CANADA

VS

GERMANY
COUNTRY COMPARISON GUIDE

AN EXCLUSIVE GUIDE BY

01
 ELIGIBILITY/
CANADA REQUIREMENT
VS

GERMANY
Get help with choosing your study abroad destination
basis cost of living, visa, course eligibility, work
opportunities etc. Here is a comparison between two
popular countries with Indian students: Canada and
Australia.

COUNTRY COMPARISON GUIDE Canada VS Germany 02

POPULAR COURSES
CANADA
Business Management, Media, Engineering, Nursing, Computer Science and Hospitality.

GERMANY
Computer Science Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Civil Engineering, Electrical Engineering,
Mechanical Engineering, Physics, Life Sciences.

ELIGIBILITY/
REQUIREMENTS
CANADA
For undergraduate (UG) courses, you need to have completed 12 years of
schooling. To get admission, you need to appear for the SAT exam. The duration
for degree courses is four years, and that of a diploma is two to three years.
In postgraduate (PG) courses, getting admission in vocational courses is easier as
the admission criteria are a lot more relaxed. To get admission for management
degrees you will have to appear for GMAT, and for engineering degrees you need
to give the GRE exam.
The concept of cutoffs doesn’t apply to Canadian colleges. Colleges provide
average scores accepted to different courses on their websites. That will give some
idea about what’s considered a good score. You will also need to appear for
language exams like TOEFL or IELTS, irrespective of the degree. There are some
colleges that may not require language test for Indian students, but it is advisable
you still give either TOEFL or IELTS as they are important for the purpose of
getting a visa. If the visa interviewer is not sure of your spoken skills, they may not
grant you the visa.

GERMANY
Universities in Germany are often funded by the state but not necessarily regulated
by it. So every university decides its own eligibility criteria and cut-off. Hence, it is

COUNTRY COMPARISON GUIDE Canada VS Germany 03

advisable to check the university website for the specific program’s eligibility
criteria.
To pursue undergraduate courses in Germany you should have completed your
12th class and either one of the below -
• Cleared JEE Advanced
• Completed one year of bachelor degree education from a recognized
university in India
• Cleared the Feststellungsprüfung – the entrance exam for different universities
you would take to signify effective completion of Studienkolleg.
High level of competition at the application stage results in universities asking for
as high as 90% in your secondary school examinations. However, in case you have
cleared your JEE Advanced, the cut off is 50%.
For a postgraduate program in Germany, you would need a German equivalent of
a bachelor’s degree in the relevant subjects. Apart from this basic requirement, the
universities might also require you to have scored well in GMAT or GRE. For
international students, IELTS or TOEFL, along with working knowledge of German
language are required. For German taught programs, high level of proficiency in
the language is required and you will be required to take either TestDAF or DSH.

COST OF LIVING
The overall cost to study and living in the Canada and Australia is dependent on many factors
like, university, course, and location.

Cost for undergraduate courses

Particulars Undergraduate course in Undergraduate course in
Canada Germany
Tuition $10,000 - $30,000 per year €150 (public uni) - €20,000
(private uni) per year
Room and Living $10,000–$12,000 per year €8,640 per year
expenses
Duration of course 4 years 3-4 years
Total $20,000-$42,000 per year €8,790 - €28,640 per year

COUNTRY COMPARISON GUIDE Canada VS Germany 04

Costs for postgraduate courses
Particulars Postgraduate course in Postgraduate course in
Canada Germany
Tuition $15,000 - $35,000 per year €2,000 (public uni) - €30,000
(private uni) per year
Room and Living $10,000–$12,000 per year €8,640 per year
expenses
Duration of course 1-2 years 1-2 years
Total $25,000 - $47,000 per year €10,640 - €38,640 per year

VISA PROCESS
CANADA
The Canadian student visa has the following regulations -
• You will have to apply for the post-graduation work permit within 90 days of
finishing your studies.
• The visa application process to Canada requires a compulsory medical test for
Indian applicants.
• Spouses can also work full time if his/her stay is for a year or more.
• It costs $150 to apply for this visa.
• You cannot work more than 20 hours per week. During holidays, breaks and
summer sessions, the student may work up to 40 hours per week.

