Thai GF Interested in Studying in Canada

[2121]

Hey,

Going to leave details of this case in jot points:

- She is 25, with property in Thailand

- She and I have been together for almost 3 years now
- She has travelled with me to over 7 countries including Canada (on a tourist visa)
- She lived in Canada for 6 full months with me
- She has a university degree
- She is currently unemployed

- She has around 600K thai baht savings 


She wants to study in a college in Ontario, I would just like to get an idea of the difficulty of making this happen given that I am her BF and I am from Canada, it may look suspicious I guess.

I would greatly appreciate any comments/suggestions/help from anyone with any experience in this.

Thank you very much.

[neeray]

21 minutes ago, 2121 said:

it may look suspicious I guess

It all sounds very credible to me. She has Thai assets; reasons to return to Thailand which are of concern to Canada Immigration. I tried to bring my gf to Canada for a one month visit but her visa application was denied noting that they were concerned that she would not return to Thailand.

Good luck. Hope your gf comes when it's warm.

[theguyfromanotherforum]

I had a Thai girlfriend in Canada who was a full time student at Canadian university.

 

She was supported by her Father who put money in her Canadian bank account (I think this is required for a student visa) and was paying her tuition. She introduced me to a lot (and I mean a lot) of her Thai friends in Canada and all of them seemed to be studying just for the paper and had no success obtaining any meaningful employment in Canada. Mind you, they weren't stupid, their English (and even French) was pretty good, but I think for them studying was more of a way to obtain permanent residency.

 

As for how difficult this is to happen, I guess not very difficult. You just need a lot of money.

 

However, I don't think it's useful at all.

 

 

[2121]

1 hour ago, theguyfromanotherforum said:

I had a Thai girlfriend in Canada who was a full time student at Canadian university.

 

She was supported by her Father who put money in her Canadian bank account (I think this is required for a student visa) and was paying her tuition. She introduced me to a lot (and I mean a lot) of her Thai friends in Canada and all of them seemed to be studying just for the paper and had no success obtaining any meaningful employment in Canada. Mind you, they weren't stupid, their English (and even French) was pretty good, but I think for them studying was more of a way to obtain permanent residency.

 

As for how difficult this is to happen, I guess not very difficult. You just need a lot of money.

 

However, I don't think it's useful at all.

 

 

I appreciate your response, gives me a lot of hope. I think that we aren't aiming for the PR, more for the education itself, so that's really not an issue. Do you know if this would be any different if I was the one supporting her/putting money into her bank and paying off her tuition? Also, did you meet your GF in Canada or Thailand?

[theguyfromanotherforum]

4 hours ago, 2121 said:

I appreciate your response, gives me a lot of hope. I think that we aren't aiming for the PR, more for the education itself, so that's really not an issue. Do you know if this would be any different if I was the one supporting her/putting money into her bank and paying off her tuition? Also, did you meet your GF in Canada or Thailand?

 

I met her in Canada.

 

Do you have any idea what she wants to study or do with her Canadian degree? I am afraid it may be a major waste of time. To be honest, the only Thais I have seen successful here are the ones who finished to be a nurse. That's a lot of studying, tho.

 

BTW, I think the money needs to be in the bank as proof she can support herself while studying. I think 600k baht in her bank will be fine, but it may need to be transferred upon approval. There is a good forum called canadavisa where you should ask questions.

Edited November 23, 2018 by theguyfromanotherforum

[2121]

Honestly, she isn't studying for the purpose of finding work afterwards, she's just studying because she's passionate about learning, and I'm alright with that. So to answer your question, she does not have any plans as of right now to use her Canadian degree.

The only thing we're concerned about, is obtaining a study permit. We are looking for ways to make our application as perfect as possible.

Edited November 23, 2018 by 2121

[Briggsy]

Any overseas degree would send her social standing in Thailand up several notches.

 

It is hard for us Westerners to grasp the importance (both perceived and actual) of social standing for Thais and citizens of many other Asian countries. A lot of the value is intangible in terms of the doors it opens.

[brewsterbudgen]

She can apply to study as an overseas student and if she gets an offer she should get a student visa. She will need an IELTS or TOEFL qualification and the tuition fees will not be cheap.

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[2121]

12 minutes ago, brewsterbudgen said:

She can apply to study as an overseas student and if she gets an offer she should get a student visa. She will need an IELTS or TOEFL qualification and the tuition fees will not be cheap.

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kinda confused... so she applies to study in any college/university in Canada and waits for the university or college to reach out to her with an offer? If yes, how can we do this? The IELTS/fees will not be a problem.

[theguyfromanotherforum]

Where does she want to study? If the city is not important there are Universities that target foreign student and probably make it easier to apply. Brock University in St, Catherines is one such university full of international students.

[brewsterbudgen]

kinda confused... so she applies to study in any college/university in Canada and waits for the university or college to reach out to her with an offer? If yes, how can we do this? The IELTS/fees will not be a problem.

Contact the university's admissions office and enquire. Hundreds of Thais study abroad. Foreign students are an important source of income for universities.

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[2121]

16 hours ago, theguyfromanotherforum said:

Where does she want to study? If the city is not important there are Universities that target foreign student and probably make it easier to apply. Brock University in St, Catherines is one such university full of international students.

I don't think she'll have problems getting accepted into any universities. But would applying to a university such as Brock benefit her in acquiring a study permit more easily?

