Eligibility Requirements for Canada’s Student Direct Stream
The SDS program currently serves residents of these countries: Antigua and Barbuda, Brazil, China, Colombia, Costa Rica, India, Morocco, Pakistan, Peru, Philippines, Senegal, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago, and Vietnam.
Canada aims to process all study permit applications eligible for SDS processing in 20 calendar days.
To apply for a Canadian study permit through the SDS program, prospective student applicants must:
- provide a copy of a letter of acceptance from a Canadian Designated Learning Institution;
- present a confirmation document for the applicant’s upfront medical exam;
- live outside of Canada when you apply;
- prove that they have obtained a Guaranteed Investment Certificate (GIC) of $10,000
- Prove that tuition fees for the first year of studies have been paid;
- Show proof of language test results completed within two years of receiving the SDS application, demonstrating an IELTS score of 6 in English or NCLC 7 for French.
- Apply at a Visa Application Centre (VAC).
For those planning to live in Quebec City
- Get a medical exam before you apply (if necessary)
- You’ll need to get a police certificate before submitting your application.
- Enclose copies of your most recent secondary or post-secondary school transcripts
- And an official language test result from either:
- An International English Language Testing System (IELTS) academic or general training score of 6.0 or higher in each skill (reading, writing, speaking and listening), or
- a Test d’évaluation de français (TEF) score that is equal to a Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) score of at least 7 in each skill (reading, writing, speaking and listening)
You may also need to provide other documents depending on where you’re applying from. Ensure you include all the documents required by the visa office that processes your application.
An approved application will be issued a letter of introduction, officially known as a Point of Entry letter of introduction, and a temporary resident visa to enter Canada.
The letter of introduction, or Point of Entry (POE), is issued by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) as proof of approval for a study permit and is presented to a visa officer upon arrival.
Who does not qualify for the Student Direct Stream?
If you live anywhere other than the countries listed above (even if you’re a citizen of one of them), then your best bet is to apply through the regular study permit application process.
If you live n another country (even if you’re a citizen of one of the countries above) or if your academic program is not eligible for fast-track processing, then you may still be able to apply for a regular study permit.
Proof of full payment of tuition for the applicant’s first year of study
This may be in the form of the following:
- A receipt from the DLI
- An official letter from the DLI confirming payment of tuition fees
- A receipt from a bank showing that tuition fees have been paid to the DLI
- Proof that the tuition fee amount has been transferred into a repository account at the DLI to be applied to the tuition bill at a later date
Apply for a study permit through the Student Direct Stream
You must apply online to get faster processing for your study permit. There’s no paper application for the Student Direct Stream. Make sure you include all the required documents with your application.
Before you apply online, make sure you have the following:
- instruction guide to fill out your forms
- scanner or camera to create electronic copies of your documents
- valid credit or debit card to make a payment
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