Germany
For a German student Visa, these rules apply -
• To stay in Germany for more than 90 days as a student, you are required to
get a residence permit.
• You are required to show funds worth €8,640 per year as proof of funds
required for cost of living.
• A residence permit issued to students is valid for a maximum of two years. It
needs to be renewed if the duration of the course is longer than the stated two
years.
• Students can work 180 days halftime or 90 days full time in an academic year.
Presently, Germany is the only country where a student can pursue a part-time
technical job in the related industry. Some universities also offer part-time jobs
on campus called Hi/wi.

COUNTRY COMPARISON GUIDE Canada VS Germany 05

POST STUDY
WORK PERMIT
CANADA
The Canadian Post Graduation Work Visa allows students graduating from any
post-secondary institute to work post studying for up time period depending on
the duration of their course to a maximum of three years. Under this work permit,
the student can work in any field or industry.

GERMANY
International students are required to apply for a Residence Permit after
completion of their education from a German University. The Immigration Laws
permit the students who have completed their degree to apply for a Residence
Permit of 18 months duration to look for a job related their qualification. This
permit is not combined with the Student Visa for Germany and you need to apply
for it separately at the foreign nationals’ registration office.
In case you have a job offer that is relevant to your stream of education even
before you complete your education, you can directly apply for a Residence Permit
or an EU Blue Card.

COUNTRY COMPARISON GUIDE Canada VS Germany 06

EMPLOYMENT
OPPORTUNITIES
CANADA
Jobs like nurse practitioner, program analyst, teacher, pharmacist, financial
manager, construction manager etc. are some of the most sought after positions
in Canada.

GERMANY
Jobs in fields like the health sector, mechanical & automotive, electrical and
electronics industry, building & construction, information technology &
telecommunications etc. are some of the top jobs in Germany.

PERMANENT
RESIDENCY
OPPORTUNITIES
CANADA
During this period of Post-Graduation Work permit, you can apply for Permanent
Residency under the Canadian Experience Class. Since the country is sparsely
populated, there is a shortage of highly skilled employee. Compared to most
other countries, getting PR in Canada is very easy.

GERMANY
If you have been living in Germany for five years on a German residence permit,
you can apply for a German permanent visa. There are exemptions for shorter
stay time requirements. After eight years if living there, you become eligible to
apply for German citizenship. In case you marry a German citizen, you can apply
for German citizenship immediately.

COUNTRY COMPARISON GUIDE Canada VS Germany 07

SCHOLARSHIPS
Canada scholarships Germany scholarships
International Research Development-Related Postgraduate Courses (EPOS)
Linkages funded by Semester Scholarships for Students of Indian Institutes
Foreign Affairs and of Management (IIM)
International Trade
Canada IIT Master Sandwich Scholarships
Vanier Canada Helmut-Schmidt-Programme (Master’s Scholarships for
Graduate Scholarships Public Policy and Good Governance - PPGG)
funded by Government Study Scholarships for Foreign Graduates in the Field of
of Canada Architecture
Canada Asia-Pacific Practical Traineeships for Foreign Students of Natural
Awards (CAPA) and Technical Sciences, Agriculture and Forestry
Banting Postdoctoral (IAESTE)
Fellowship is funded by Working Internships in Science and Engineering (WISE)
Government of Canada
Bayer Science & Education Foundation: Otto Bayer
Sauvé Scholars Scholarships
Program by the Jeanne Friedrich Ebert Foundation: Scholarship for International
Sauvé Youth Students
Foundation
Friedrich Ebert Foundation: Scholarship for International
Doctoral Students

CLIMATE
CANADA
Weather in Canada varies widely depending on where you are. Canada stretches
from the Pacific to the Atlantic Ocean, covering five time zones. In Toronto, winter
is milder than most Canadian cities, yet still cold and snowy. Montreal Weather in
winter is cold and snowy. Usually, the country experiences pleasantly cool
summers.

GERMANY
German summers are hot and the winters are cold and snowy, but rains are
unpredictable and common during all seasons. The average winter temperature is
3°C and in summers it is 22°C. Maximum temperatures commonly reach -10°C in
winter and 35°C in the summer months. The country is divided into 16 states and
has an exceedingly varied landscape, so it is difficult to generalise the weather for
the whole country.

COUNTRY COMPARISON GUIDE Canada VS Germany 08