Everything You Need to Know About the Nigerian Student Express Program
Canada is one of the top destinations to study for international students. According to CIC news, Nigerians were the fourth most represented nationality among Canada’s new permanent residents in 2019. This is not surprising because of the benefits available to students who want to study in Canada from Nigeria. In light of this, Canada introduced a new pilot program, the Nigerian Student Express (NSE), for prospective international students from Nigeria seeking to study at the country’s colleges and universities. This initiative is aimed at facilitating the study permit application process at a quicker pace.
What is the Nigerian Student Express initiative?
Before the Nigerian Student Express, the average processing times for study permit application for Nigerian students was around eight weeks. But with the NSE, Nigerian students can now process their study permit in 20 days or even less. IRCC (Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada) said in a tweet, “Nigeria Student Express is a pilot initiative at our Visa Office (VO) in Lagos aimed at improving processing times for study permit applicants in Nigeria who are planning to study at the university level in Canada. It was introduced to prospective students and their parents at EduCanada fairs in Abuja and Lagos in January 2020.”
The NSE differs from Student Direct Stream (SDS). Though they are both designed to expedite the study permit process for students, SDS is only open to students from China, India, Morocco, Pakistan, the Philippines, Senegal, and Vietnam. However, the NSE is only for students from Nigeria who have received admission letters for degree studies. The NSE also uses a different financial verification within known as MyBankStatement.
What are the Nigerian Student Express Requirements?
Like most study permit processes, there are rules that make you eligible for the program. The following are the eligibility requirements for NSE.
- You must be living outside of Canada when you apply.
- You must score a minimum of 6 on the Canadian Language Benchmark test.
- You need to be a Nigerian citizen or legal resident of Nigeria.
- You must have an offer of admission from a Canadian post-secondary institute for a Bachelors, Masters, PhD or post-graduate diploma.
- You must have the equivalent of 30,000 Canadian dollars in your bank account for at least 6 months.
- You must attach your ticket number from MyBankStatement (A special type of bank statement).
- You must undergo a medical exam.
- You must get a police clearance letter.
Frequently Asked Questions About the Nigerian Student Express Canada.
Below are some frequently asked questions about the NES.
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What is MyBankStatement for NES?
That one-page ticket generated by your bank meant to replace the conventional paper-based bank statements that are usually submitted in visa applications is what’s known as MyBankStatement. On it is a unique passcode and ticket number the embassy requires to check that your account holdings are genuine.
- Which banks in Nigeria issue MyBankStatement?
The following banks can issue you a MyBankStatement:
- Stanbic Bank
- Access Bank
- Zenith Bank
- Polaris Bank
- Guaranty Trust Bank
- First City Monument Bank
- Heritage Banking Company
- Ecobank
- United Bank for Africa
- Sterling Bank
- Fidelity Bank
- Union Bank
- Wema Bank.
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Do I have to submit a MyBankStatement for NES?
Yes. You may do so for Canadian Visa Application either by printing it for submission along with your paper visa application or upload the soft copy as part of your online visa application.
Currently, the information on Nigeria Student Express is not yet on the Government of Canada website. However, we think that this is due to the program being a pilot initiative. If you would love to learn more about the Nigerian Student Process and how Maple Education Canada can facilitate a speedy admission process to study in Canada, check out our services.
