top of page
Writer's pictureNicholas Wu

7 keys to apply for the Student Direct Stream (SDS)

Updated: Nov 20, 2022

The Canadian government issues fast-track study permits to select people in 20 days on conditions.



Study permits for international students

There are over 600,000 international students in Canada each year and most students need to apply for study permits before they are legally permitted to study in Canada. A study permit application can easily take three to four months to be approved.


The Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) launched the Student Direct Stream (SDS) in 2018 as an option to support faster processing for eligible post-secondary students. Through SDS, an applicant provides additional information up front, allowing officers to make a thorough assessment and decision quickly. The SDS kept expanding in the past few years and is now available to residents in 14 countries. Under SDS, the IRCC aims to process study permits within 20 calendar days. So who actually qualifies for SDS?







SDS eligibility #1: Live in select countries

At the time of writing, the SDS is only open to applicants who are legal residents in one of the 14 select countries. Find out whether you are eligible by clicking on the list below.

Only legal residents in the following countries may apply for SDS:

Antigua and Barbuda

Brazil

China

Colombia

Costa Rica

India

Morocco

Pakistan

Peru

Philippines

Senegal

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines

Trinidad and Tobago

Vietnam

If you are a citizen of one of the above countries but you do not live in any of them, you are not eligible for the SDS. Nevertheless, you will still be eligible for a study permit through the regular application process if you meet all the eligibility criteria.



SDS eligibility #2: Get accepted from a post-secondary DLI

You must have an acceptance letter from a post-secondary Designated Learning Institute (DLI).


We have access to more than 20 post-secondary all DLIs all across Canada. Contact us to learn more about our free education counseling service.



SDS eligibility #3: Live outside of Canada

The SDS is only available to applicants who are living outside of Canada at the time of their SDS applications. If you are already living inside Canada, you are not eligible for this stream.



SDS eligibility #4: Pay for your first-year tuition fee

If you are applying under SDS, you must prove that the tuition fee for the first year of your study has already been paid.



SDS eligibility #5: Get your Guaranteed Investment Certificate (GIC)

A GIC is a Canadian investment that has a guaranteed rate of return for a fixed period of time. Many banks offer GICs. If you are applying under the SDS you must have obtained a GIC of $10,000.



SDS eligibility #6: Get other documents ready (if applicable)

  • Québec Acceptance Certificate (CAQ): If you plan on studying in Quebec, you should also obtain a CAQ from the Ministère de l’Immigration, de la Francisation et de l’Intégration.

  • Medical exam: If you have lived in certain designated countries or territories for at least 6 months in the year before you apply under the SDS, or your field of study requires medical exam results, you should complete a medical exam.

  • Police certificate: Depending on where you live and have lived, you may need to provide police certificates. Please obtain them after you are accepted by the DLI to avoid delays.


SDS eligibility #7: Proof of valid language test

The SDS requires applicants to have valid IELTS or TEF results and applicants must pass threshold scores within 2 years of the SDS application as follows:

  • IELTS (either General Training or Academic) results with scores of at least 6.0 or over in each of the four skills (reading, writing, speaking, and listening); or

  • TEF score that is equal to the Canadian Language Benchmark score of at least 7 in each skill (reading, writing, speaking, and listening)


After your study permit application is approved, the IRCC will issue a letter of introduction (a.k.a Port of Entry letter), and a temporary resident visa for you to enter Canada.


Get in touch with us to learn more about our education counseling and visa application services. Our education counseling service is free of charge and is separate from our visa application service.

Kommentare


Contact

Hoga Immigration Consulting Inc.

907-4978 Yonge Street,

Toronto, ON M2N 7G8

Email: info@hogavisa.com

Tel: +1 (437) 985-1903

Thanks for submitting!

bottom of page