During my master’s program, I almost missed the start date, because my student visa didn’t arrive on time.
It was a stressful wait, with emails about orientation and other activities (for new students) coming in from my school, all of which I was about to miss.
Student visa delays are common, so applicants are always encouraged to apply on time.
Starting the process earlier increases your chances of getting it approved before your program starts.
When you don’t get your student visa on time, expect the following:
What happens if I don’t get my student visa on time?
If you don’t get your student visa on time, you can’t travel to start your program, and you risk missing your course start date and other activities lined up for new students, which will affect your enrollment.
Furthermore, the delay can make you adjust your start date, lose your spot in your program, or defer your enrollment entirely.
Many universities and colleges allow late arrivals, but you must inform them of your situation.
If the delay is significant, you’ll be forced to defer your admission to the next intake.
The visa delay could also mean forfeiting those funds if you’ve made non-refundable payments for expenses like accommodation, flights, or other pre-arrival costs.
Read also: What happens if an international student gets pregnant?
With your plans disrupted by the visa delay, you must make alternate arrangements or reconsider your plan.
A student visa delay can be stressful.
I experienced it and it wasn’t funny in any way.
Even if your student visa finally gets approved (after the delay) and you can join other students, you’ll play catch up for missed programs – which isn’t good for your grades as a new student in a new country.
Typically, if you don’t get your student visa on time, you’ll:
- Miss your institution’s enrollment deadline.
- Miss orientation programs and other activities lined up for new students.
- Lose non-refundable payments you have made.
- Or be forced to defer your admission to the next intake.
Plus, it can affect your status as a student.
When my student visa was delayed, I wanted to defer my admission and join the next intake instead of entering the country late and playing catch up, which could make me lose grades.
Luckily for me, it came at the 11th hour.
Read also: 20 cheapest colleges in Saskatchewan for international students.
Not early, but not too late.
What to do if your student visa is delayed
First, verify the processing time for a student visa in your intended study country.
Knowing the expected processing time will help you determine if the delay is within a reasonable timeframe or if any underlying issue is causing the delay.
Then, inform your institution about the situation, if they’re kind enough, they’ll adjust for you.
Finally, contact the embassy or visa application centre where you submitted your student visa application, and ask them for an update about your application.
The update you’ll get will determine what you’ll do next.
Read also: 10 disadvantages of studying in Australia for international students
If there is a chance that your visa will be ready “at most” a few days (not more than 28 days) after your program resumes, you can still make it and join other students.
What if academic activities resume without you getting your student visa?
If academic activities resume and your visa isn’t ready, you should defer your admission and join the next intake.
When you reach out to the authorities, there is a chance you’ll know the reason for the delay.
In some cases, you can expedite the process. If that is the case, then do what they asked of you.
When to defer your admission due to student visa delay
You should defer your admission if the student visa delay stops you from meeting your institution’s “acceptable program enrollment deadline”.
Or if the delay makes you miss the deadline for registering new students.
Instead of differing your admission entirely, you can go for remote learning (if it is allowed in your school).
If your school is open for remote learning, you can keep up with academic activities while waiting for your visa.
Most institutions have a particular number of days (an enrollment deadline – usually 28 days) after resumption upon which you’ll no longer be allowed to resume.
Read also: 35 Universities that accept 2.5 GPA for masters in Canada.
You can defer your admission if your student visa isn’t ready after this enrollment deadline.
You can also defer if:
- Your academic advisor says you should: If your academic adviser advises you to defer to avoid academic or administrative issues, then you should defer.
- Online classes aren’t feasible: If joining online classes temporarily is not an option or practical for your course, consider deferring your academic.
- Your program requires in-person attendance: If your program requires in-person attendance from the beginning, but you can’t meet this requirement because of the visa delay, then, you should defer your admission.
In these cases, you can defer your admission and start in the next intake.
Do I apply for a new student visa if I defer until next semester with an already approved valid student visa?
If you already have an approved and valid student visa but defer your studies to next semester, you don’t need to apply for a new student visa.
You’ll use the existing student visa (which is valid) for your studies after the deferred period.
Always check the student visa processing time
Before you conclude that your student is delaying, ensure you know the embassy’s student visa processing time (the time it is expected to take before it’s ready).
Student visa processing time differs in many countries.
And, in most cases, the time is determined by not just the country you are applying to study in, but also your country of origin and the volume of applications received by the embassy.
Read also: What happens when an international student gets deported from Canada?
During my time, my student visa was delayed due to the volume of applications received by the authority.
It took time for them to complete the processing of all applications and my mine was delayed.
Knowing the reason for the delay will help you decide what you need to do.
What is the best time to apply for a student visa?
The best time to apply for a student visa is 3 – 4 months before your course start date.
Immediately after you get your letter of acceptance (showing that you have been admitted to study in your institution), start the student visa application process.
There is no need to wait, early application does the magic.
After submitting your student visa application, follow up with the embassy.
How to follow up after applying for a student visa
After applying for a student visa, most processing systems allow you to track the status of your application.
Use the tracking system to monitor your application status.
If there is any request for additional information or documents, respond immediately.
If biometrics is part of the application process, schedule and attend the appointments as required and as early as possible.
What happens if I don’t get my student visa on time in Australia?
If you don’t get your Australian student visa on time, check its status in your ImmiAccount to know the reason for the delay.
If the reason is not specified on your dashboard, contact the Department of Home Affairs or the embassy where you submitted your visa to know the cause of the delay and when you should expect it to be ready.
If it is still in progress, inform your school in Australia about the delay in processing your visa.
How early can I apply for an Australian student visa?
You can apply for an Australian student visa up to 124 days (approximately 4 months) before your course start date.
Upon accepting your admission offer and getting your Confirmation of Enrolment (CoE) from your Australian institution, apply for your student visa.
Read also: Which countries can I visit with a Canadian student visa?
Applying as early as possible is a good idea – it gives you enough time to process your application and handle any unexpected delays.
What can you do to avoid student visa delays?
One of the ways to ensure your student visa doesn’t get delayed is to apply early – you can avoid the late-hour rush when you apply for your visa early.
How long does it take for a student visa to be approved in Australia?
It takes between 4 to 8 weeks to approve a student visa in Australia.
However, if there is an issue with your application like missing documents or inconsistent information, it’ll take longer.
How long before my course starts can I enter Australia?
You can enter Australia up to 90 days before your course starts which is enough time to settle in, get accommodation, and attend orientation sessions.
What if my student visa does not come in time for Canada?
If your Canadian student visa does not arrive on time, log in to your IRCC account and check the status of your application.
If it is showing “in progress”, contact IRCC or the Canadian consolute in your country to know what you need to do to speed up the processing of your application.
Whether you applied to study in the UK, USA, Australia or Canada, the same process applies when your student visa is delayed.
Ensure your institution is aware of the situation.
Read also: 10 best need-blind universities for international students in Canada.
Then, contact the immigration authorities or visa application centre where you submitted your visa for updates.
What if I receive my study visa after my fall term begins? Will I be able to join the college classes?
You can still join college classes, however, it depends on how far other students have gone with the term’s academic activities before your visa arrived.
If you don’t get your student visa on time, contact the embassy or visa application centre where you submitted your visa.
Their response will help you decide what’s best for you.