To answer your question, “what is Student Direct Stream (SDS)?” Student Direct Stream (SDS) is a program that processes a Canada study permit faster. Most of the time, the program takes less than 20 calendar days to process a study permit application. However, this program is only for students applying from certain participating countries.
One thing you must know about a study permit is that it is NOT a study visa. Hence, if you want to study in Canada, you can get a study permit. But, to enter Canada, apply for a visitor visa or an eTA.
Download Free Immigration and PR Guide PDF
Eligibility Requirement of SDS
Meet the eligibility criteria of Canada’s Student Direct Stream to get your study permit processed in under 20 days:
- be a resident of one of the following countries:
| Antigua and Barbuda | Pakistan |
|---|---|
| Brazil | Peru |
| China | Philippines |
| Colombia | Senegal |
| Costa Rica | Saint Vincent and the Grenadines |
| India | Trinidad and Tobago |
| Morocco | Vietnam |
- Obtain a Provincial Attestation Letter (PAL) or Territorial Attestation Letter (TAL)
- Obtain a letter of acceptance from your DLI
- Should not be living in Canada at the time of submitting your study permit application through SDS
- Obtain a medical exam and/or police certificate, as per requirements
- have a secondary or post-secondary school transcripts, whichever is latest
- Take any one of the SDS approved language tests and score the required scores
NOTE: Based on your country of residence, the visa officer may need you to provide some more documents to process your application.
Student Direct Stream Canada Processing Time
Student Direct Stream (SDS) application processing time is 20 calendar days. IRCC aims to process applications (the ones meeting all the requirements) under SDS within 20 calendar days.
However, some applications take longer to process. This may be due to many reasons. For instance, if the applicant hasn’t submitted necessary documents or forgot to submit some of them, they will be reminded by IRCC to submit the documents. This reminder will take further time in processing the application.
To fasten the processing of your study permit application, you should also try giving your biometric information at the right time.
What are the benefits of Student Direct Stream, Canada?
The major benefit of applying through the Student Direct Stream (SDS) is that your application may be processed within 20 calendar days.
Student Direct Stream offers expedited study permit application processing time for students applying from specific countries.
Can a student get direct PR in Canada?
If the student meets the eligibility criteria of one of the Canadian immigration programs, they may be able to apply for permanent residence. There are many immigration programs for students, hence, there’s no shortage of options for international students.
Want to understand the Student Direct Stream (SDS) better? Contact Talent Connected Worldwide now.
Don’t forget to fill out the form below for some insights and advice from our experts!
