Visa Information

Visa Information

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Canada

With effect from January 24th 2025, the Canadian government has placed a cap on the number of study permits it will issue to international students in 2025. You can find the full, official announcement here. 

You will need a Study Permit (student visa) if you want to take a course of over 6 months. 

If you want to study for less than 6 months, you need a Visitor’s Visa. You can study English for a maximum of 6 months with a Visitor’s Visa. 

Tourist Visa 

You may attend as a tourist for a maximum 6 months. You must have the following documents when you arrive in Canada: 

• Valid passport 

• Letter of Acceptance from an EC school 
• Canadian Temporary Resident Visa (tourist visa) if your country requires this visa to enter Canada 
• proof of sufficient funds to cover expenses while you are in Canada 
• Return airline ticket to your country or some other destination 

Study Permit 

If plan to study longer than 6 months, you must obtain a Study Permit. On entry to Canada, you must present the documents listed above plus your Study Permit. 

For citizens of some countries, the Study Permit will be issued at the port of entry into Canada. If you are staying longer than 6 months, you should show your Letter of Acceptance to the Immigration Official on entry even if you have no other document from the Canadian Embassy or Consulate in your country. 

It is relatively easy to obtain a Study Permit although the application process may take more than a month, especially if you require a medical certificate. You may have to attend an interview with a Canadian official when applying for the Study Permit. 

Students who do not require a visa to enter Canada are expected to pay online for the Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) before they travel. 

More information is available at the Canadian government website 

CAQ Requirement at EC Montreal 

Students studying at EC Montreal for longer than six months who require a Quebec Acceptance Certificate for Studies (CAQ) and a Study Permit must be registered for 24 or 30 lessons. Students who book less than 24 lessons will no longer qualify for the CAQ. 

Immigration Quebec website 

Letter of Acceptance Charges   

There is a charge of $110 CAD per Letter of Acceptance (LOA) for CAQ/Study Permit purposes. 

Courier Charges 

Charges for sending a Letter of Acceptance by courier must be paid by the student. Courier charges will be included on the invoice. At the latest, courier charges can be paid by the student on the first day at school. Courier charge is $85 CAD. 

Custodianship Declaration Form 

Some younger students require a Custodianship Declaration Form when they are coming for longer than 24 weeks and require a Study Permit: At EC Vancouver: students who are less than 19 years of age. There is a charge of $150 CAD for the Notary to sign the Form. Plus there is a second charge if it needs to be sent by courier. 

Visa Information

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Ireland

You will need a visa if you are not a European Union (EU) or European Economic Area (EEA) national, or a national of certain selected countries. Here is the list of countries requiring a visa to study in Ireland: 
Visa required countries 

Types of visa: 

To study for less than 90 days: C visa (Visit-Tourist visa) 
For courses longer than 90 days: D visa (Study visa) 

C visa (Visit-Tourist Visa) 

• This visa is for non-EU/EEA nationals taking English courses for less than 90 days 
• Available to students of all levels, including Beginner 
• To get a C visa (Visit-Tourist visa), students will need to have: 

– A visa support letter from us which we will send you after receiving full payment  
– Evidence of Finances 

New Financial Requirements with effect on 1st November: 

• Non-Visa Nationalities (e.g., Brazil, Korea, Japan): The required amount is €4,680. 

• Pre-Arrival Visa Nationalities (e.g., China, Turkey, Saudi Arabia): The required amount is €10,000.  

– Medical Insurance 
– Evidence of Education/Employment history 

•This visa cannot be extended 
• Students cannot work on this visa, paid or unpaid 
• All visa students are required to attend their courses. Students with an attendance lower than 85% may have problems with a future visa extension/renewal. 

D visa (Study-Work Visa) 

• This visa is for non-EU/EEA nationals taking English courses for longer than 90 days 
• Available to students of all levels, including Beginner 
• To get a D visa (Study-Work visa), students will need to have: 

– A visa support letter from us which we will send you after receiving full payment 
– Evidence of Finances 
– Medical Insurance 
– Evidence of Education/Employment history 

• After entering the country, students must apply for permission to stay in Ireland and register with Immigration at a registration office before the date stamped on their passport at border control 
• This visa can be extended in Ireland 
• Citizens from countries outside the EU/EEA who are registered as full-time students with the Garda Síochána (Irish Police Force) are permitted to work part-time in Ireland (up to a maximum of 20 hours per week, and full-time during specified holiday periods) to support themselves. Holiday periods are: June, July, August and September, and December 15th – January 15th 
• All visa students are required to attend their courses. Students with an attendance lower than 85% may have problems with a future visa extension/renewal. 
• Students may transfer to another course/school if the other school is a recognised provider on the ILEP. 

Long Term Courses D visa (Study-Work Visa) students 

Non-EEA students on a course of 25 weeks or longer (to a limit of 32 weeks, which is the total length of the visa) are required to take an external examination at the end of their course. Students will be required to pay their visa fees before the documents are issued. For more information, please see here. 

