Canadian Student Direct Stream (SDS) Applications Open With Admission Instructions
The Student Direct Stream (SDS-Canada) 2023 is now accepting applications from seven countries for admissions into top Canadian Universities on self-funded and fully funded Canadian Scholarship programs.
With the increasing number of students aspiring to study in Canadian institutes to continue their higher education, it is becoming difficult for students, especially those belonging to Asia and Africa to acquire study permits. But the good news is that the Canadian Government is making it easier than ever for international students to get study permits for achieving their goals of studying in a top-notch institute in Canada.
One such initiative of the Canadian government towards making the visa acquiring procedures easier for international students is the Canada Student Direct Stream (SDS) Program.
The Canada Student Direct Stream, commonly known as the Canada SDS is a program designed to grant international students from seven countries with an accelerated route to get their student permits sanctioned to study in a Canadian university.
The following seven countries are eligible for the Canadian SDS Program:
When students from countries outside of those specified in the Canada SDS’s list of approved nations apply for their study permits, the process takes a longer time to initiate. However, when students apply to Canadian universities under the Canada SDS Program, their study permit processes start in a comparatively shorter time frame.
However, it is important to note that a study permit acquired under the Canada SDS Program is not a student visa. Apart from the study permit, students also acquire either a Canadian student visa or an Electronic Travel Authorization depending on the category under which their home countries are listed.
The same factor counts as the major benefit of the Canada SDS Program in that it makes the study permit processing time significantly less.
Thus, students applying to get their study permits through the Canada SDS Program get their permits in a time slot as short as 20 days as compared to students acquiring study permits through the regular channels (Canadian embassy or consulate) which takes a minimum of 16 weeks.
Now that you know what the Canada SDS Program is and how it benefits students, you must be wondering what the eligibility criteria are for the program and how to apply for a study permit under the Canada SDS program. Fret not, because you will find all this information and more in this very transcript. So, read on till the last and get to know all that is important to fast-track the procedure of getting your permit to study in a Canadian university.
Which Countries are on the Canada SDS Program’s List of Approved Countries?
Now, the foremost requirement of applying for a study permit under the Canada Student Direct Stream Program is to be a permanent resident of the selected countries. Out of these countries 7 top most are mentioned in the above section and rest with all includes:
Note: Students who are residents of any country other than these, despite being citizens of any of the above-listed countries, will not be eligible to utilize the Canada SDS Program and will have to apply for their study permits through the Canadian Embassy or Consulate.
Just like applying for a study permit through the Canadian embassy, the students opting for the Canada SDS route will also have to abide by certain requirements in order to be considered eligible for the study permit.
The eligibility criteria for applying to a study permit under Canada is mentioned below as follows:
Nationality
Educational requirements
Documents requirements for SDS Canadian Application:
Language Test Score requirements
Another important document that determines your eligibility for the Canada SDS Program is a GIC. It is a document confirming a Canadian investment that has a guaranteed rate of return for a fixed period of time.
In Canada, GICs are issued by many banks. You can get a GCI for applying to a study permit under the Canada SDS Program from any bank, provided that the bank stands up to the following requirements:
Do note that a GIC issued from a bank that does not abide by the above-mentioned criteria is not appropriate for the Canada SDS Program.
A GIC can generally be issued by any bank listed on the Canadian Deposit Insurance Company’s official website. However, not all of those banks follow the criteria set by the Canada SDS Program.
The banks and financial institutions which follow the criteria of the Canada SDS Program for issuing a GIC are listed below as follows:
The document and form submission for a study permit under the Canada SDS Program is to be done by means of an online application portal.
However, the application procedure laid down by the Canadian government for the Canada SDS Program differs from country to country. So make sure to check the rules and regulations and procedures recommended by the consulate of your country.
Step 1:
The one-step that remains the same for all students irrespective of their nationalities is to set up an account on the portal. This account will help them to:
Step 2:
After submitting their applications, students will have to make an appointment at the Canadian Embassy to submit their biometric information and photographs. At this step, the application will either be approved or rejected.
Step 3:
After approval of the study permit, students will be issued either an ETA or a student visa to continue their higher education in Canada. These documents will later be demanded by the immigration authorities from the students to verify their identities and by the bank for releasing the funds from the GIC.
The total cost of applying for a study permit under the Canada SDS Program is divided into two parts; the actual application cost which is a total of 150 CAD and the GIC cost which must be worth 10,000 CAD.
Thus, the total cost likely to be incurred is 10,150 CAD.
Now that you know how to apply for a study permit under the Canada SDS Program, it is now time to start applying for one. This study permit can lead to you getting a permanent residency in Canada after getting professional experience for up to 3 years after graduating.
Also, if you plan to get a student loan to fund your education, we suggest that you apply for one a month before applying for your study permit to manage your time in an efficient way.
Good luck!