Canada is an attractive student destination. It is home to some world-class colleges, welcoming immigrants, and offers many exciting career opportunities. However, if you have a gap period in your education- is there a chance for you to study in Canada? How much gap is accepted for study in Canada?
Let us find out.
Can you study in Canada with a study gap on the record?
Canada is a haven for many students who want higher education in a progressive and liberal country. It welcomes immigrants with open arms and makes sure they get a high standard of living in it.
In 2019, Canada lured in over half a million international students, placing the country in the top three nations as foreign student attraction. We can expect Canada may dethrone the United States of America very soon and become number one.
However, when students have to leave their studies for some reason, they should know their chances of getting admission to an institute in Canada. Here are some questions that you need to consider in case you have a study gap:
- How many years of the gap is accepted for study in Canada?
- justify the gap in education
- How to start study after a long gap?
Let us take a deep dive and address some questions.
What is the study gap?
The study gap is the time between your last qualification to the present. For example, let’s say you finished your graduation way back in 2016, and you wish to pursue post-graduation in 2021, then you have a study gap of 5 years.
The study gap is not uncommon in countries like India, where we may have to quit our studies for multiple reasons. However, it becomes problematic when we have to apply for student visas to study abroad.
Especially in India, some students take a year off once they complete their 12th grade HSC examination. Some take a year off after JEE, medical entrance or some may even fail in their first year of educational course.
Before we dive into how much gap is accepted for study in Canada, let us look at the reasons for the study gap.
Some reasons for the study year gap
One of many factors when an applicant fails to get a student visa is not explaining the study gap. The reasons can be many, but they should be legitimate.
Reasons for the study gap can be various, let us shed some light on some of the most common reasons. Read the blog if are looking for study in Canada after 12th.
Personal responsibility
In a country like India, family comes first. For example, a student may have to quit studies in order to support the family in times of financial crisis. While applying for a visa to study in Canada, one has to be honest with the authorities and provide the concerned person with all the required information.
Medical emergency
Life is unpredictable, we never know how things will turn out. For example, if a person met with an accident, it may take years to recover fully, depending on the severity. Then, we have serious illnesses which can happen to anyone regardless of age. In such situations, students have to take a break from their studies. While applying for your visa, you have to show every medical document.
Reappearing in exams for high scores
Some students have specific expectations from the exam results. When they are dissatisfied, they may go for another attempt. Although this luxury is not possible for everyone, those who reappear in an exam end up sacrificing a year to improve their score. However, this reason for the study gap is accepted in Canada. While applying for the visa, the mention of this reason should be there in your statement of purpose.
High-income goals
Many people start working as soon as they finish their graduation. However, they feel their educational qualification is not helping them grow in their career after some time. Some people decide to enroll in an advanced course.
Such a person can clarify his case and apply for the Canada study license by submitting an offer letter, experience letter, and pay slips.
Preparation for government jobs in India
Many students aspire to work in government sectors after completing high school or graduation. They take a year gap to invest energy in searching for government job vacancies or preparing for government exams.
Students take a study gap after secondary school and before they enroll in an undergraduate program. The gap helps get enough time to prepare for the national entry-level tests without pressure from schools or universities. Not to mention, many students may drop out of college while doing their graduation courses.
Upskilling
One of the main reasons students opt for a gap year is to figure out what they are good at. By taking a year off or two, many students focus on building command over international languages or learning life skills such as public speaking, sketching, content writing, calligraphy, etc.
One of the upsides of the educational arrangement in Canada is that they convince their students to go for different exercises. They make sure their students don’t just get theoretical knowledge but gain practical knowledge.
Late discovery of passion
Students take a year gap to discover and follow their true passion instead of going the traditional way. The break from the student life helps them gain a different perspective on life and become mature enough to make a wise decision.
How much of a gap is accepted for study in Canada?
- Due to the study gap, students face multiple challenges while acquiring a new student license in a Canadian university or Canada immigration. If the study gap is too long, a student may face a serious problem pursuing higher studies in Canada.
Not to mention, if the study gap is reasonable with valid reasons, then how many years of gap is accepted for study in Canada.
In general, a study gap of 2 years is acceptable for undergraduate students and the study gap of 5 years is satisfactory for postgraduate courses. However, you may need to check with the university or college you want to enroll in.
Some Canadian universities ask for the specific expertise of students in a particular field. In such cases, they have to show evidence to justify their study gaps.
