Fourteen Countries Now Eligible for Student Direct Stream
Immigration Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has announced that it will fast-track Student Direct Stream (SDS) study permit applications for applicants from seven different countries. The list of countries includes:
- Brazil
- Columbia
- Peru
- Antigua and Barbuda
- Costa Rica
- Trinidad and Tobago
- Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
This announcement will enable SDS study permit applicants from these countries to have their permits processed within just 20 days. Typically, it takes several months to process study permits.
“The global pandemic has caused disruptions and distress for everyone, including international students. By expanding the Student Direct Stream to a more diverse range of prospective students, we have great optimism that international education will recover, and indeed flourish, as Canada emerges from the pandemic,” said Immigration Minister Marco Mendicino in a press release.
Canada has already been expediting SDS permit applications for seven other countries. In total, the number of countries eligible for expedited applications is 14. Along with the countries listed above, applicants from the following countries will also continue having their applications fast-tracked:
- Philippines
- China
- India
- Vietnam
- Pakistan
- Morocco
- Senegal
How the SDS Application Process Works
Applicants must be a citizen of one of the 14 countries previously listed in this article and must be living in that country when the application is submitted.
Before applying for a Canadian study permit, applicants must apply and get accepted into a Canadian University (also known as a designated learning institution (DLI)).
Once you’ve been accepted and have received an official Letter of Acceptance (LOA), you can then apply for the SDS and obtain all the required documentation. You will also need to prove that you are sufficient in English or French and can pay your first year of tuition in full. If you have lived or travelled to certain countries within the past six months, you must also undergo a medical exam.
If your application is successful, you will be issued a Point of Entry (POE) letter of introduction and a temporary resident visa that gives you the ability to enter Canada.
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Arghavan Gerami
Arghavan Gerami is the Founder and Senior Counsel at Gerami Law Professional Corporation ('PC'), a full-service immigration law firm in Ottawa, Ontario. Since 2011, Ms. Gerami has focused her practice on immigration and refugee litigation. Prior to that, Ms. Gerami worked at the Ministry of Attorney General and the Department of Justice and had the privilege of serving the Honourable Mr. Justice M. Evans at the Federal Court of Appeal on immigration and administrative law appeals. Ms. Gerami contributes to the Immigration Law Section of the Canadian Bar Association, the Canadian Association of Refugee Lawyers, and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. Ms. Gerami has also published numerous journal articles and presented at various immigration and refugee law conferences and events across Canada.