Canada Suspends Fast-Track Visa Program: What Indian Students Need To Know

Canada made a declaration on November 8, 2024, announcing it is scrapping the Student Direct Stream (SDS) Visa Programme, which affects several international students, especially to India. The program was initiated in 2018 as a way of fast-tracking study permit applications; that was part of a broader initiative to address long-standing housing and resource crises in the country.

IRCC introduced the SDS program to bring study permit applications from 14 specific countries, including India, China, Brazil, Pakistan, Philippines, and so forth, in a much quicker way than ever before. In fact, the program was such an easy method that students also received their study permits much sooner with a shorter processing time than the usual steps of applying for a study permit.

The deal was that applicants, who, for example, proved their proficiency in language and have enough money to support themselves study, were qualified for SDS stream study permits.

Generally, the program has received a lot of acclaim. Higher approval rates and faster processing times; this made many international students, particularly the Indian students, knock on the SDS door.

Why SDS Was Canceled?

The choice is rooted in a number of growing problems in Canada’s immigration system: housing, cost of living, and pressure on such public services as health care. In its published statement, officials with the Canadian government attributed their move to the need to “strengthen program integrity” and “ensure equal and fair access to the application process” for all international students.

On the contrary, the official statement argues that this modification will not affect applicants from countries originally eligible for the SDS program, like India. However, now the students who wish to apply for a study permit after November 8, 2024, will be processed under the regular study permit stream, which usually involves a longer processing time.

The government was sure that this policy change will in no way affect the eligibility of students who want to apply for a study permit, as long as they meet all of Canada’s requirements for applying for a study permit. Nevertheless, it is clear that the process will now become more cumbersome for several students.

Impact On Indian Students

India has been one of the most important source countries for international students in Canada. One reason SDS was particularly appealing to Indian students is that they are already using the process for fast-track processing of study permits targeted for studies at universities and colleges in Canada. This will mean a longer time between when the students submit their study permits and when their courses begin in those Indian students to begin their courses on schedule.

In addition, Indian students, like citizens of other 14 eligible nations, would face a longer and grueling application procedure for their respective visas. It would make it even more stressful and uncertain for them, especially the student applicants who had hoped to take advantage of SDS’s promise of faster processing times.

What’s Next For Aspiring Students?

For aspiring Indian students, things remain otherwise, though the adaptation process would be stiff, and the visa will be even more demanding in terms of paperwork and extended waiting periods. The official statement clears all such ambiguities with respect to changes in the study permit but the students themselves will have to prepare for a more extended application process.

With the Canada always in economic struggle, which is housing crises and the increase of the cost of living, the government may review immigration policies, which will make things even tougher for international students.

Meanwhile, students already applied before the November 8 deadline under the SDS program have nothing to worry since such applicants would be processed just as before. Of course, future applicants will have to get accustomed to and prepare for the study permit process and the possible delays it would entail.

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