the next morning GMT.

The processes are started, I'm looking forward to going.