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College demands intake confirmation while your visa is still pending: defer, don't gamble

Canada • Study Permit • study 0 views
By VisaBuddies Communityvia community — compiled from public visa forums

Timeline

Applied
2021-10-28

Documents Needed

  • Deferral request to the college

    Get the seat moved to the next intake in writing rather than confirming a start you may miss.

Step-by-Step

Scenario: a college asked a visa-pending applicant to confirm registration for online classes starting soon, while the study-permit decision (filed months earlier) was still outstanding — raising fears about losing the seat or the refund.

What group members advised:
  1. Defer rather than risk it. The strongest advice in the thread: request a deferral to the next intake. The intake decision is strictly between you and the college; the visa officer assesses your eligibility, and a deferral does not affect the visa process.

  2. Confirming and then missing the intake is the worse outcome — it creates refund battles and enrolment complications. A written deferral keeps both the seat and the fees safe.

  3. Reading portal status: members noted the application status moving from "under process" to "under review" as a sign the file was actively being worked; others who filed around the same time (November) had received visas, suggesting decisions were flowing for that cohort.

  4. Check that biometrics and medicals show as updated — those being complete means the file is decision-ready.


The practical takeaway: when a registration deadline collides with a pending visa, take the deferral in writing. It costs a semester at most, protects your money, and has no bearing on the visa decision.

Dos, Don'ts & Tips

  • Do: Defer your intake in writing if the visa decision may not arrive before classes start — deferral doesn't affect the visa assessment.
  • Don't: Don't confirm registration for an intake you may miss just to keep a seat — it complicates refunds and enrolment.
  • Tip: Status changing from "under process" to "under review" with biometrics/medicals updated means the file is actively being assessed.

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