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UK vs Canada – Which country is best for Indian Students ?

Written by  Vishesh Chogtu

Published on Fri, May 20, 2022 1:30 PM   Updated on Tue, April 11, 2023 8:57 AM   17 mins read

UK vs Canada these two countries are ultimate destinations for students looking to study abroad. So are you someone who wishes to study abroad but is confused between which country is best between the UK and Canada. The United Kingdom and Canada have traditionally been attractive study abroad destinations. Each has a long history of providing outstanding education and has consistently received top rankings!

Admitkard has prepared curated information to guarantee that you do not miss out on any important details. In this blog article, we’ll compare and contrast UK vs Canada,  based on some of the critical factors students generally evaluate when deciding whether to study abroad. Here, you’ll have all of the facts in one location, you’ll be able to make the greatest option for yourself! Read along to know everything about studying abroad in the UK vs Canada. 

Documents Required to study in UK vs Canada 

Documents required to study In UK vs Canada are slightly different. Keep in mind that certain universities require different documents for admissions. Following your decision on which course to pursue and your selection of universities, the next step is to apply for admission. But first, you’ll need to gather some paperwork that will make the procedure go more smoothly.

United Kingdom

Following is the list documents required for Admission in Universities of UK:

Undergraduate 

  • Academic transcript
  • Copy of passport/visa (if available)
  • Certificate of English proficiency – IELTS/TOEFL/PTE Test
  • Certificate of graduation
  • Personal statement
  • Reference letters
  • CV (if applicable)

Postgraduate

  • Certificate of graduation/bachelor’s degree

PhD/Research

  • Certificate of graduation/master’s degree
  • Research proposal

Canada

Following is the list documents required for admission in Universities of Canada:

Undergraduate

  • High School Certificate/ Diploma
  • Statement of Purpose: Depends on the university you are applying
  • Letter of Recommendation from Professors
  • SAT Scores, if needed
  • Marksheet and Transcripts
  • English Proficiency Test Result:  IELTS/C1 Advance/ TOEFL
  • Updated Resume
  • Proof of Funds
  • Educational Credential Assessment

Master’s or PhD

  • Graduation Certificate
  • GRE Score– General or Subject-wise, depending on your course
  • Statement of Purpose- Depends on your course of study and the university you apply
  • 2 Academic Letters of Recommendation

Study visa UK vs Canada

United Kingdom

The following documents are required for UK student visa:

  • A valid passport
  • Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS) reference number and other documents asked for obtaining CAS.
  • Passport-sized pictures
  • Tuberculosis screening report (if asked)
  • Assessment documentation
  • ATAS (Academic Technology Approval Scheme) clearance report
  • Proof of student loan from the bank (if you have taken a student loan)

Tier 4 Student visas are for full-time students only. The UK government has relaxed post-study work visa rules for international students. 

These rules apply when applying for a UK Student Visa:

  • It is only available for full-time study.
  • The visa will be valid for three years if you are applying for a diploma course (maximum)
  • If you are applying for a university degree, your visa will be valid for four years (maximum)
  • A Tier 4 student visa application costs £348. The dependent visa will cost an extra £348 (per dependent), and the foreign health fee will cost £705.
  • You may or may not be summoned.
  • You could or might not be summoned to the embassy for a personal interview.
  • Working part-time throughout your education may or may not be permitted, depending on particular circumstances. International students are allowed to do two types of work: 1. part-time work (on or off campus) for up to 20 hours per week, and full-time work during vacations (only on-campus); full-time work placements as part of a  ‘sandwich course.’

Canada 

The following documents are required for Canadian student visa:

  • A valid passport
  • The acceptance letter from the Designated Learning Institute (DLI)
  • You have to provide the relevant evidence that you have 10,000 CAD as financial assistance.
  • Two passport-sized photographs
  • Immigration medical examination (IME)
  • The English language proficiency exam scores
  • Proof of student loan from the bank (if you have taken a student loan)
  • Guaranteed Investment Certificate (GIC) from the
  • Canadian financial organization (if asked)

The following rules apply to the Canadian student visa:

  • Within 90 days of completing your education, you must apply for a post-graduation employment visa.
  • For Indian visa applicants, a medical examination is required as part of the application procedure.
  • If the stay is for a year or more, the spouse can work full time.
  • The application fee for this visa is $150.
  • Working more than 20 hours a week is prohibited. The student may work up to 40 hours a week during holidays, breaks, and summer sessions.

UK vs Canada which is better?

Students always ask UK vs Canada which is Better? Well, this post will go through every facet of the UK vs Canada comparison in detail. Certain elements must be considered when studying abroad to ensure a positive learning experience.

