If you are a Fil-Global member and in the process of lodging your visa, you are probably familiar with the pages of questionnaires handed by your agent. Have you wondered about their significance? Well, they could be the reason for your approval or denial of your student visa application.
Although answering them could be dreadful, these sheets serve as a helpful tool in composing the best SOP for your student visa application. So, before you even try to answer the set of questions, be sure to get your facts straight.
The approval of your visa partly depends on how you construct your SOP. It may seem like a lengthy essay, but believe me, immigration officers would gladly take their time to review everything written in your paper.
Hearing all this, would you like to increase your chances of getting a visa approval? If yes, dive in and start learning a few techniques in crafting the best SOP for your student visa application.
Tips on How to Create a Readworthy SOP
Be truthful to your details.
There's no better way to present your intentions than to be honest with the information you have provided. Being honest also means having the capability to show proof on whatever that is you've decided to declare. For example, if you have listed your aunt as the main sponsor for your studies abroad, she must be ready to sign a legal document stating her commitment throughout the whole duration of your studies.
There are times when consuls request documents that would justify crucial information on what you have disclosed. They are particular about your capability to sustain your studies financially, including your binding ties in your country of origin.
Be realistic.
After dealing with several SOPs from various applicants, I have seen how impractical students can get to impress the officers. I recall one student stating his plans of returning to the Philippines after graduation. He expressed his goals of securing a top managerial position and earning a 6-figure salary in a luxurious establishment in Manila. All this without experience and purely relying on an international degree. To be honest, it sounded too dreamy.
How do you state sensible goals? You could start by improving what you have now. If you are working as a front-of-house F&B staff, you could focus on talking about bettering your career by becoming a team leader and working your way up as the future assistant manager. International diplomas don’t grant you a special pass when it comes to applying for jobs. However, when high-quality education is paired with vast experiences, you get to have the best of both worlds! And this makes you a valuable candidate for every employer.
Set solid ties to your country of origin.
Students must be able to convince the immigration officer of their plans of returning to their country after course completion. It’s one way of expressing genuine intentions for further studies. Not to mention, it is a crucial criterion in securing approval for your student visa application.
Contrary to providing sincere input to your proposals, it's not recommended to disclose plans of extending your stay or switching to PR after your studies. International learning is designed to allow foreigners to share cultural experiences in a country's local community. After studies, students are expected to go back to their country of origin to share their unique encounters and build interest.
You might start wondering why the government, in general, is eager to have their graduates stay but dismisses the fact of allowing foreign students to enter for possible future migration. In the recent announcements from the foreign ministry of Canada, they have started to make convincing proposals for students, especially for those who are on their way to finishing their studies. Application for an extended stay for PGWPs is now being catered and students enrolled online are allowed to continue counting their eligibility towards PGWP.
The two contradicting actions from the Canadian government may cause some confusion. To save yourself from being baffled, think of it as two different bodies with separate specifications. One seeks for the retention of skilled individuals to meet their demands for labor, while the other focuses on uplifting the international education industry. As long as you are still on the verge of getting your student permit, you need to focus on your goals as a foreign learner and translate this through writing.
Ensure all information coincides.
Your SOP is like a CV presented similar to a letter or an essay. Therefore, you have to make sure that everything in it is congruent to the answers on your questionnaires. Also, your SOP must not miss out on important details. Try to be more specific when presenting work history, educational and family background.
Try to avoid missing events or “unproductive” periods. Immigration officers are sensitive to applicants who are stagnant in their working years.
Should you decide to take a degree different from what you have completed, establish a deep connection between your new career and your chosen field of studies. Although, this is something I would discourage as it poses greater risks for denial.
Keep it concise and cohesive.
An SOP doesn’t have a word count requirement. But in any writing, you should be able to keep things brief and comprehensive. There is no need to inject fancy words, get straight to the point and express your sincere intentions clearly.
Check your thoughts and keep them one-sided. One common issue students face when making their SOP is their tendency to arise an argument on their writing. Sometimes the ideas presented become contradicting in the long run. This can be avoided by making a bulleted list of answers for each question and running through them to ensure all answers are aligned.
Proofread to minimize errors.
Lastly, do a review by going through your content all over again. If you have doubts, you can let another person check your work for you. It can also be helpful to take a break and reread after several days. This technique allows you to properly detect mistakes and incongruency.
Are you now ready to answer those questionnaires? Consider these tips and increase your chances of getting an approved student visa. Whatever country you may choose to go for, this helpful guide will definitely improve the content of your SOP.
For more guidance, our Fil-Global support team will be there ready to assist you and make things easier. Do not hesitate to contact our friendly agents and we’ll gladly facilitate your needs.