Canada Suspends Fast-Track Visas In Response To Diplomatic Issues With India

The Canadian government has announced it is suspending its very popular Student Direct Stream program – affecting thousands of international students. The move was made public on November 8, 2023, amid growing diplomatic tensions between Canada and India and a shift in how Canada manages international student immigration.

This Student Direct Stream was launched in 2018 and was designed to make study permit applications from international students from selective countries more streamlined. In other words, if an applicant met the relevant criteria, such as language proficiency and proof of financial stability, that applicant could expect a quicker processing time as opposed to higher approval rates.

That was not enough, however, because Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) released an official notice stating that the SDS program would be cancelled due to a need to “strengthen program integrity” and “address student vulnerability.” It announced that students need to receive “equal and fair access to the application process,” but the program wasn’t skewed toward any particular nationality.

Launched initially for students from India and China, the SDS program allowed applicants to submit their study permits through a streamlined process that sharply reduced waiting times. Typically, applicants using SDS got approval four weeks before ordinary application channels had completely cleared. The program had an incredible success rate- around 95 percent of approved applicants.

Future Of International Students In Canada

Although this government statement never pointed out a specific diplomatic row as the cause for this suspension of SDS, the timing seems to bring forward the likelihood that this move was at least a response to increased tensions recently between Canada and India. The two countries have recently seen some strain in their relations mainly due to issues on national security and political concerns.

Chavda, however, believes the suspension is part of a greater trend to reduce international student intake. “They have closed a special program to attract students. There was no reason to close the program so suddenly other than to reduce international student intake,” Chavda said. He further cautioned that this could result in reduced interest among students in coming to Canada as prospective students opt for countries with more student-friendly policies.

Along with a canceled SDS, Canada also marginally decreased its expected study permit issue for 2025. IRCC capped 437,000 permits, down from the 485,000 expected for 2024. In clear policy shift, Canada may be going in a direction where more control will be exerted over the yearly intake of international students.

Wider Shifts In Canadian Immigration Policies

This move is one of several policy updates in the last year that show the country is moving the way it thinks about international students. In March 2023, IRCC more than doubled the amount of money needed from students applying for study permits. Effective January 1, 2023, students and applicants must prove they can support themselves with at least CAD 20,635, which translates to around INR 12.7 lakh, according to the agency. Applicants had to have CAD 10,000, or around INR 6.14 lakh. This increased financial proof ensures that students are self-sufficient while in Canada, but at the same time creates a barrier for many applicants.

Moreover, on October 2023, Canada notified that with effect from and after December 2023 all DLIs would be required to verify genuineness of acceptance letter of each and every study permit applicant through proper IRCC channels. It is another security measure against a spate of fake applications targeted to be stopped so that only genuine students are issued study permits.

Since its advent, the number of international students going to Canada remains unabated with more than 625,000 enrolled in Canadian universities and colleges as of this year. However, some of the recent policies adopted include suspending SDS program, which has drastically raised financial requirements.

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