EC will recommend an appropriate exam (IELTS, FCE, or CAE) based on your level and help you register for an exam at a local external testing centre. Exam fees must be paid at the time of booking (approx. €200). 

EC will keep a copy of your test results. These may be made available to immigration authorities upon request. Please speak to the school academic team if you have any questions about your exam. 

As a member of Marketing English in Ireland (MEI), EC guarantees that all students will be able to complete the courses for which they enrol, as they are covered by a recognised learner protection scheme and will be placed in another MEI school should they be displaced in the event of a school closure. 

For more detailed information on visa requirements, please visit the website. 

Students Under 18 

Parental consent from all parents/guardians is required. 

Details of the person in whose care the minor shall be must be provided with the application. Unless students are under the care of other individuals or organisations (e.g., family members, Embassy) this will be undertaken by EC. 

Study visas for students under 18 years do not give any entitlement to any other family member to accompany or join the student. 

Procedure 

Applications for visas from supported countries can be made online. 

This website also contains a comprehensive guide to completing a visa application in English, Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian, Turkish and Urdu. 

Application forms from unsupported countries can be downloaded online and sent to the Irish Embassy or Consulate in, or accredited to, the student’s country of residence. 

If there is no Irish Embassy or Consulate in your country, send your visa application to your nearest Irish Embassy or Consulate, or to: 

The Visa Office 
Irish Naturalization and Immigration Service 
13-14 Burgh Quay 
Dublin 2 

Students who do not require an entry visa to enter Ireland (EU/EEA national or from a non-visa country) should have all documentation relating to their booking with them when going through immigration, including: 

• Booking Confirmation/Receipt 
• Proof of adequate medical insurance 

All AY students who are visa required must purchase this insurance from the school at 35 EUR.00 

Visa Information

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South Africa

When booking a course at EC Cape Town, students will receive all the help they need to apply for the correct visa or visa extension. In the meantime, here is some basic information for entry requirements to South Africa: 

A. General Visa Information: 

• Countries exempt from needing a visa are listed here  

• Visitors from the following countries require a visa: Hungary, Poland, Russia, Slovakia, Korea, Thailand, Taiwan and Saudi Arabia 

• On arrival in South Africa, Europeans (those not listed above) will be issued a visitor’s visa for 90 days. Once in South Africa, this visitor’s visa can be extended for a further 90 days; but it is important that this is done within the first 30 days of arrival. The extension will be for a maximum of another 90 days 

• A 30-day visa may be extended for a further 90 days. 

When students apply for their visa extension they must submit the following documents: 

• A valid passport which expires in no less than 30 days after expiry of the intended date of departure from South Africa 

• Department of Home Affairs Medical certificate completed, stamped and signed by an authorised medical practitioner/officer or hospital in the students’ home country 

• Department of Home Affairs Radiological report must also be completed, stamped and signed by a Radiologist or hospital in the student’s home country 

• Proof of valid flight ticket showing provisional departure within 90 days 

• Proof of sufficient financial means to cover their stay in Cape Town (minimum amount is 3500 US Dollars). If the account is not in the student’s name, a signed affidavit of support must be submitted by the account holder – the bank statement provided must show at least 3 months of transactions. 

The actual extension takes around 6 to 8 weeks to get approved; and we will have school staff on hand to assist them with the application process should the student require their assistance. 

• Those needing a visa who are under 21 years of age will require guardianship. This costs €50 and is available from EC. (Not applicable for students arriving on a visitor’s visa) 

• All passengers must have a valid passport with at least four blank pages for the issuing of stamps. The passport should also be valid for the duration of the stay and six months after departure 

• If a student is subject to visa requirements, they will need to apply for their visa at least 30 days before departure 

• Students may visit VFS Global for detailed information on visas. 

B. What can be done with different Visas: 

1. NORMAL VISITOR’S/TOURIST VISA 

a. LANGUAGE COURSE: 

• A student who is issued with a port-of-entry Visitor’s Visa (for 30 or 90 days), may participate in a language course with EC for the duration of their visa 

• The visa may be extended for a further 30 or 90 days when in South Africa, but it cannot be changed into a Study Visa 

•  A student may therefore study for a maximum of 60 or 180 days on this visa. 

b. STUDY AND VOLUNTEER (OR JUST VOLUNTEER): 

• A student may participate in a volunteer programme on a Visitor’s Visa (not longer than 3 months, but the visa can be extended if required).  

• They can combine this with a language course but this is not a requirement if their English level is high enough and they ONLY want to volunteer. However, we require at least one week’s course booked at the school in order for the student to be oriented in South Africa and prepare for the volunteer programme. 

c. INTERNSHIPS: 

• A student wanting to participate in an internship programme may only do so for a maximum of 3 months, as this is how long a normal Visitor’s Visa is issued for 

• However, this visa may also be extended for a further 90 days when in South Africa 

• The same applies for a 30-days visa. 

