So I got into Simon Fraser for the May session and September session in U of Alberta
To be honest, I’m an international student and I’m looking for a Permanent Residency permit
Will I be at risk if I go to Canada a lil late i.e. Go for September session rather than May session
Not sure about the green card issue, but if you are international, you’ll probably like Vancouver better than Alberta.
@Laineus: I second what @bogeyopar said: SFU is an absolutely stunning campus situated on a 400 m. (1200 ft.) tall mountain (hill?) between the ocean and the Rockies, as is the whole province of British Columbia. I know of no analog anywhere else in North America.
Simon Fraser used to be very strong in Computer Science and Electrical Engineering. A buddy of mine is CS faculty there, and he is an incredibly smart guy.
I would be careful about declaring immigrant intent while applying for a student visa (not a lawyer myself, so not legal advice - talk to a real Canadian immigration lawyer). Depending where you live, it could take you a long time to get a Canadian student visa, so plan accordingly.
I think that they are both very good universities, with strong computer science programs. You will get a good education at either one. From an academic point of view I don’t think that you can go wrong at either of these schools.
You might want to double check the total cost of attendance for each of them. The last time that I checked SFU was quite reasonable for international students.
I haven’t looked for a year or two, but the last time that I checked you could get a three year work permit after your four year bachelor’s degree from a Canadian university, and then can get your employer to help you apply for a permanent resident visa before your work permit runs out.
Winter in Edmonton will be cold. Possibly colder than you knew could happen (unless you are from Moscow or Stockholm or somewhere similar). Winter in Burnaby (right next to Vancouver) will be much milder, but it will rain a lot. It will only snow occasionally because it is usually too warm to snow. “Warm” is however relative.
Also, congratulations! You have a great choice to make.
SFU is in a better area for CS recruitment but it’ll be more expensive wrt housing (and only first years live on campus).
The process for a work visa is very simple once you get your degree (no hoops, no lottery like in the US) BUT remember that to get a STUDENT visa to study at a university you must have a primary intent of studying or you won’t get a student visa.