[cyberfarang]

19 hours ago, 2121 said:

Honestly, she isn't studying for the purpose of finding work afterwards, she's just studying because she's passionate about learning, and I'm alright with that. So to answer your question, she does not have any plans as of right now to use her Canadian degree.

The only thing we're concerned about, is obtaining a study permit. We are looking for ways to make our application as perfect as possible.

 

22 minutes ago, 2121 said:

I don't think she'll have problems getting accepted into any universities. But would applying to a university such as Brock benefit her in acquiring a study permit more easily?

I have known many young Thai woman that have gone to study abroad mainly for 2 reasons:

 

Either in the hope of obtaining degrees in order to start businesses or later work after graduating with the right degrees in those countries, or to gain degrees and experience for the purposes of starting up a business in Thailand.

 

I would wager that your girlfriend certainly does have plans of sorts and knows the exact direction she`s heading. She`s probably aiming to enhance her career and her lifestyle. Whether or not this includes you, maybe, maybe not.

[BobbyL]

A big thing would also be what her level of English is. She could have good S/L skills, but studying academically is very different.

 

IELTS / TOEFL aren't a piece of cake to get the required level to be accepted. 

[2121]

On 11/24/2018 at 2:49 PM, cyberfarang said:

 

I have known many young Thai woman that have gone to study abroad mainly for 2 reasons:

 

Either in the hope of obtaining degrees in order to start businesses or later work after graduating with the right degrees in those countries, or to gain degrees and experience for the purposes of starting up a business in Thailand.

 

I would wager that your girlfriend certainly does have plans of sorts and knows the exact direction she`s heading. She`s probably aiming to enhance her career and her lifestyle. Whether or not this includes you, maybe, maybe not.

Obviously she is aiming to enhance her lifestyle, who isn't? And I would happily accept your wager, good sir.

[brewsterbudgen]

A big thing would also be what her level of English is. She could have good S/L skills, but studying academically is very different.
 
IELTS / TOEFL aren't a piece of cake to get the required level to be accepted. 

In addition, IELTS and TOEFL are academic tests, not just English language tests. Most Canadian universities will require a minimum of Band 6.5 for IELTS which requires a fairly high level of academic competence.

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[2121]

2 minutes ago, brewsterbudgen said:

In addition, IELTS and TOEFL are academic tests, not just English language tests. Most Canadian universities will require a minimum of Band 6.5 for IELTS which requires a fairly high level of academic competence.

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she's been studying english full time for a year now, she got a level 6 earlier this year, I am sure she will manage to get 6.5 if she takes it again.

[mmushr00m]

As long as she can show she has the money to pay for tuition and living expenses, she should have no issues.

Heck she probably shouldn't even mention you. That will just unnecessary complicate things.

My wife is Thai and here in Toronto through her I have met lots of Thai students. They are in universities, colleges, private colleges, language schools etc.

International students are big money earners for colleges/Unis in Canada. They pay full rate unlike us Canucks. Every college/uni will have an international students department that will help with her application and visa process.

[samsensam]

 

the one important element you dont mention is her english level, she will, depending on the university, in all likelihood require level C1 or C2.

 

many of my thai friends studied abroad, either self supported or through their work, non had any connection with foreigner bf/partners/wives. connection with a native fo that country makes no difference. i agree that she would be better off not involving you as your involvement may well complicate things.

Edited December 3, 2018 by samsensam

[brewsterbudgen]

 
the one important element you dont mention is her english level, she will, depending on the university, in all likelihood require level C1 or C2.
 
many of my thai friends studied abroad, either self supported or through their work, non had any connection with foreigner bf/partners/wives. connection with a native fo that country makes no difference. i agree that she would be better off not involving you as your involvement may well complicate things.

It has been mentioned. She will require an IELTS or equivalent, which she is aware of.

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[mmushr00m]

Oh just remembered, if her English is not good enough, she can always go the English language school route first before applying to college.

The benefit is she may be able to obtain a work permit allowing her to work part time in Canada while studying.

A Thai friend did this, she applied to a language school in Vancouver. She worked part time while studying English so she did not have to rely solely on savings. After she finished, she applied to a college. 

[2121]

On 12/2/2018 at 9:15 PM, mmushr00m said:

Oh just remembered, if her English is not good enough, she can always go the English language school route first before applying to college.

The benefit is she may be able to obtain a work permit allowing her to work part time in Canada while studying.

A Thai friend did this, she applied to a language school in Vancouver. She worked part time while studying English so she did not have to rely solely on savings. After she finished, she applied to a college. 

can you please provide me with more information? what kind of an english school was it? private? or a course in college/university? how long was the english course? Also, won't they already know she has a BF in Canada? I sponsored her on her last tourist visa to Canada, which she was approved for. We sent in photos and everything. Thank you very much, I really appreciate the info.

[mmushr00m]

Private language schools. They are a huge industry in Canada. Your GF should be able to find info on them fairly easily in Thailand. The companies/agents associated with these school will help arrange a visa, accomodations etc.

As to your relationship, as others have agreed with me, the less said the better. Do not mention it not bring it up but do answer truthfully if asked.

The reason is fairly simple. Immigration officers wants to be sure that she will return to Thailand when her studies are done. Having a bf in Canada casts some doubts into that.

Also they may think it's a scheme you guys conjured up to skip the PR visa process/queue.