The Student Direct Stream (SDS) program was a fast-track visa system for students from 14 countries, including India. Canada has discontinued it with immediate effect.
Canada has given a big blow to foreign students by deciding to immediately close its popular Student Direct Stream (SDS) program. According to a notification by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), the purpose of this decision is to “provide equal and fair opportunities to all students in the application process. Also to provide a positive educational environment.” After the closure of this Student Direct Stream (SDS) program, now all study permit applications will be submitted under the normal process.
What was this program, why is this a setback for foreign students who wish to study in Canada and how will it affect Indian students? Let’s understand…
What is the Student Direct Stream Program
The Student Direct Stream (SDS) program was launched in the year 2018 by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), with the aim of simplifying the visa application process for students who met certain conditions from 14 countries. These included China, India, Brazil, China, Colombia, Costa Rica, Morocco, Pakistan, Peru, Vietnam and the Philippines. Under this program, if students from these 14 countries met the language requirements and financial requirements and had an acceptance letter from a Canadian college or university, their visa examination was simplified. According to a report by HT, the acceptance rate of applications submitted under the SDS program was 95 percent and the visa processing took only four weeks, which was half the time required for a regular study permit.
Under this scheme, if the applicant submitted biometrics and fulfilled all the eligible conditions, the application was processed within 20 days.
Why did Canada stop the SDS program
The biggest reason for canceling the SDS is to limit the number of foreign students. For the last few years, Canada has been trying to control the number of foreign students in view of the lack of resources and accommodation. In the amendment made in the policy this year, the government has put a cap on the number of foreign students for 2025. A total of 437,000 permits have been targeted, which include all types of studies and courses. Which also includes postgraduate degrees. Apart from this, some additional strict rules have also been made. Such as strict academic and language criteria for Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP), fewer work permits for spouses of international students, etc. Last year i.e. in 2023, there were a record 807,000 study visa holders.
How will it affect foreign students
With the closure of the Student Direct Stream (SDS) scheme, the dream of foreign students to study in Canada may be shattered. Now the visa process will become longer. Probably the visa will not be available easily. Apart from this, the number of students has also been limited. In such a situation there will be more competition.
What will be the impact on Indian students
Since Indian students were also included in the SDS program, they will now have to go through long visa processes. In recent years, the SDS program has emerged as a great help to Indian students for study permit in Canada. In 2022, 80 percent of Indian candidates used the SDS scheme, which was a significant increase compared to previous years. Between January and March 2023, about four out of five Indian students applied through SDS. Another point to note is that the acceptance rate of SDS applicants was 76 percent while only 8 percent of the students who applied through the general channel got the permit.
SDS proved to be a boon for Indian students during the pandemic. The acceptance rate of SDS applications in 2021 and 2022 was three times higher than that of non-SDS applicants (63 percent by the end of 2022, while it was 19 percent for non-SDS applicants). This continued till 2023. In 2023, the acceptance rate of SDS applicants reached 73 percent, as opposed to the 10 percent acceptance rate of non-SDS applicants. In such a situation, it will now be a tough task for Indian students to obtain a Canadian study permit or study visa.
Multiple-visa entry also abolished
According to the new rules, now the immigration officers will be able to decide whether the visa should be given for single entry or multiple entry and what should be the period of its validity. While issuing the visa, various factors can be considered such as the purpose of travel, profession, financial stability, health of the visitor and others. Apart from this, now it will also be strictly considered which country the applicant is a citizen of. Earlier, multiple-entry visas allowed the holder to enter Canada from any country during the validity period of the visa. Its maximum validity is up to 10 years or until the expiry of the travel document or biometrics. Overall, the closure of Student Direct Stream (SDS) and the abolition of multiple visa entry is going to increase the problems of Indian students or citizens.
