IRCC today announces the Student Direct Stream (SDS)

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posted Jun 9, 2018, 9:53 AM by Milorad Borota

"To support the growth in study permit applications, IRCC today announces the Student Direct Stream (SDS), which is available to students applying for a study permit from China, India, Vietnam and the Philippines. Students from those countries who demonstrate upfront that they have the financial resources and language skills to succeed academically in Canada will benefit from faster processing times.

Similar programs have been in place in these 4 countries for a few years. We are aligning them together into 1 program to ensure consistency.

We are also working on expanding SDS to Africa and are looking at options in Kenya and Senegal. Expansion to Senegal would be in line with the department’s focus to attract more French-speaking students to Canada."

Quick facts

Students applying for SDS must first be accepted at a Canadian learning institution that is designated to host international students. In addition, they must satisfy key criteria, such as submitting proof upfront of:
- tuition payment for the first year of study at a designated learning institution in Canada,
- purchase of a Guaranteed Investment Certificate (GIC) of $10,000,
- completion of an upfront medical examination,
- a qualifying score of at least 6 for English (IELTS), or Niveaux de compétence linguistique canadiens score of 7 for French (TEF), or graduation from a Canadian-curriculum high school.