Canada Ends Student Direct Stream - What Does It Mean?
Ottawa, November 8, 2024 — In a surprising turn, Canada has terminated its Student Direct Stream (SDS) and Nigeria Student Express (NSE) programmes. Both initiatives, established to expedite study permit processing for international students from select countries, officially ended at 2:00 p.m. ET on November 8. Going forward, all international students, regardless of nationality, will need to apply for study permits through Canada’s standard application process. This issue has garnered larger debate as the relations between India and Canada is all time low due to diplomatic tensions. India is part of the SDS programme.
Introduced in 2018, the SDS programme catered to post-secondary students from nations including India, China, and the Philippines, among others, providing them with a streamlined, faster route to study in Canada. For Nigerian students, the NSE programme functioned similarly, facilitating rapid permit processing. This change affects thousands of students, particularly from India, who form one of the largest groups of international students in Canada.
The Government of Canada justified the move as an effort to ensure “equal and fair access” for all prospective students, promoting a more uniform application process across nationalities. A spokesperson from the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) stated that the change aligns with the government’s commitment to “strengthen programme integrity, address student vulnerability, and offer a positive academic experience to all students.” Applicants who previously qualified for the SDS or NSE will now need to follow the general process, although they can still provide a Guaranteed Investment Certificate (GIC) as financial proof, a requirement from the SDS program that will carry over to the regular stream.
For those who applied to SDS or NSE before the cutoff, Canada has assured that these applications will still be processed under the original terms of the programmes. However, new applications will no longer receive expedited processing. The end of the SDS marks a notable shift in Canada’s international education strategy, affecting applicants from key source countries including India, which has over 300,000 students in Canada.
In recent years, SDS has been a significant contributor to Canada’s international education sector, drawing high numbers of applicants by promising quick processing times and favourable pathways to permanent residency through Express Entry and Provincial Nominee Programmes. As of 2024, nearly one million international students are in Canada, with the majority from SDS-participating countries. As per reports, in 2022 alone, over 500,000 study permits were activated, highlighting the rapid growth and popularity of this program in helping Canada surpass its target of 450,000 international students by 2023.
The SDS was opened to legal residents of Antigua and Barbuda, Brazil, China, Colombia, Costa Rica, India, Morocco, Pakistan, Peru, Philippines, Senegal, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago, and Vietnam.
“Eligible SDS and NSE applications received before 2:00 p.m. ET on November 8, 2024, will be processed under these streams. Study permit applications submitted on or after this time will be processed under the regular study permit stream. This change will not adversely affect eligibility for those who wish to apply for a study permit from a country where the SDS or NSE initiatives have been offered. All students, regardless of whether they were eligible for the SDS or NSE, are required to meet Canada’s study permit application requirements,” statement from Canada government said.
