Student Direct Stream (SDS) Program which streamlines the process for the Philippines, Vietnam, China & India.

It was announced several times recently that student direct stream will be implemented in February 2018 and then postponed. Finally, it has now been officially announced on the 8th of June 2018 in the above-mentioned countries.  Most SPP colleges have implemented the SDS program requirements already and increased their English requirements, which will have a great effect on the student numbers from India. The key change is increasing the IELTS band score from 5.5 each skill to 6.0 each skill for the post-secondary diploma programs. It has been witnessed that Canadian SPP Colleges have received student applications over their capacity in recent past intakes and turnaround time for a letter of acceptance has also gone up from 2 weeks to 6-8 weeks. The key reason was that there were only 47 SPP Colleges in Canada and Indian students were preferring to study at one of them not only for quality education but also for a streamlined visa processing route and positive visa outcome.

What is the Student Direct Stream (SDS) Program

Some international students can get their study permits faster by using the Student Direct Stream. If your application is complete, it can be started reviewing by Immigration right away.

If your application meets the regular study permit criteria but not the Student Direct Stream criteria, it will be reviewed as a regular study permit but you won’t get faster processing.

The Student Direct Stream (SDS) is a program that will speed up the processing for the full-time studies attending students in universities and colleges in Canada. The SDS Program is supported by Scotiabank, a leading Canadian financial institution. Scotiabank will provide eligible students with the opportunity to purchase a Guaranteed Investment Certificate (GIC), which will satisfy the financial statement requirements of the SDS program.

SDS Program Requirements

Students applying for a program under SDS must meet the following eligibility criteria:

1. Admission to a full-time program in a publicly-funded post-secondary institution such as universities, colleges, institutes or CEGEP;
2. An IELTS score with a minimum band of 6 for each ability (Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking) taken within the past two years;
3. Purchase of a special Guaranteed Investment Certificate (GIC) from Scotiabank of CAD$10,000 to cover living expenses for the first year of stay in Canada;
4. Proof of payment of the tuition fee for one (1) year; AND
5. Upfront medical examination at least one week before submission of the application.

Advantages of applying under SDS

The major advantages of applying under SDS are:
The streamlined visa process for all SDS eligible institutions.

• Less financial documentation.
• Faster visa processing time.

What are the advantages of studying in Canada?

World-class institutions
Lower cost
The safe and healthy environment for students
Work while studying
Eligible for Post Graduate Work Permit (PGWP)
Possibility to Apply for Permanent Resident in Canada subject to meeting requirements

Do have any question on Student Direct Stream?

We recommend leaving a comment below for any specific doubt. You can share this post through social media links given below so that students like yourself can also clear their doubts in regards to:

Student Direct Stream in India
Canada study permit applications
Non-SDS Study permit applications

Here is the List of SDS Colleges/Universities in Canada.

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