Canada’s Student Direct Stream or SDS is an expedited student permit application stream for post secondary international students from selected key countries that was launched in 2018. SDS applications can take as fast as 20 calendar days. When it premiered, it only had 3 countries: China, India, Vietnam and the Philippines, and a year after, on 2019, 3 more countries were added: Pakistan, Morocco and Senegal.
On July 9, 2021, IRCC (Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada announced 7 new countries eligible for the student direct stream. These countries are:
- Antigua and Barbuda
- Brazil
- Colombia
- Costa Rica
- Peru
- Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
- Trinidad and Tobago
These 14 SDS key countries need these eligibility criteria to apply:
- have an acceptance letter from a post-secondary designated learning institution
- live outside of Canada when you apply
- have proof you have paid your tuition for your first year of study
- have a Guaranteed Investment Certificate (GIC) of CAN$10,000
- have a Certificat d’acceptation du Québec (CAQ) from the Ministère de l’Immigration, de la Francisation et de l’Intégration
- This is only if you’re planning to study in Quebec
- get a medical exam before you apply (if you need one)
- get a police certificate before you apply (if you need one)
- have your most recent secondary or post-secondary school transcript(s)
- have a language test result that shows either:
- an International English Language Testing System (IELTS) academic or general training score of 6.0 or higher in each skill (reading, writing, speaking and listening), or
- a Test d’évaluation de français (TEF) score that is equal to a Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) score of at least 7 in each skill (reading, writing, speaking and listening)
Extending the SDS to more countries is all part of Canada’s International Education Strategy. Easing study permit application to highest contributing countries of international students potentially attracts a greater number of applicants.
“International education is an essential pillar of Canada’s long-term competitiveness. Canadians who study abroad gain exposure to new cultures and ideas, stimulating innovation and developing important cross-cultural competencies. Students from abroad who study in Canada bring those same benefits to our shores. If they choose to immigrate to Canada, they contribute to Canada’s economic success. Those who choose to return to their countries become life-long ambassadors for Canada and for Canadian values.” – The Honourable James Gordon Carr
Minister of International Trade Diversification