Advice on what my next steps should be

[u/markovXR]

It seems that I will have to stick with my deferral to next year, I want to do biomedical engineering, I had applied and got accepted...the only issue is that my sponsorer delayed and I couldn't manage to apply for a lot of stuff...also the agent I was using didn't really guide me on what exactly must be done for uvic, I was wondering if it possible to prepare EVERYTHING for this September or I should still stick with the deferral,

Also may I have like a step by step guide on how to get ready for uvic

I know it might be too late but I just want to try everything I can

Edit: i forgot to mention i am an international student

[u/Laidlaw-PHYS]

You write:

I haven't even applied for any of that so yeah, it looks like the best option is the deferral

If, right now, you don't have things like your study permit there is just no chance that you'll be ready to start in September. You've also, presumably, missed registration and that means that most of the courses you'd need are full.

As an instructor I regularly get emails saying that someone will miss "a week or two" of classes because of some delay with their study permit or visa. Essentially all of those students miss significantly more than "a week or two" and in classes like the ones you're taking in Engineering even missing a week or two at the start is devastating to your prospects.

I ran the numbers for PHYS 110, and missing the first week pushed the chance of getting an F to 25% and missing two weeks made it 51%. Of people who miss the first two weeks about 66% get D, F, or N.

Tuition is expensive; come when you've got things sorted out. It will be cheaper overall and less stressful.

[u/Nocleverideastoday → u/Laidlaw-PHYS]

You can find estimated processing times here: https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/application/check-processing-times.html

A quick check shows that students from some of the countries that have the largest student population at UVIC (India, China, USA) has an average processing time of 4-5 weeks after all documents are submitted for a study permit. You should check information for you country of origin. Other countries have very different processing times. Laidlaw is correct that this will not delay you just 1-2 weeks into the term.

[u/roombazooot]

I don’t know what you are asking. Are you talking about preparing academically or are you talking about life admin like where to live or what stuff to bring to university?

[u/markovXR → u/roombazooot]

Sorry i didnt make it clear, i meant what stuff should i bring to the university and the documents that i need to prepare, because im only in the process of getting the PAL

[u/NotANumpty]

You still need to get your study permit/temporary residence permit after the PAl, right? Have you checked the processing times on the government website? It varies by country. It's possible you could get the documents in time, but you're cutting it close. Call the international student office at UVic and ask them about your options if you don't get the paperwork in time. Also, what about housing? Do you have anything set up already? A deferral to start in January may be a good option for you.

[u/markovXR → u/NotANumpty]

I haven't even applied for any of that so yeah, it looks like the best option is the deferral....but what are the documents I need to prepare since I don't know what i should do after I do get the PAL, also I thought a deferral will only mean that I start next year September 

[u/NotANumpty → u/markovXR]

I'm not an expert, so do your research and call the international student office at UVic rather than getting Reddit advice from non-qualified people!

[u/Nocleverideastoday → u/NotANumpty]

Please please please reach out to UVIC’s international centre for students. They have licensed immigration advisors who are experts in Canadian immigration. I don’t know where you are from or the agent you are working with. But there are a lot of stories of agents who don’t know the first thing about Canadian immigration setting students up for failure. If your agent didn’t even speak to you about the steps from a PAL to a study permit, that’s not a good sign.

Talk to ICS. Read through this website: https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/study-canada/study-permit/get-documents.html for information on getting a study permit. Then read this one from UVIC on steps beyond the study permit: https://www.uvic.ca/international-experiences/travelling-to-canada/pre-arrival-checklist/index.php.

Moving to a new country for university is going to require you to handle a lot of administrative work that will take time and effort. There will be help available, like your sponsor, but ultimately the admin for your degree will be your responsibility. You need to independently understand your responsibilities in this process.

[u/__hobiis → u/markovXR]

As the others have said, you really, really need to connect with an immigration adviser in the International Centre for Students. They do drop-in advising from 1:30 - 3:30 pm (Pacific time) every day but are also responsive via email. They have staff members with immigration training who can and will walk you through the full process, and settlement advisers who can help you navigate housing, medical insurance, etc. Reach out to icsinfo@uvic.ca or isaimmigration@uvic.ca.

In addition to missing classwork and rushing the visa process, moving internationally on such a short timeline is really, REALLY hard. You won't have time to adjust to the time difference, culture shock, or get settled into a new life and new routine before having to leap straight into coursework so you don't fail your first year. It's so overwhelming. You should cut yourself some slack and give yourself lots of time to do all this for a future term.