Canada Ends Student Direct Stream (SDS): Concerns for Students

In what may hurt a lot of international students planning to study in Canada, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) won’t accept study permit applications submitted under the Student Direct Stream (SDS) from now onwards.

IRCC has also closed the Nigeria Student Express (NSE) stream for study permit applicants from Nigeria. Applicants will now have to apply for study permit through the regular study permit stream which has a longer processing time.

Student Direct Stream (SDS) was launched in 2018 to quicken study permit applications for international students applying from 14 countries including India, Pakistan, China and Philippines.

Importantly, alongside other study permit requirements, SDS stream applicants needed to submit language test results and proof of a Canadian Guaranteed Investment Certificate (GIC) valued at $20,635 CAD.

Areas of Disruption

The processing time for SDS applications was 20 calendar days after the receival of biometrics. However, the processing time for regular study permit stream is usually more than 20 calendar days depending on countries where the application is submitted from.

IRCC issued a statement that ‘Canada’s goal is to strengthen program integrity, address student vulnerability, and give all students equal and fair access to the application process, as well as a positive academic experience.’ SDS and NSE applications received after 2 pm E.T. on November 8, 2024 will be processed under those specific streams. However, applications submitted after this time will be processed under the regular study permit stream.

Canada Reduces Number of Students

This development is in line with the recent changes introduced by the Canadian government to its Immigration Levels Plan 2025-2027. The government plans to cut the percentage of temporary residents in Canada from 7% to 5% of the total population by the end of 2026. IRCC had also imposed a cap on new study permit applications. It plans to issue only 437,000 study permits in 2025.

This figure shows a 10% decrease from the 2024 target of 485,000 study permits, with the intake cap set to remain stable in 2026. It had also announced that international graduates who apply for a post-graduate work permit after November 1 will need to meet additional field of study requirements to be eligible for a work permit.

The government also announced that it will implement additional restrictions on SOWP eligibility for spouses of students enrolled in doctoral programs, certain master’s programs, select professional programs, and specific pilot programs.

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