Now Canada ends Student Direct Stream Program, affecting thousands of International students; Watch Video
By Baljit Balli
Chandigarh/ Ottawa, November 09, 2024: In a major policy shift, Canada has terminated the Student Direct Stream (SDS) with immediate effect as of November 8, 2024, a move that impacts thousands of international students. Launched in 2018, the SDS was designed to streamline the study permit process for applicants from 14 countries, including India, China, Pakistan, and the Philippines, who met specific criteria. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has also shut down the Nigeria Student Express (NSE) program, requiring Nigerian applicants to use the standard study permit application route.
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The SDS program, popular among international students, provided faster permit approvals—often within weeks—compared to the standard process, which now takes an average of eight weeks for applicants from countries like India. To qualify for SDS, applicants had to demonstrate a Canadian Guaranteed Investment Certificate (GIC) of $20,635 CAD and submit English or French language test scores.
The end of the SDS comes amid broader efforts by the Canadian government to regulate the number of temporary residents, including international students and workers, in response to pressures on housing and public services. In 2024, Canada introduced a cap of 437,000 new study permits for 2025 across all levels of education, including graduate programs. Other recent policy changes include stricter language and academic criteria for those seeking a Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP), limits on work permits for spouses of international students, and increased financial requirements to prove funds.
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These changes reflect Canada’s efforts to manage its record-high international student numbers, which reached 807,000 study permit holders in 2023, as the government grapples with housing shortages and rising public service demands.
The SDS program historically offered higher approval rates and significantly faster processing times than the standard study permit application process. With its termination, students who intended to apply through SDS should now prepare for extended processing times.
Standard study permit processing times differ by country. For instance, as of November 8, applications submitted from India now have an average processing time of around 8 weeks.
( With Inputs from Parvasi Canada)
Link of the press release issued by Government of Canada: https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/news/notices/end-student-direct-stream-nigeria-student-express.html