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The Full Timeline: Passport to Canadian Campus in 90 Days

Harpreet had 90 days from her passport renewal to her first day at Conestoga College in Waterloo. Here is the day-by-day plan she followed to make it work.

By NRI Route·15 February 2026·6 min read
Indian woman at airport with backpack heading to Canada

Harpreet — 90 days from fresh passport to Conestoga orientation

Harpreet Dhaliwal had been planning to study in Canada for over a year but kept delaying. When she finally decided to go, it was February and the September intake was seven months away — or so she thought. Her passport had expired. A local agent told her it would take 60 days to renew. It took 18.

With 90 days suddenly available before the ideal landing date, she switched into planning mode. Here is the exact timeline she followed.

The 90-Day Timeline

  1. Days 1–3: Research Conestoga's Business Operations program intake dates and confirm September start. Email admissions to confirm seat availability.
  2. Days 4–7: Gather all academic documents (marksheets, degree certificate). Get attested copies made.
  3. Days 4–10: IELTS result already in hand (7.0, taken 2 months earlier). If not, this step would have added 6–8 weeks.
  4. Days 8–12: Submit application to Conestoga directly through their portal. Pay application fee: CAD 95.
  5. Days 14–19: Receive conditional Letter of Acceptance. Pay tuition deposit: CAD 3,500. Receive final Letter of Acceptance (LoA).
  6. Days 20–22: Open GIC account. Transfer CAD 10,000.
  7. Days 23–28: Create IRCC account. Begin study permit application. Compile all documents.
  8. Day 29: Submit study permit application online with all documents.
  9. Days 30–58: Biometrics appointment booked and completed (Day 36).
  10. Day 61: Study permit approved.
  11. Days 62–80: Book flights, arrange accommodation (Conestoga student housing portal), buy OSHC, arrange airport pickup.
  12. Day 87: Depart India. Land in Toronto. Transit to Waterloo.
  13. Day 90: First day of orientation at Conestoga College, Waterloo.
Indian students on a university campus in North America
Waterloo — tech hub, student housing portal, and a tight timeline met

The 90 days felt impossible until I wrote it as a list. Then it became a sequence of tasks. You do task 1, then task 2. You don't look at the end goal. You look at what's next.

— Harpreet Dhaliwal
A Canada student visa from start to landing is achievable in 90 days — if your IELTS is already done and you execute the steps without gaps.
CanadaWaterlootimelineConestoga90 days
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