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Ninety minutes on what IRCC now expects as proof of funds for study permit applications and extensions, from the documents officers look for to a financial plan that holds up.
Matthew McDonald and Sebastian Kolesar
$45
1.5 hours
Attend Live Online and On-Demand Recording
IRCC has been tightening the financial requirements for study permit applications since 2024, and refusal rates have risen sharply. This CPD course examines what IRCC expects as proof of funds for initial study permit applications and study permit extensions. Matthew McDonald and Sebastian Kolesar start with the financial requirements under R220, then focus on financial documentation: tuition payments, scholarships and DLI funding, bank statement expectations, family support and proof of relationship, employment and self-employment documents, exceptional situations such as foreign exchange controls and physical gold, and the provenance and history of funds, including recent updates to operational instructions and common red flags. Participants then review sample financial plans and letters live, see how to complete the IMM 1294 and IMM 5709, and explore relevant Federal Court jurisprudence on financial resources. The course closes with a live question and answer period. It is built for RCICs and RISIAs supporting international students in Canada.
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Matthew is currently based out of Montreal, where he is refreshing his French skills and considering licensing in Quebec. His formal education includes a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) from Brandon University and a Master of Arts from the University of Ottawa. He completed his Immigration Consultant education through Humber College and became an RCIC in 2016.
Before shifting into Canadian immigration work full time in 2023, Matthew worked in the Canadian post-secondary sector for 10 years, first as an international student advisor at Humber College, and then at Rotman School of Management, University of Toronto.
Because of his extensive experience supporting international students from within colleges and universities, his practice grew through requests to support international students and their family members navigate a range of temporary and permanent resident applications. He particularly enjoys supporting family-class applications; his first encounter with Canada’s immigration system took place in 2011 when he began the process of sponsoring his husband for permanent residence while living in Skopje, Macedonia.
Matthew’s career began as a university instructor and high school teacher, and he continues to keep teaching as part of his work. In addition to professional development courses for LPEN, he spent multiple years as part of the team that develops and delivers the International Students and Immigration Program through the Canadian Bureau for International Education, which is the training program for Regulated International Student Immigration Advisors (RISIAs) who advise international students within Canada’s post-secondary sector.
Sebastian’s interest in international education and immigration practice stems from his mother’s immigration experience (São Paulo to Vancouver, BC), his time serving in a camp for forcibly displaced persons in Greece, and his formative experience as a student staff member working with international students (i.e., Recruitment Assistant and ESL tutor).
Following the completion of a Bachelor of Arts in International Relations, Sebastian has worked in five separate positions at the University of British Columbia (UBC) across general international student support, administration, and now immigration consulting; however, his professional background also includes experience in legal aid, private practice, and teaching (student immigration law and policy). He became licensed as an immigration consultant in 2021 following the completion of UBC’s Immigration Law program, and currently works full-time at UBC providing legal and settlement services to students. Sebastian is also the Owner and Principal Consultant at Pacey Immigration Services.
Sebastian intimately understands how powerful culture and language can be to one’s identity, and despite losing his mother tongue (Brazilian Portuguese) through his mother’s acculturation to Canada, he maintains a strong connection to his transnational community and family members in Brazil. Despite losing his maternal language, Sebastian is professionally bilingual in French, and has limited professional proficiency in Spanish. Immigration is a story that transcends generations, and Sebastian believes that his story is the product of his mother’s choice to create a better life for herself and her family in Canada.
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Absolutely. Every LPEN course is recorded, and the recording is added to your account within a few business days. You can log in anytime to watch it on demand and still receive your digital certificate of completion.
LPEN seeks accreditation for each course from the College of Immigration and Citizenship Consultants (CICC) and the Law Society of Ontario (LSO),the Law Society of BC (LSBC) when applicable. Accreditation details and approved CPD hours are listed in the CPD Credits section on each course page, so you can easily confirm how the course qualifies toward your professional development requirements.
A digital certificate of completion will be available once the course recording has been uploaded. After that, you can follow the steps at the top of your My Courses page—where you’ll also find a short video explaining how to download your certificate. Be sure to save it as part of your documentation for your CPD hours.
This course may be included in one or several LPEN Passes. Passes offer discounted rates and access to multiple courses, making CPD compliance simpler. Check out our Passes page to see where it is included.
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