An overview of how to develop strong and credible study plans that align with IRCC expectations.
Included with our Passes – Learn more
Matthew McDonald and Andrew Carvajal and Mark Holthe
June 4, 2026 at 12:00pm EST
$45
1.5 hours
Attend Live Online and On-Demand Recording
A strong study plan can make or break a Canadian study permit application. This course provides a detailed, practical look at how to demonstrate genuine study intentions (bona fides) and avoid common refusal grounds under IRCC policy. Participants will learn how to structure persuasive study plans, identify red flags, and ask the right client questions to uncover relevant background and motivation details. The session includes a live review of sample study plans and discussion of Federal Court jurisprudence on purpose of visit and study bona fides. Designed for immigration practitioners handling student visa files, this course equips you with the tools to draft compelling, credible, and approval-ready study plans.
• Initial questions for the client
• Bona fides flags
• Elements of the study plan
• Drafting tips
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Managing Partner
Carvajal Law
Andrew is a Toronto immigration lawyer and the Managing Lawyer of Carvajal Law. He received a Bachelor of Arts, Master of Arts, Bachelor of Laws and Bachelor of Civil Law from McGill University. He was called to the Bar of Ontario in 2011.
Andrew’s immigration practice focuses on all types of business immigration, including the relocation of foreign workers through the Temporary Foreign Worker Program and the International Mobility Program. This involves the representation of employers and employees on all types of Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) applications and Canadian work permit applications. He also assists professionals and entrepreneurs around the world with permanent residence applications under federal and provincial economic programs.
Having been involved in the international student industry for over 10 years, Andrew also assists clients with study permits and visitor visas. He is the CEO of the education consulting firm mobility.study.
For over 10 years, Andrew has taught at the university and college levels, as well as professional development courses to immigration lawyers, Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultants and paralegals. He is the Curriculum Developer for LPEN and an instructor of multiple online courses and workshops dealing with labour mobility programs, permanent residence and study permits. He is also a frequent contributor to several publications dealing with immigration law and has been invited to speak about immigration changes on local and national news segments, as well as to testify before the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration.
Prior to practising law, Andrew was a sociology professor at McGill University and a university researcher in projects dealing with criminal justice, equality laws, family transformation and social research methods. He is also the host of the biweekly wine and immigration podcast “Vivir Afuera”.
Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultant
Matthew McDonald Immigration Services
Matthew is based out of Toronto but currently runs his digital-first practice from Montreal, 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 has spent multiple years as part of the team that develops and delivers the International Students and Immigration Program through the Canadian Bureau of International Education, which is the training program for Regulated International Student Immigration Advisors (RISIAs) who advise international students within Canada’s post-secondary sector.
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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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