2. WORK VISA 
a. INTERNSHIPS: 

• For any internship longer than 2 or 6 months (30 days or 90 days visa), the student must apply for a Work Visa in South Africa. This is MUCH more complicated and will require a strong motivation (such as a requirement for a university course) as well as a formal “job offer”/letter of acceptance from the company at which they will be doing the internship. However, due to the current high levels of unemployment in South Africa, it is very difficult to motivate why a work visa should be issued to a foreigner if a local person can fill that position, even if it’s just an internship. 

• Although the law makes no provision for the issuing of an “Internship Visa” to foreigners, it does not state that a foreigner may NOT do an internship at a South African company. 

3. STUDY VISA 

a. LANGUAGE COURSE: 

• A Study Visa is usually valid for 12 to 24 months and may be extended while studying in South Africa 

• Where a country does not have a port-of-entry visa agreement with South Africa, a Study Visa must be applied for in the student’s home country before arrival 

• If the student wishes to study for longer than 180 days (6 months), a Study Visa must be applied for prior to arrival 

• A Visitor’s Visa cannot be changed to a Study Visa after arriving in South Africa 

• Although the Department of Home Affairs usually grants Visitor’s Visa extensions, there is no guarantee that they will do so. It is therefore in the best interest of the student who knows they want to study for a long time, rather to apply for a Study Visa in their home country before arrival. 

b. STUDY AND WORK:  

• A student who has a Study Visa may work for a maximum of 20 hours per week and be paid for this work 

• The nature of the work is usually casual/temporary work, such as being a waiter, or barman, or in the service industry, or a temp receptionist, etc 

• While EC will assist a student where we can, it is not the school’s responsibility to place the student in an appropriate workplace. This is entirely the student’s responsibility while they are in South Africa. There is, therefore, no guarantee that the student will be able to find suitable work after arrival. 

c. STUDY AND VOLUNTEER (OR JUST VOLUNTEER): 

• A student may participate in a volunteer programme with a Study Visa. 
   

NOTE: There is no such things as a “Student Visa”, an “Internship Visa” or a “Volunteer Visa”. 

C. Travelling with minors/children:

1. Requirements for parents travelling with a child: 

• An unabridged birth certificate of the child reflecting the particulars of the parents of the child 

• For adopted children, proof of adoption by means of an adoption certificate  

2. Requirements for one parent travelling with a child:  

• An unabridged birth certificate of the child reflecting the particulars of the parents of the child 

• Consent in the form of an affidavit (not older than 3 months, dating from the date of travel) from the other parent (registered on the birth certificate of the child) authorising him or her to enter or depart from the Republic with the child OR a court order granting full parental responsibilities and rights or legal guardianship in respect of the child 

• Legally separated parents should provide a court order when the other parent does not give consent 

• Where applicable, a death certificate of the other parent registered as a parent of the child on the birth certificate 

• Where the parents of the child are both deceased and the child is travelling with a relative or another person related to him or her or his or her parents, the Director-General may approve such a person to enter into or depart from the Republic with such a child if death certificates of both parents and a letter of special circumstances are provided.  

3. Requirements for a person travelling with a child who is not his or her biological child: 

• A copy of the unabridged birth certificate of the child 

• An affidavit from the parents or legal guardian of the child confirming that he or she has permission to travel with the child 

• Copies of the identity documents or passports of the parents or legal guardian of the child 

• The contact details of the parents or legal guardian of the child 

• Where the parents of the child are both deceased and the child is travelling with a relative or another person related to him or her or his or her parents, the Director-General may approve such a person to enter into or depart from South Africa with such a child if death certificates of both parents and a letter of special circumstances are provided. 

4. Requirements for a minor travelling unaccompanied: 

• Proof of consent from one or both parents or legal guardians, in the form of a letter or affidavit for the child to travel into or depart from South Africa. In the case where one parent provides proof of consent, a copy of a court order must also be provided, stating he or she has been granted full parental responsibilities and rights 

• The contact details of the parents or legal guardian of the child 

• A guardianship letter from the person who is to receive the child in South Africa containing his or her residential address and contact details in South Africa where the child will be residing 

• A copy of the identity document/valid passport and visa/permanent residence permit of the person receiving the child in South Africa. 

5. PLEASE NOTE: 

• In South Africa, a minor is classified as a person under 18 years 

• These regulations apply to all travellers (South African and foreign), on departure as well as arrival 

• In the case of foreign countries that do not issue unabridged birth certificates, a letter to this effect issued by the relevant authority of the foreign country should be produced 

• All documents must be originals, or copies certified as a true copy of the original, by a commissioner of oaths (or the equivalent commissioning authority in the country concerned) 

• For unaccompanied minors, the guardianship letter and supporting documentation is supplied by a designated member of staff at EC Cape Town.