09/11/2024
As of today, November 8th, 2024, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) is no longer accepting study permit applications submitted under the Student Direct Stream (SDS).
IRCC has also ended the Nigeria Student Express (NSE) stream for study permit applicants from Nigeria.
Going forward, all study permit applications will be submitted using the standard application process.
In 2018, the SDS was launched to expedite study permit applications for international students from 14 countries, including India, China, Pakistan, and the Philippines.
Notably, in addition to other study permit requirements, applicants under the SDS stream were required to provide language test results and evidence that they opened a Canadian Guaranteed Investment Certificate (GIC) of $20,635 CAD.
Starting your study permit application early
The SDS had historically higher approval rates and faster processing times as compared to the standard study permit application process. As such, students who planned to apply under the SDS should now plan for longer processing times.
Regular study permit processing times vary by country. For example, as of November 8th, average processing times for applications submitted from India is now 8 weeks.