Students from all over the world can benefit from the strong educational infrastructure provided by the United Kingdom (UK) and Canada. Students should assess their aims and ambitions before applying to colleges in both nations, even if they are both excellent possibilities for a foreign education. When applying to international universities, many things will influence your entire learning experience. Because the United Kingdom is substantially smaller than Canada, its population per unit area is higher. Despite their many similarities, the two countries’ cultures and traditions differ slightly. Canada has welcomed many Indians in recent years, giving permanent residency through jobs and education. This has resulted in a significant demographic shift in the country. Both the United Kingdom and Canada are secular countries that have been particularly welcoming of foreign cultures.

According to a recent survey, Canada ranks in the top ten friendliest countries in the world. The UK, on the other hand, is culturally varied and compact, and is likely to rank among the top 50 countries. Even though the primary philosophies of both countries’ cultures appear to have similar foundations, there are significant distinctions in terms of food, sports, wildlife, and other traditions. This factor is absent in the United Kingdom, which lacks a recognised indigenous population.

The United Kingdom has maintained stringent regulations to limit foreign immigration, particularly from non-EU countries. After the BREXIT vote, immigration will become considerably more difficult.

Because of its broad landscape and scarcity of highly trained individuals, immigration to Canada is relatively simpler for foreigners. International students and other international working professionals have an easier time obtaining internal and external PR for Canada. The Canadian government has been quite welcoming of foreigners wishing to settle in the nation.

UK vs Canada Salary

There is a difference between the UK and Canada salary range.On an hourly basis, the average wage in Canada is roughly $27.70. The average hourly wage for management was around $40, and for health vocations it was little under $32. They varied across the country, with Alberta having the highest pay. The eastern provinces received the lowest pay. In the UK, the average hourly wage was £13.69 at the start of 2017, down 18% from the previous year.

OccupationSalary CanadaSalary UK
Average Salary$50,000£30,850
Electrical engineer$68,000£40,900
Graphic Designer$41,760£25,100
I.T.$83,800£50,400
Mechanical Engineer$64,000£51,400
Midwife$68,000£40,900
Accountant$50,400£30,300
Retail Manager$44,750£26,900
Surveyor$71,000£42,700
Teacher$58,300£35,100

UK vs Canada Cost of Living

UK vs Canada has not much difference when it comes to cost of living. Many residents consider moving because the UK and Canada have a solid international relationship, making it easier to emigrate there than in other countries.Living in Canada is more expensive than in the United Kingdom, which comes in at number 33 on the cost of living index. This demonstrates that, while there is a difference between the two countries, it is not a significant one. Cities in Canada, for example, have less significant pricing variations than cities in England, where London is quite expensive in comparison to other cities. As a result, there will be areas of difference in average expenses, allowing you to determine whether this is a better option for you.

Costs for Undergraduate courses in UK vs Canada

ParticularsUndergraduate course in UKUndergraduate course in Canada
Tuition feesBTech: Rs 19.56 Lakhs per yearBTech: Rs 22.08 Lakhs per year
Living expensesRs 5.85 Lakhs per yearRs 5.90 Lakhs per year
Duration of course3 years4 years
Total costRs 25.40 Lakhs per yearRs 27.98 Lakhs per year

Costs for Postgraduate courses in UK vs Canada

ParticularsPostgraduate course in UKPostgraduate course in Canada
Tuition feesMS: Rs 21.36 per yearMS: Rs 11.28 Lakhs per year
Living expensesRs 5.85 Lakhs per yearRs 5.90 Lakhs per year
Duration of course1-2 years1-2 years
Total costRs 27.20 per yearRs 17.18 Lakhs per year

Average Cost of living

Major expensesCost of living per year (£)Cost of living per year(CAD)
On-campus accommodation£3,600 to £4,0003,000 CAD to 8,000 CAD
Private accommodation£4,000 to £6,0007,000 CAD to 9,000 CAD
Transportation (public)£1,500 to £1,800900 CAD to 1,200 CAD
Entertainment£100 and above (depends on personal preferences)Entertainment 200 CAD and above (depends on personal preferences)
Household and other bills£200 to £500600 CAD to 1,000 CAD
Internet charges£100 to £150400 CAD to 600 CAD
Stationary£500 to £1,000500 CAD to 1,500 CAD

UK vs Canada which is better to live

UK vs Canada which is better can be answered when looked at in comparison. According to recent data collected if you were to live Canada and not in UK you will have following advantages:

