Apply for a study permit with the Student Direct Stream
The Student Direct Stream, or SDS, is a new program designed to make the process of applying for a Canadian study permit faster and more efficient for some international students.
The SDS program currently serves residents of 14 countries: Antigua and Barbuda, Brazil, China, Colombia, Costa Rica, India, Morocco, Pakistan, Peru, Philippines, Senegal, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago, and Vietnam.
Canada aims to process all study permit applications eligible for SDS processing in 20 calendar days.
Eligibility requirements for Canada's Student Direct Stream
To submit an application for a Canadian study permit through the SDS program, prospective student applicants must:
- provide a copy of a letter of acceptance from a Canadian Designated Learning Institution;
- provide a copy of a Provincial Attestation Letter (PAL), unless they meet the requirements for students who do not require a PAL;
- present a confirmation document for the applicant’s upfront medical exam;
- prove that they have obtained a Guaranteed Investment Certificate (GIC) of $20,635 CAD;
- prove that they have covered their travel costs;
- prove that tuition fees for the first year of study are paid;
- show proof of language test results completed within two years of the SDS application being received; and
- submit the application at a Visa Application Centre (VAC).
IRCC accepts the following English language tests:
- IELTS Academic or IELTS General Training score of at least 6.0 in each language skill level (reading; writing; listening; and, speaking);
- CELPIP General (minimum score of CLB 7);
- CAEL (minimum score of 60);
- Pearson Test of English (PTE) Academic (minimum score of 60); and/or
- Educational Testing Service (ETS) TOEFL iBT Test (minimum score of 83).
An application that is approved will be issued a letter of introduction, or what is officially known as a Point of Entry letter of introduction, and a temporary resident visa to enter Canada.
The letter of introduction, or Point of Entry (POE) letter, is issued by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) as proof of approval for a study permit and is presented to a visa officer upon arrival in Canada.
Citizens of one of the countries listed above cannot be residing in another country at the time of applying for a study permit through the SDS program.
Advantages of applying to study with Student Direct Stream
Faster study permit processing times
IRCC says through the SDS program complete applications will be reviewed as soon as they are received.
If an application does not meet the requirements for the SDS program, IRCC will process the submission as a regular study permit application. Currently, processing times for Canadian study permit vary based on country of residence.