Sometimes, students may have a long study gap. The only way out here is to justify the year gap with a legitimate explanation.
List of year gap accepted in Canada:
- Re-exam of tests because of low scores
- A family emergency
- Health problems
- Mental breakdown during work
- Unemployed even after graduating
If students have worked for a few months and left the job for some reason, they need to show an experience certificate to the college. If the experience certificate is not available, then a compensation slip or arrangement letter would do.
How to justify the gap in education?
Students applying for a Canadian study visa in 2021 should speak to visa experts about requirements and explanations for the study gap.
Based on the requirements, you can confirm various reports or reasons mentioned in your statement of purpose.
Every internal student wanting to study in Canada needs to acquire an inhabitant visa issued by the Canadian High Commission. One can apply to get a study visa online and offline; the cost is around $150.
Canada accepts students with a study gap of 2 years for undergraduate programs and 5 years for postgraduate courses. Keep in mind, how much gap is accepted for study in Canada may fluctuate in different universities. It all depends on the policies and justification of the study gap.
Some of the documents acceptable in Canada in case of study gap:
- Pay slips
- Letter of appointment
- Confirmation letter of college or university
- Your certificate of diploma or any course
Personal records for visa:
- Educational certificates
- Identification certificate
- Certificate of IELTS (6.5 for PG and 6 for UG)
- Your medical report
- Statement of purpose
- Gap justification if asked
- Embassy forms
Conclusion
Studying in Canada is many students’ dream as it offers better opportunities, a higher standard of living, and a high income. However, many Indian student visas get rejected due to silly and irresponsible reasons such as the wrong choice, of course, improper details, lack, study plans, etc.
At Mindmine Global, we provide proper guidance with appropriate training, making our students eligible to study in Canada. Whether you want to learn advanced English skills or need help with immigration, we are there to help you out.
FAQ
How much gap is accepted for study in Canada?
Many students have multiple reasons for taking a gap in their study, such as educational, personal, and medical. Let us have an overview of these three reasons in India. Talking about the academic reason, the study gap can be because of low scores in class 10th or 12th high school. Personal reasons may involve any family problem for taking a break from studies. Health issues can crop up anytime where a person may have to take a long time to recover, thus compromising the studies.
One should know how to justify the gap in education, even if it’s for 5 or 6 years. Keep in mind, sometimes the study visas are rejected by the Canadian high commission if the students don’t have a genuine explanation for their study gap.
In Canada, college admission officials don’t have any issue accepting students’ applications who may have left their studies for authentic reasons. In fact, these officials support the idea of a study gap even for the existing students. However, you may have to fulfill whichever university you want to study in terms and conditions. So, it is safe to say the study gap is not an issue if you are willing to work hard and have enough resources to study in Canada.
For sure, you can study in Canada without IELTS. You will notice multiple alternative options Canadian universities offer for those who don’t have required IELTS scores. For example, you can go for alternatives such as TOEFL, PTE, CAEL, CPE, Can TEST, Cambridge English Exams, Duolingo English Test, and so on.
You can always contact us for guidance as we have helped many students who wanted to study abroad.
The best options available are working while studying and internships. If you have decided to work and learn despite your study gap, you can go for it. However, you may have to provide the Canadian university you are applying to with offer letters, experience letters, salary slips. You need to explain to the authorities why you have had a previous study gap and why you want to work or take an internship.
Yes, in India, you can take the IELTS test after the 10th class or SSC examination to study in Canada. In 2018, this report showed the IELTS test has grown to a record of 3.5 million. The test has become the most sought-after one if anyone wants to take higher studies abroad.
Apart from Canada, the IELTS test is accepted in every university in the UK, Australia, and more than thousands of institutions in the United States and English-speaking countries.
Students are usually teenagers and young adults with big ambitions and aspirations. India is a developing country, and it may offer the standard of living they are expecting. In India, students usually obey authority figures like parents, teachers, older people in the family, etc. Studying abroad helps them pursue their goals and become independent. Canada is one such country that offers such a life to students.
For example, a 2018 survey states that more than 66.6% of Canadian employees rank their work-life balance between satisfactory to excellent. About 35% of workers said their work-life balance is improving yearly.
Canada is one of the best countries to pursue higher studies and is student-friendly. For example, Montreal always finds a place in the list of top ten cities for international students. In the 2023 QS ranking, the city was ranked 6th in terms of cost of living, quality food, and diverse demographics.