  • You have a 1% chance of living longer: The average life expectancy in the United Kingdom is 81 years. Women are 83 years old, while males are 79. In Canada, however, the average life expectancy is 82 years for males and 85 years for women. In both countries, women are more likely than males to live longer lives. In Canada, women had a 22.2 percent lower risk of dying during childbirth. In Canada, about 7% of 1,000 women die during childbirth, while the UK has a rate of 9%.
  • Will save 26.7 percent on taxes: Tax rates in the UK are significantly higher than in Canada. The maximum tax rate in the United Kingdom is 45.0 percent, while in Canada it is 33.0 percent.
  • Health-care spending will increase by 14.3%: Although Canada boasts some of the world’s best health care, it comes at a cost. Healthcare in the United States is expected to account for 9.1% of total GDP. In Canada, 10.4% of GDP is typically spent.
  • Will have a 37.3 percent lower chance of being poor: Adults in Canada, despite their high standard of life, are nevertheless at risk of falling below the poverty line. In Canada, 9.4% of the population is poor, compared to 15.0 percent in the United Kingdom.
  • There’s a 9% chance you’ll have fewer children: Both countries have extremely low birth rates. The infant mortality rate is 12.1% per 1,000 people.

Study in UK vs Canada

The United Kingdom boasts some of the greatest universities in the world and is ramping up its game to help international students after graduation, whereas Canada has lower total study and living costs and has historically given international students with flexible post-study career possibilities.

Universities in CanadaWorld QS RankUK UniversitiesQS World University Rankings 2022
University of Toronto#26University of Oxford2nd rank
McGill University#27University of Cambridge3rd rank
University of British Columbia#46Imperial College London7th rank
Universite de Montreal#111University College London8th rank
University of Alberta#126The University of Edinburgh16th rank
University of Waterloo#149The University of Manchester27th rank
  King’s College London35th rank

UK vs Canada Job market

UK vs Canada Job market scenario is a bit different. The typical person in the United Kingdom works 42.5 hours each week. Working more than 48 hours in a 17-week period is prohibited by law. People in the UK work some of the longest hours in the world, according to Shadow Chancellor John McDowell (Labour Party) claimed that individuals in the United Kingdom work some of the longest hours in Europe, and pledged in his most recent speech to cut the full-time workday to 32 hours in the next ten years. However, this is still a long way off, and it is unclear whether it will be implemented.

The average Canadian worker works 35.8 hours per week, according to Statistica. Employees can work a maximum of eight hours per day and 40 hours per week, according to Canadian federal law. An employee can work a maximum of 48 hours per week; however, hours done in excess of this will be paid at 1.5 times the regular hourly rate as overtime.

Benefits of Working in the U.K. in 2021
Employer InsuranceJobseekers Allowance (JSA) up to 24 years old = up to £59.20 and 25 years or older = up to £74.70 weeklyUniversal Credit if you’re on a low income or out of workPension Credit – housing benefits (rent), Support for Mortgage Interest (own), Council Tax reduction, free TV licence, help with NHS dental treatment, glasses and transport costs for hospital, heating costs for those over 75 years old.
Sickness benefitsYou get £96.35 per week Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) if you’re too ill to work for up to 28 weeks.
Maternity and Parental BenefitsStatutory maternity leave is 52 weeks (paid up to 39 weeks at 90% of average weekly earnings for first 6 weeks and £151.97 or 90% of your average weekly earnings (whichever is lower) for the next 33 weeks) – Ordinary Maternity Leave – first 26 weeksAdditional Maternity Leave – last 26 weeks. It is compulsory to take at least 2 weeksShared parental leave – £151.97 a week or 90% of your average weekly earnings, whichever is lower
Annual Leave BenefitsMost people who work a 5-day week must receive at least 28 days’ paid annual leave a year or 5.6 weeks paid holiday a year


Benefits of Working in Canada in 2021
Employer InsuranceLoss of job through no fault of their own eg. shortage of work, mass lay-offs, available for but can’t find work
Sickness benefitsUp to 15 weeks of financial assistance if you can’t work for medical reasons (55% of earning up to a maximum of $595 per week)
Maternity and Parental BenefitsStandard Parental Benefit – Up to 40 weeks but 1 parent can’t get more than 35 weeks of standard benefits (55% of earning up to a maximum of $595 per week)Extended Parental Benefit – Up to 69 weeks but 1 parent can’t get more than 61 weeks of extended benefits (33% of earning up to a maximum of $357 per week)
Caregiving BenefitsFamily Caregiver Benefit for Children – Up to 35 weeksFamily Caregiver Benefit for Adults – Up to 15 weeksCompassionate Care Benefits – Up to 26 weeks
Annual Leave BenefitsThis depends on the length of employment. For example, If you have worked for a company for less than five years you can legally take two weeks of paid vacation. This will eventually increase to three weeks once you have worked at a company for five years.

