What a Visa Officer Considers 
Visa officers at Canadian embassies and high commissions have a responsibility to uphold Canadian law, in particular Canada’s Immigration and Refugee Protection Act.
This means the visa officer must be satisfied that someone applied for a study permit:
must be a genuine student, intends to study and is able to pursue the course of study
must leave Canada at the end of the authorized study permit time
will not contravene the conditions of admission
does not belong to a category of persons who are inadmissible to Canada.
Your admission letter is only the first part of what a visa officer looks at. This admission offer only confirms that Lakeland College believes you have the academic and other requirements to attend the college.
Note for Indian students: To be considered under the SPP, you must have graduated in second class / division two or better or have an average greater than 50%. If you don’t have a 50% average in core classes, or if you have had a large number of fails, a visa officer may not be satisfied that you have the intent or ability to study in Canada or you will attempt to remain in Canada or work without authorization.
It is extremely important that you submit all the documents and information required to complete your study permit application.
Visa officers will also look at:
Your ties to Canada and your country of residence --This includes immigration status, employment, family ties, property and other things that connect you to your country and to Canada.
Your travel history – Have you travelled outside your country? Have you been refused a visa to Canada or another country? Did you declare those refusals? Are you a serial applicant who has applied again and again in a variety of visa categories. If you don’t declare any prior refusals or misrepresent yourself in anyway, you can be ruled inadmissible to Canada for a period of 5 years.
Does your proposed course of study “make sense” given your personal circ*mstances, rather than just being a means to gain initial entry to Canada. Is what you will study consistent with your personal finances, study history and employment history. Are comparable programs widely available in India? If so, why do you plan to go to Canada? What will the return on investment be for you the applicant.
Do you have the academic and language skills to undertake the proposed study. Your previous scholastic record is a key aspect of the visa officer’s assessment. If you have had weak academic performance in your country with the benefit of a family support system and being familiar with teaching norms and expectations—the visa officer may be concerned about your potential to be successful at studying in Canada. Strong language abilities and prior academic success generally mean you will be better prepared and have a better chance of success studying in Canada. Studying in Canada involves a significant financial investment for applicants and their families. Sometimes when a student isn’t successful there is incentive to “recoup” the lost investment by remaining in Canada without authorization and working illegally.
