The Canadian government in the year 2018 introduced the SDS to help expedite the process for the students to pursue higher education in Canada. Most applications made through SDS get processed within 20 days, but sometimes it can take longer. To know whether you’re eligible or if you wish to apply under Student Direct Stream (SDS), keep reading
Who can Apply for the SDS?
- If you're living in one of the countries mentioned below, you're eligible for the SDS :
- India
- China
- Pakistan
- The Philippines
- Senegal
- Morocco
- Vietnam
Furthermore, if you’re a citizen of the countries mentioned above, but presently you aren’t residing there, you aren’t eligible for the SDS. It is mandatory to stay in the countries listed above to qualify for the SDS.
You must also –
- Reside outside of Canada while applying,
- Possess a copy of the admission letter from post-secondary Designated Learning Institution,
- Have evidence of payment of tuition fee for the initial year of study in Canada,
- Possess CAD$10,000 Guaranteed Investment Certificate (GIC),
- Get a medical certificate (in case needed),
- Get a police certificate (in case needed),
- Possess a Certificat d’acceptation du Québec from the Ministère de I’Immigration, de la Francisation et de I’Intégration (in case you want to study in Quebec),
- Have a copy of your latest secondary/post-secondary school transcript,
- Have a score of 6.0 or above (in reading, speaking, writing, listening) in the International English Language Testing System (IELTS), or a score of 7 or higher (in reading, speaking, writing, listening) in Test d’évaluation de français (TEF)Subject to where you’re applying from, you might need to submit other documents too.
Note:- Don't forget to attach all the documents needed by your country's visa office.
Application Fees
- For the SDS, the application fees is CAD 150.
Note:- Most students need to provide their biometrics. Make sure to pay the biometrics fee along with your online application. Any delay in paying it will make the SDS process longer.
What occurs after you Apply?
Once you submit your study permit application, you’re supposed to book an appointment to provide your biometrics before the visa office can begin processing your application.
Biometrics
In case you didn’t pay the due biometrics fee with your application, a reminder letter will be sent to you to do so. The visa office will not proceed until you provide your biometrics.
Within 20 days of receiving the application and biometrics of an eligible student, the visa office processes the application.
What occurs if the application is Rejected?
In case the application doesn’t fulfill the eligibility criteria of the SDS, it will be processed as a regular study permit application which means no faster processing of the application.
What occurs if the application is Accepted?
In case the application is approved, you will receive :
- Anintroduction letter which you have to show to a border office at the time of arriving in Canada
- An electronic travel authorization (eTA)or a An visitor visadepending upon your country of residence requirements.
Transition to PR of Canada from SDS
At the beginning of 2020, there were more than 700,000 international students in Canada (showing a considerable hike from previous years). In addition, in 2019, more than 404,000 international students activated their study permits. These figures are relevant because they’ve surpassed the International Education Strategy goal of 450,000 international students in Canada by the end of 2022, years ahead of schedule.
The prime reason behind the success of the SDS program is the opportunity for students to stay in Canada after graduation. International students can work part time during their studies full time after their graduation. There are various pathways towards obtaining Canadian permanent residence in the coming years through the Express Entry as well as Provincial Nomination Programs of Canada.
Under the Express Entry program, students who graduate from Canada obtain higher points for education compared to students who study outside Canada. As per an IRCC Express Entry report, nearly one-third of all the invitations (to apply for permanent residence) issued in the year 2017 went to those candidates who did their graduation from Canadian colleges and universities. More recently, most of the invitations issues under express entry have been for applicants of Canadian experience class, most of which are graduates of canadian educational institutions.
At an all-time high, almost 54000 students obtained Canadian permanent residence in the year 2018.