How the Program Works
A Student GIC is a financial product accepted by Canadian immigration authorities as proof of funds for a student visa application. Indian students enrolling for higher education in Canada can register using Unlimit Mobile's referral link, which leads them to ICICI Bank Canada's SPP (Student Partners Program) online portal. During the application process, students would have the option to select if they have been referred by a consultant/agent. By answering 'yes' and providing the tracking codes, the referral can be traced and the award allotted.
Once the student provides their documents and submits the application, ICICI Bank Canada provides the account number and remittance instructions instantly. Most provinces require a remittance amount of CAD 23,120, according to the student GIC guidelines, although this may vary province wise. Following the KYC completion the bank permits a funding of up to CAD 50,000.
A payment may be made from either the student's bank account in India or their parent/spouse's bank account. The payment may be divided into a maximum of two transactions.
It generally takes 2 to 4 days for funds to reflect in the student's ICICI Bank account, post which the ICICI Bank Canada Certificate is provided in another day.
The mandatory KYC can be done with documents such as Aadhar card, PAN card, driving licence, voter ID, birth certificate and recent utility bills/bank statement not older than two months as long as these have been issued under the students name and the address/ DOB match is provided to the bank.
The RBC Phase and Arrival Actions
The second phase commences upon arrival in Canada. The student may activate their account online via the ICICI Bank Canada SPP app/website using their account number, passport number and date of birth provided during the ICICI application process and then open an RBC Royal Bank account by using the provided Referral Document from the previously mentioned stages. Post this, all GIC installments would be directly transferred and credited to the student's RBC bank account.
Students opening an RBC student account are provided a student credit card with a credit limit of CAD 2,000, no prior Canadian credit history required, and no annual fee, alongside 2% cashback on groceries and 1% cashback on other eligible transactions. Students also get a nationwide network of over 1,200 branches and 4,200 ATMS. Students can opt to have their GIC money transferred into their RBC bank account in a single tranche or installments based on their setup of the ICICI GIC. Following 12 months, the ICICI Bank Canada account will continue as a no-fee remittance account for ongoing India-Canada bank transfers, as provided in Unlimit Mobile's partners page.
The Connectivity Incentive
The reward component of the partnership where Unlimit Mobile holds brand identity: CAD 120 is given as redeemable Unlimit Mobile credits (coins) to the Unlimit Mobile wallet upon opening, funding and verification of the student's GIC account. These credits are non-redeemable and can only be used against Unlimit Mobile's phone bills (up to 50% off the monthly bill amount); for example, students with a CAD 40 monthly bill will have CAD 30 from the coin balance applied, using up to 50% of the bill amount and paying the remaining CAD 20 by cash or card, leaving CAD 10 of credits for future use.
The referral benefit is applicable for applicants from India, China, The Philippines, Vietnam, Morocco, Senegal and Nepal. The Indian student market represents one of the top origin countries in Canada's GIC program.
Zetexa's standpoint
Zetexa Global, through its brands Unlimit Mobile, ZetSIM (B2B, white label and API based B2B eSIM platform) and its various airport ancillary services like Meet & Greet, Fast Track and Business lounge access now extends their reach beyond travel planning and into the pre-departure, student-centric application journey. This partnership comes as the outcome of a noticeable shift where ancillary services providers are beginning to bundle services such as SIM connectivity, remittance and travel document management alongside visa consultation rather than offering these separately.
"While the GIC and visa application are only the first milestone for most students from India, maintaining connectivity and secure banking facilities upon arrival are a primary concern for them. By integrating Unlimit Mobile into the onboarding and banking processes with ICICI Bank Canada and RBC Royal Bank, we are assisting students even before they complete the formalities of leaving India," commented Amit Agarwal, Founder & CEO, Zetexa Global.
"This partnership is a natural extension of our approach to travel ancillary services, where banking, connectivity and on-ground support should not be independent decisions. We are excited to be part of the ICICI Bank Canada and RBC ecosystem for outbound students," said Amit Agarwal, Founder & CEO, and Srujan Yeleti, Founder & COO, of Zetexa Global.
ICICI Bank Canada also provides a digital refund service through the SPP portal if a visa application is rejected after the GIC has been funded, as stated in the program's published terms.
About Zetexa Global
Zetexa Global is an India based travel auxiliary company that owns international eSIM brands such as ZetSIM and Unlimit Mobile and provides white label and API based solutions for the telecom and banking industry through their B2B eSIM platform and airport ancillary services such as Meet & Greet, Fast Track and Business lounge access.
