In a recent move affecting international students aiming to study in Canada, the Canadian government has announced the immediate discontinuation of the Student Direct Stream (SDS) program.
The Student Direct Stream (SDS) program, launched in 2018, was designed by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) to provide faster processing of study permits for eligible students and was eventually made available to legal residents from 14 countries, including India. The IRCC stated that eliminating the program aims to enhance “program integrity, address student vulnerability, and ensure equal access to the application process” for all students, while promoting a positive academic experience.
The SDS program offered accelerated processing times for study permits, with applications often approved within four weeks—about half the time of regular applications—and had a high approval rate of nearly 95%. Naresh Chavda, president of Globayan Immigration Corporation, noted that SDS simplified application evaluations based on specific language and financial criteria. He expressed concern over the sudden termination of the program, suggesting that it may reduce international student enrollment in Canada, potentially redirecting interest to other countries.
Since December, Canada has implemented additional policies impacting international students. New study permit applications now require a financial commitment of CA$ 20,635 (approximately ₹12.7 lakh) for a single applicant, up from the previous CA$ 10,000 (₹6.14 lakh). In October, IRCC announced that designated learning institutions (DLIs) will need to verify each applicant’s acceptance letter from December 2023.
The cap for study permits in 2025 has also been adjusted to 437,000, down from the 2024 target of 485,000. Canada’s issuance of study permits between April and June this year has already decreased compared to 2023, with figures for India specifically falling from 70,340 to 55,940, though this is still nearly twice the 2015 intake. Canadian officials have indicated that the impact of these decisions will become clearer later this year.
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