Canada has closed the “Student Direct Stream (SDS) - a faster Visa application process - that helped international students secure visas quickly.
According to a statement issued by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada on Friday (November 8, 2024), the authority has taked the step to provide fair and equal access to all foreign students to the application process for study permits.
While the Student Direct Stream (SDS) was launched in 2018 to provide faster processing for eligible post-secondary students, citizens of Antigua and Barbuda, Brazil, China, Colombia, Costa Rica, India, Morocco, Pakistan, Peru, Philippines, Senegal, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago, and Vietnam could access this Visa programme.
The government of Canada, on its website, said that the initiative is being discontinued to "strengthen program integrity, address student vulnerability, and give all students equal and fair access to the application process".
While applications received till 2 pm ET on November 8 under the scheme will be processed, all applications after this will be processed under the regular study permit stream.
It should be mentioned that after the discontinuation of this program, students from India and 13 other countries will have to undergo more lengthy visa processes.
What is Student Direct Stream?
The Student Direct Stream, abbreviated as SDS, refers to an expedited study permit process offered by Immigration and Citizenship (IC) for international students meeting certain eligibility requirements. This means that as an international student, one can get their study permit processed faster if they prepay your UBC tuition.