Canada: Student Application Process
Major Changes to Canada’s Student Direct Stream and Study Permit Application Process
As of November 8, 2024, Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has made significant changes to its study permit application procedures. IRCC has officially ended the expedited Student Direct Stream (SDS) and the Nigeria Student Express (NSE) stream, requiring all international students to apply through the standard study permit process.
Launched in 2018, the SDS was designed to streamline and accelerate the application process for students from 14 countries, including India, China, Pakistan, and the Philippines. To qualify, SDS applicants needed to meet additional requirements, such as language test scores and proof of a Canadian Guaranteed Investment Certificate (GIC) worth $20,635 CAD. These extra steps enabled higher approval rates and faster processing times than the standard process. With SDS no longer an option, applicants can expect longer processing times depending on their country of residence. For instance, students from India currently face an average processing time of about eight weeks.
New Changes to Canada’s International Student Program
These recent updates are part of a broader strategy by the Canadian government to control temporary residency levels in the country. Over the last year, IRCC has introduced several other policy updates, including:
- For 2025, a maximum of 437,000 new study permits will be issued, including for master’s and PhD students.
- New language and program requirements for students aiming to secure a PGWP have been established.
- Availability of work permits for spouses of international students is now restricted.
- Students must demonstrate an ability to meet updated financial thresholds for living expenses when applying for a study permit.
With these changes, students interested in studying in Canada are advised to begin their applications as early as possible to account for longer processing times and new eligibility criteria.[1]
[1] Immigration, R. and C.C. (2024) End of the student direct stream and nigeria student express, Canada.ca. Available at: https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/news/notices/end-student-direct-stream-nigeria-student-express.html (Accessed: 12 November 2024).