Uk vs Canada: Which is better for Permanent residency?

If you’re thinking about permanent residency but you are confused between UK and Canada then look at the following list:

UK

Indefinite Leave to Remain is another name for obtaining Permanent Residence (PR) in the United Kingdom (UK) (ILR). This allows a person to live and work permanently in the UK.

A person can apply for permanent residency in the UK in a variety of ways:

  • 5 years or more in the UK
    • You can apply for permanent residency if you have resided in the UK for at least 5 years.
  • A UK citizen or permanent resident’s family member
    • You may also be eligible for PR if you are the spouse, parent, or dependant relative of a British citizen or permanent resident.
  • Work Visa
    • If you’ve had a Tier 2 (General) work visa for five years, you can apply for permanent residency. Your employer will also be required to sponsor you.

Canada 

In Canada, obtaining a PR is relatively simple. The huge country is thinly populated, and skilled people are in limited supply. As a result, Canada is quite supportive of their PR programme, which is often for overseas students who are already working under a post-graduation work permit. People who have previously completed their post-graduate studies in another country can also seek for permanent residency.

UK vs Canada for Masters

UK and Canada Canada are popular destination for undergraduate and graduate studies.The UK and Canada are one of the most popular study locations, attracting foreign students from all over the world due to its flexible study and work schedules, immigration rules, and high-quality education.

Programs such as Express Entry make it even easier for students to come to Canada. Local degrees and experience, on the other hand, make settling in and finding job in Canada much easier.

Following are the top courses in the UK vs Canada:

Popular Courses in UKPopular Courses in Canada
NursingAgricultural science & forestry
PsychologyBusiness management
LawBioscience, health, and medicine
Computer ScienceIT and computer science
Design studiesFinance
Preclinical medicineEngineering
Subjects allied to medicineGeosciences
Business and administration studiesHospitality management
Business managementMedia & Journalism
Sports and Exercise ScienceHuman Resources
Bioscience, health, and medicine

Scholarships to study in UK and Canada

The UK and Canada are growing hub for international students, with an educational system based on cross-disciplinary studies and great facilities.Universities are highly regarded for their unique programmes and low tuition fees. They offer a variety of scholarships to overseas students studying in the United Kingdom and Canada. The Government of Canada and many post-secondary schools provide students with various sorts of scholarship awards, grants, or bursaries to help them pay for their studies. This draws a big number of Indian students who seek higher education and a better quality of life by studying abroad in the United Kingdom and Canada. Continue reading to learn more about the prominent Indian Student Scholarships in the United Kingdom and Canada.

UKGrant GBP/yearCanadaGrant
The University of Edinburgh 19,000 – 42,000 GBP/year
Banting Postdoctoral Fellowship
₹42,45,756.90
University of Leeds9,250 – 21,000 GBP/yearIDRC Research AwardsTravel and research support of up to ₹9,09,805.05
Kent Business School16,800 – 46,000 GBP/yearVanier Graduate Scholarships₹30,32,574.67
College of Science and Engineeringaround 14,050 – 15,000 Partnership Grants by Social Science and Humanities Research Council in Canada₹12,12,785.20
Cass Business School40,000 – 45,000 GBP/yearCanadian Studies Post-Doctoral Fellowship₹1,51,598.15/month & airfare up to ₹6,06,392.60

FAQs

✅ Is Canada or UK study better?

Ans: The United Kingdom boasts some of the greatest universities in the world and is ramping up its game to help international students after graduation, whereas Canada has lower total study and living costs and has historically given international students with flexible post-study career possibilities.

✅ Is a UK Masters degree recognized in Canada?

Ans: Masters degrees earned exclusively through coursework would be recognised as Masters degrees (as do similar Canadian Masters degrees), but not as sufficient for pursuing a PhD. A doctorate from the United Kingdom would be recognised in Canada.

✅ Is Canada or UK cheaper to study?

Ans: International students in Canada pay roughly £5,855 per year in tuition, which is significantly less than in the United Kingdom. A meal plan may be included in your accommodation plan at a Canadian institution. In general, studying in Canada is less expensive than in the United Kingdom.

✅ Which country is best for job UK or Canada?

Ans: Opportunities for better jobs and immigration. Both the United Kingdom and Canada have excellent job prospects, but Canada has considerably more for foreign employees.

✅ Does UK give PR to students?

Ans: Permanent residence in the United Kingdom is achievable for Indian and other overseas students who meet all of the aforementioned criteria. It is an excellent opportunity for overseas students to make a permanent change in their lives. Study in the United Kingdom and earn a permanent residence card.

About the Author & Expert

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Vishesh Chogtu

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