Canada Ends Popular Student Visa Program: What It Means for Indian Applicants

Canada has announced the discontinuation of its Student Direct Stream (SDS) visa program for international students, effective Friday, as part of the country’s efforts to address its housing and resource challenges. The SDS program, launched in 2018 by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), was designed to expedite study permit applications for students from 14 countries, including Brazil, China, India, Pakistan, Colombia, Vietnam, and others.

In an official statement on its website, the Canadian government explained that the decision to end the program was made to "strengthen program integrity, address student vulnerability, and ensure all students have equal and fair access to the application process." As a result, all SDS applications received before 2 p.m. ET on November 8, 2024, will still be processed under the expedited stream, but those submitted afterwards will be handled under the standard study permit process, which typically has longer processing times.

The SDS program was popular for its faster processing and higher approval rates, particularly benefiting students from countries like India. With its cancellation, students from India and the other 13 participating nations will now face a lengthier and more complex visa application process.

The move comes as Canada seeks to manage its immigration levels more cautiously amid growing concerns about housing shortages, rising living costs, and the strain on the healthcare system. The issue of immigration has become a highly debated topic in Canadian politics, with some polls indicating that a significant portion of the population believes the country is accepting too many immigrants. This shift in policy is seen as an effort by the current government to address these concerns as it prepares for the next federal election, scheduled for no later than October 2025.