Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has closed the Student Direct Stream as of 8th November, 2024. Along with that, Nigeria Student Express (NSE) is also shut down. This decision was taken to ensure that all international students get a fair chance at applying for a study permit and their application is processed fairly as well.
Student Direct Stream (SDS) was the fastest route for a study permit for international students of certain nationalities. SDS used to process applications within 20 business days even when the general study permit pathway processes applications in around 8 to 16 weeks. The countries eligible for SDS were:
- Antigua and Barbuda
- Brazil
- China
- Colombia
- Costa Rica
- India
- Morocco
- Pakistan
- Peru
- Philippines
- Senegal
- St. Vincent and the Grenadines
- Trinidad and Tobago
- Vietnam
Though this stream was relatively young, SDS was launched in 2018, and quickly gained popularity among students because of its fast processing time.
The Nigeria Student Express (NSE) was a similar stream and it also closed down along with SDS.
If you applied for a study permit before 8th Nov through SDS or NSE, your application will be processed under the general study permit program.
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