Canada has scrapped a popular student visa scheme that facilitates the visa issuing process for students coming from countries like India, China and Pakistan . The popular student visa scheme known as the Student Direct Stream (SDS) initiative has now stopped by the Canadian government on November 8. Following this order, the applications received after 2 pm on November 8 won’t be attended under the scrapped rule and that they will now be processed using regular study permit procedures.
Notably, the Student Direct Stream (SDS) was launched in 2018 with an aim to allow post-secondary students to have faster access to study permits in Canada.
This student visa scheme offered benefits to students from India, China, Pakistan, Antigua and Barbuda, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Morocco, Peru, Philippines, Senegal, St Vincent and the Grenadines, Vietnam and Trinidad and Tobago.
In a notice issued by the Canadian government, it has been mentioned that the change in student visa policy “will not adversely affect eligibility for those who wish to apply for a study permit from a country” where the SDS was offered.
Meanwhile, amidst the ongoing diplomatic turbulence between India and Canada, the discontinuation of the visa scheme by the Canadian government has raised concerns among Indian students, who now fear that their applications may take longer to get approved now.
According to the reports, the scheme has been disabled in the wake of the intense housing crisis, stretched healthcare system and skyrocketed inflation situation in Canada. General elections are scheduled to take place in Canada in 2025, and the government is now scrambling to address the concerns that the North American country may be accepting too many immigrants.
It must be noted that Canada has already announced its plans to issue fewer study permits in 2025 and 2026. According to reports, there will be a decrease in the number of international student study permits for 2025. This change includes a 10 per cent reduction from the 2024 target of 485,000 new permits, with plans to maintain this reduced cap going forward.
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