I was asked a similar question a while ago, and am reproducing that answer here.The process is fairly similar to how one would apply to almost any college outside India.But, one step I would like to add before you apply is - Answer the question u201cWhy do I want to do an MS, that too in Canada?u201d . This is a profound question that will define how your life goes :) Are you planning an MS because you want to? Do you want to do it because you just want to move to Canada/USA?Once you have figured that out move to the next step - What do I want to study? In India your options will not be as flexible as abroad. You will study a whole host of subjects. You need to figure out where your interests lie and which field you would like to specialize in. This is EXTREMELY important. How to Choose a Masters Program and How To Choose The Right Graduate School Program can give you some basic idea.Some other factors that will influence your choice of school in Canada are -Location - Places like Manitoba, Alberta tend to be very cold in winter for a longer spell of time. Vancouver and the west coast has more of a wet weather. Ontario and southern places have winters where a few weeks get extremely cold but not all the time.Cost of living - Vancouver is VERY expensive (it is among the top 5 best cities in the world). Toronto and Montreal can be expensive to live in but eating out etc tends to be cheaper due to the heavy population. Ottawa is a beautiful city. Not very crowded. Culturally rich. A little expensive for eating out, buying stuff, but has one of the best public transport systems in north america.Indian population - Personally I wanted to avoid places with heavy Indian diaspora. I wanted to experience different cultures. No point travelling halfway around the world just to be with our own people all over again. Canada in general has a heavy Sikh population. Places like Vancouver and its suburbs, Toronto and suburbs, Edmonton have loads of Indians. u201cBramptonu201d near toronto is nicknamed u201cBrown Townu201d. It is literally an Indian city on its own. Montreal has more Sri Lankans. Ottawa has a comparatively light Indian population. On the contrary there is a very healthy cross-culture influence here. You will find people from many countries in Ottawa. So choose a place that fits your need.In order to apply to Canadian/US universities, the ideal time is about two years before admissions. One year to sort out your GRE and TOEFL/IELTS exams and one year for your actual application process. I would advice you to finish your toefl/gre exams before the third year of undergrad. By September of your final year, you need to start filling out and sending applications.The predominant (but, by no means the only) factors that influence the choices mad by prospective Graduate students from India are - Job prospects, fees, location (density of Indian population), possible immigration after studying.Though in my opinion, the driving forces should be - Validity and relevance of the course, reputation of the University of that subject, current work scenario of alumni, racial assimilation of that country and the time you can spend on your masters.A prudent idea would be to see which university has a bigger grant for the field you want to work in. Universite d'Ottawa | University of Ottawa (where I studied) plans to become the biggest centre for Photonics and optics in the world and has received massive funding for this and hence better scholarships too. University of Ottawa aims to become u2018photonics world capitalu2019According to Denis Cossette, Associate Vice-President, Resources, the universityu2019s Board of Governors has approved a $47 million initial investment. The Canadian Foundation for Innovation (CFI), a federal government institution, is contributing another $10 million. As the project progresses, total investment could reach up to $70 million.Look at WHAT you want to study. Check out the research in those fields. See what interests you.Then look at thesis and non-thesis based options. One has more research and the other has more course-workTry to check where their alumni are working now. That will tell you what impact the university is making in General.Consider finances too. Check out the fees and the availability of financial aid.Ask them to pryou with a statistic of number of applicants and number of admits. That will also give you better insight.Talk to more people and ask them about their opinions and reasons for those opinions as well.Discuss with professors in your college. They should have a general idea about who is doing what in which part of the globeAn pragmatic timeline would be -Assuming you are looking for the Fall intake (lets take 2024 as an example). You should be done with all your exams by at least November of the previous year (2024). By February of 2024 you should already have started looking at universities and courses. The rule of thumb is to choose universities in three categories -Safe options - These are universities where you have a very good chance of getting into. Look at the average admission profiles of previous students and use various forums to figure this out.Decent options - These are universities that you might get into or might not. The admission standards might depend on your course and other factors. You should definitely try for them though.Ambitious - As the name suggests, you will find it tough to get into these. Not impossible, but tough.By august, have your list of univs ready. Maybe 2 of each, But that is your wish.You need to select universitiesOn an average, the top 10 universities for Masters (engineering stream) in Canada are -University of TorontoMcGill