 "Why Canada has ended fast-track visas for foreign students? How will it affect Indians?")
In a big blow to foreign students, Canada has closed its popular Student Direct Stream (SDS) programme, effectively immediately.
The move ends a fast-track study permit process that had helped thousands of international students secure visas.
According to a notice from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), it said that “Canada’s goal is to strengthen programme integrity, address student vulnerability, and give all students equal and fair access to the application process, as well as a positive academic experience and to meet this commitment.”
All study permit applications will now be submitted using the standard application process.
Let’s take a closer look.
Also read: Why has Canada ended its 10-year tourist visa policy?
The Student Direct Stream programme
SDS was introduced in 2018 by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) with the goal of streamlining the visa application process for students who met certain conditions from 14 countries, including China, India, Brazil, China, Colombia, Costa Rica, Morocco, Pakistan, Peru, Vietnam and the Philippines.
“The evaluation was simplified if they met the language requirement and financial commitment needed, along with a letter of acceptance from a Canadian college or university,” Naresh Chavda, president of Globayan Immigration Corporation, told Hindustan Times.
The approval rate was close to 95 per cent, and the processing time was only four weeks, half the time needed for regular study permits.
The scheme processes applications in 20 days if applicants submit biometrics and meet all qualifying conditions; however, the traditional approach often takes several weeks for Indian candidates.
The reason
The SDS cancellation underscores Canada’s growing efforts to regulate its foreign student population in the face of resource and housing difficulties.
As part of its 2024 policy revisions, the government set a cap of 437,000 new study permits for 2025, including all educational levels, including postgraduate degrees.
Additional stringent rules include stricter academic and language criteria for students seeking to be eligible for the Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP), fewer work permits available to spouses of international students, and increased requirements for financial proof, according to The Indian Express.
With a record 807,000 study visa holders in 2023, Ottawa is attempting to strike a balance between the advantages of its foreign education sector and the need to relieve pressure on housing and services.
Advisors urge students to start planning their visas far sooner than they used to in order to deal with the new, more restrictive environment.
Speaking on the new development, Chavda was quoted as saying by Hindustan Times, “They have closed a special programme to attract students. There was no reason to close the programme so suddenly other than to reduce international students intake.”
“Eventually, the interest of students will be lesser in Canada and people may be diverted to other nations,” he added, about the potential impact of the decision.
Also read: Why is Canada cutting immigration by more than 20% in 2025? Is it a setback for Indians?
Impact on Indian students
Students from India and 13 other countries will have to go through more lengthy visa procedures as a result of this programme’s discontinuation.
For Indian students looking for study permits in Canada, SDS had emerged as the go-to option. The SDS scheme was utilised by 80 per cent of Indian candidates in 2022, a notable rise over prior years.
Nearly four out of five Indian students applied through SDS between January and March 2023; applicants had a 76 per cent approval rate, compared to 8 per cent for those who used the traditional stream.
In fact, when compared to the regular stream, SDS approval rates for Indian students skyrocketed during the pandemic.
Approval rates for SDS applications were three times higher in 2021 and 2022 than those for non-SDS applicants (63 per cent by the end of 2022, compared to 19 per cent for non-SDS applicants).
This trend persisted into early 2023, when the acceptance rate for Indian SDS applicants reached 73 per cent, which stands in sharp contrast to the 10 per cent approval rate for non-SDS applicants.
The IRCC said in September that the maximum for 2025 study permit issuance will be 437,000, which is less than the 485,000 target for this year. The 2026 figure will be the same as the “stabilising” 2025 figure.
Canadian officials have cautioned that later this year, the decisions taken will come into effect.
This is evident as the numbers for study permits issued between April and June this year decreased to 125,020 from 148,140 in 2023. The decline for India was from 70,340 to 55,940. However, that figure is still almost twice as high as the total intake for 2015.
Multiple-visa entry ended
According to the updated rules, immigration officials will now be able to choose whether to grant a visa for a single or multiple entry and to establish the proper duration of validity.
The Canadian immigration department stated in a recent update, “Guidance has been updated to indicate that multiple-entry visas issued to maximum validity are no longer considered to be the standard document. Officers may exercise their judgment in deciding whether to issue a single or multiple-entry visa and in determining the validity period.”
Factors that can be considered are the purpose of the visit, occupation, financial stability, health of the visitor and more. Additional factors include ties to the applicant’s home country and previous travel compliance.
Earlier, the multiple-entry visa allowed the holder to enter Canada from any country as often as necessary during the visa’s period of validity.
It has a maximum validity of up to 10 years, or until the expiry of the travel document or biometrics.
The department clarified, “It (multiple-entry visa) can still be valid if affixed in a full or complete passport or travel document. In this case, the holder must also be in possession of a newer and valid passport or travel document and must present both documents to the airline carrier to travel to Canada and to the border services officer to seek entry to Canada.”
With inputs from agencies
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