international
students

Learning to Fly in Canada

British Columbia is one of the best places for flight training with its spectacular scenery and diverse weather conditions (long days and sunny in the summer, and rainy with the occasional snow in the winter). The high standard of the Canadian ICAO License is also recognized worldwide. Many Canada-trained pilots become successful professional pilots that fly for major commercial airlines.

Canada, as one of the most ethnically diverse countries in the world, provides a welcoming environment for international students. At SLA, we conduct our flight training in new model aircrafts such as the Diamond DA20 with advanced avionics. Compared to other countries, training costs and rental rates are relatively low in Canada, thus giving your investment excellent value in terms of cost effectiveness.

How to Get Started

First of all, complete the International Student Application Form so we can help you get started on the process.

Visa Requirements

You need to determine visa requirements when you are considering studying in Canada as a foreign student. Citizenship and Immigration Canada's website http://www.cic.gc.ca/ has detailed information about Studying in Canada. In general, you do not require a visa if the course/training takes less than 6 months to complete and you plan to stay in Canada for less than 6 months. Otherwise, if the course/training takes over 6 months to complete, you will need to apply for a class="inlineLink" Study Permit. Regardless of the length of the course/training, citizens from some countries require a visa to enter Canada. It is advisable to double check visa requirement on Citizenship and Immigration Canada's website.

Study Permit/Student Visa Application Requirement

You will need to submit the following to the Canadian Consulate in order for them to process your Study Permit application:

1. Original copy of Letter of Acceptance from SLA authorizing you to train at our Flight Centre. Only the original Letter of Acceptance will be accepted by the Canadian Embassy / Consulate. In order for SLA to issue you the Letter of Acceptance, you must provide us the following information:
   • Full name (as appeared on your passport)
   • Address
   • Telephone
   • Fax (if any)
   • Email
   • Emergency contact
   • Date and place of birth
   • Expected date of arrival in Canada
   • Expected duration of stay in Canada
   • Course applied for
   • Photocopy of a valid passport showing your full name, date of birth, passport number, date of issue and country of issue
   • A deposit of CAD750 by wire transfer. Part of the fund is to cover the courier fee for sending the letter of acceptance and $500.00 International student application fee¹.
2. Proof of funds: You must prove that you have sufficient funds to pay for tuition, living expenses, return transportation and other necessary costs for the duration of your stay in Canada. These proofs of funds can be in the form of bank statements, bank drafts, fixed deposits and they must be under the student's name. SLA also requires international students to maintain a minimum CAD500.00 on their account during their training at SLA.
3. Proof that you will be returning to your home country upon completion of the course/training.
4. Medical information: You may need to pass a medical exam if you are citizens of certain countries/territories. Citizenship and Immigration Canada has a list of designated doctors who are authorized to perform immigration medical exams in your country/territory. For more information, please consult Citizenship and Immigration Canada's website. Regardless of where you are coming from, you will be required to pass an aviation medical examination for your training. This can be done before or after you entering Canada. You can search for Civil Aviation Medical Examiners who can perform this examination for you on Transport Canada's website.
5. Security information: You may need a security check (also known as police certificates) if you are over 18 years old to determine if you have a criminal record. Security checks are done to ensure that applicants are not a security risk to Canada.

¹ A $500.00 non refundable International student application fee will be applied to international students including any student who wishes to withdraw from a course at Sea Land Air before the intended start date for any reason. This includes withdrawal due to denial of student permit authorization from Citizenship and Immigration Canada.

For more information about Study Permit application or visa requirements, please visit Citizenship and Immigration Canada's website. Or our friendly staff is available to assist you in your application and to select the appropriate flight training course for you.

* Click here to download the International Student Package.