University, MontrealUniversity of British Columbia, VancouverUniversity of Alberta, EdmontonUniversity of WaterlooQueens University, KingstonUniversity of OttawaUniversity of MontrealMcMaster University, EdmontonUniversity of Western Ontario, London, OntarioThings you will need for your admissions package to Canadian Universities -Transcripts from your university up until the latest examination. These need to be sealed and stamped in a university envelope.Course completion certificate if availableLetters of recommendation from 3 or 4 professors/employers/project guides etc. Basically they need to outline different aspects of your work ethics, your personality traits etc, If your college professors have an official college email id, then they can submit the LOR through those also. Personal emails such as gmail, yahoo (who even uses yahoo?!) etc are not advisableStatement of Purpose. Some universities will ask your to upload your SOP online with your applicationBy September, start applying online. Try not to delay beyond December as generally TA, RA and other tuition aids are decided early. Even if you have an amazing profile, applying late can hamper your chances of getting financial aid.Once you have started getting your admits, it will be time to apply for your visa.Study in Canada , Application to Study in Canada, Study Permits , Determine your eligibility - Study in Canada , How to Get a Canadian Student Visa are various sources that can help.You need to pra medical examination for your visa. Choose a designated hospital from your city and pryour test asap.A Canadian Visa is straight forward. You do not need to attend an interview unless they ask you to. There is no I20 or anything of that sort. The system has changed a little off late so access the links above to get a detailed idea.What to do While your visa is under process -Find the Facebook groups for the Indian student association of your university, They will help pick you up from the airport and set up temporary accommodation etc and help you get settled initially.Network with people from your city who might be travelling to your university and try to see if they have any information on cheap flights.A common mistake people do is to land in the city almost a month in advance. A lot of your seniors will ask you to come early in order to get used to the city, but it is just waste of one monthu2019s rent and expenses. Go about a week before classes start. You can get all your stuff done in that one week. Book tickets accordingly. Find Cheap Flights & Airline Tickets | KAYAK can get you good last minute prices. Also, makemytrip has the best flights to India from abroad.Go shopping but with a straight head. Please do NOT fill all your suitcases (2 x 23kgs or 3 x 23kgs in some cases) completely with items! I donu2019t understand why every Indian student does this!Buy decent amount of tee shirts, tops, jeans (spend money on good quality. Else the winter will make your jeans tear easily), socks and underwear (lots. As you will wash clothes once in 2 weeks or more).Do not buy all your thermals and jackets here in India. Get a decent jacket that will be good for 15 degrees celcius. Get your thermals and winter jacket in Canada as the quality will be very good and they will be very light. jackets in India are heavy no matter how good a brand they might be from.Donu2019t load up on textbooks, notebooks, stationary etc. You will hardly use any notebooks and the libraries are amazing here. You will get all the textbooks you need. Stationary is hardly used. All assignments etc are done online.Items that you should get are things like hair oil (you will need it in winters as hair gets damaged), any specific soap you need, medicines (they are expensive here and you wont get anything beyond a paracetemol and basic meds, without prescription from doctor). Get pain killers etc if you need to, combs, talcum powder (if you need it.), a good umbrella (the local variety can be flimsy). These are items you wont get easily in all the shopsSplit your utensil with your future room-mate. While in India, decide who will get what. Remember that all the stoves in Canada are induction. so get flat bottomed utensils. Also you can easily get them from garage sales etc as people usually sell their items when they leave their houses. They hardly ever carry anything from house to house. You can get cheap furniture, cutlery, etc.Please dont load your bags with pillows and blankets! Buy them in Canada.Woodlands has good snow shoes for as less as 2024 INR. Get those if you want. Get one pair of sneakers/summer shoes and one pair of house slippers.Not all mobile phones from Asia will work in Canada. Check with a senior.This is surprising but a HUGE number of students (both genders) dont know how to cook. I cant believe that they have never stepped into the kitchen ever! Anyway, learn to cook fast. Especially if you are picky about what you eat.Thats about it for now! The basics of how to apply for your MS in Canada. Keep in touch with seniors and network well with them.Also once you arrive please mingle with people other than Indians. Even if you do feel better with your own countrymen, try to be with everyone rather than just people from your state. I feel sad when I see Gujjus , Punjus, Mallus, Tamils, UP folk, Biharis all sitting in separate groups in the cafeteria. It is not enough to get out of your surrounding physically, you need to do it mentally too!Canada is a beautiful place and Canadians are among the most welcoming people on the planet!For more information on Studying and Living in Canada, you can check out this blog with the links to commonly asked questions - Studying and Living in Canada