End of Canada SDS Visa Program: The Canadian government has recently announced the closure of the Student Direct Stream (SDS) visa program, popular among Indian students. This Canada SDS Visa Program program was special for those students who wanted to get a visa to study in Canada quickly and easily. Now this facility has been discontinued with immediate effect for students from India and 13 other countries. This decision “End of Canada SDS Visa Program” has come as a shock to many Indian students who were dreaming of higher education in Canada.
Recently, the Canadian government has announced the closure of its famous Student Direct Stream (SDS) program. This decision will mainly affect students from India and 13 other countries who were keen to pursue higher education in Canada. The Canada SDS Visa Program was known for fast visa processing, which allowed students to get visas in 20 days. But from now on, all students will have to follow the normal visa process. This change will not only make the application process more time-consuming but also complicated especially for Indian students.
What is the Canada SDS Visa Program?
The SDS program was launched by Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) in 2018. The program was designed for students from 14 countries such as India, China, Pakistan, Brazil, and the Philippines, allowing them to experience simplicity and speed in the application process. The reason for the popularity of this Canada SDS Visa Program, especially among Indian students, was that in this process the Canada SDS Visa Program application was approved in just 20 days, whereas the normal process could take weeks.
End of SDS program: Main reason
Equality and security
- The main reason given by the Canadian government behind closing the SDS program is that it will bring equality in the application process and provide security to the students. Due to less time and simplicity in the SDS process, there was more financial and personal pressure on the students, which is now being tried to be reduced.
Increasing pressure on resources
- The number of international students in Canada has increased rapidly in the last few years, due to which there is an additional burden on housing, health facilities and other essential resources. To solve this problem, it was considered necessary to end SDS.
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Policy change
- According to the new policy of 2024, Canada will now issue a maximum of 437,000 study permits by 2025. Whereas in 2024 this figure was 485,000. Due to this change, it was considered necessary to abolish SDS.
Strictness in conditions
- Now there will be more stringent educational and linguistic conditions for the Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP). Along with this, the work permit of the spouses accompanying the international students is also being tightened.
Canada Ends SDS Visa Program, How Its effect on Indian students?
The Canada SDS Visa Program was very popular in India. Through this, students not only found it easy to get a visa but their application process was also faster. In 2022, about 80% of Indian students applied for a Canadian visa through this medium. Even in 2023, the Canada SDS Visa approval rate of Indian students through SDS was 76%, while it was only 8% in the normal process. During the pandemic, students applying under SDS got three times more approvals.
Now after the closure of the SDS Visa Program Canada, Indian students will have to follow the normal visa process, which is not only time consuming but also more difficult. This will be a blow to students wishing to study in Canada, as now they will have to wait longer and follow more strict conditions.
Canada’s new immigration policy and 2025 target
The Canadian government has set a target of issuing only 437,000 study permits by 2025 under its new immigration policy. This is less than the target for 2024, which was 485,000. The main objective of this target is to reduce the increasing pressure on Canada’s resources and to ensure that the limited resources available in Canada are properly utilized.
Along with this, some important changes have also been made in the Canada SDS Visa Program policy. Now visa officers will have the right to grant single-entry or multiple-entry visas to any student. The decision of the officers will be based on the financial condition, health and attachment of the students to their country.
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Advice for Indian students
Now that the SDS program has ended, Indian students are advised to start preparing for their visa application as soon as possible. The new process may take more time and paperwork, so students are advised to avoid any errors in their application.
What to do?
- Apply early:As the visa process takes longer, students should submit the application as early as possible.
- Keep financial certificates ready: Visa applications will now require more financial documents, so keep all your financial certificates ready in advance.
- Time management: As the visa process may now be more time-consuming, students will need to manage time for their studies.
Possible impact in the long term
The end of the SDS program in Canada will not only affect the application process but will also impact the economic relationship between foreign students and Canada. Canada’s education sector is largely dependent on foreign students, as these students contribute to the country’s economy. Students from abroad not only increase the income of higher education institutions but also boost the local economy. But now, after the closure of SDS, Canada may face a decline in the number of foreign students in its education sector.
For Indian students, this change means that the dream of studying in Canada has now become even more difficult. They now have to put in more effort, keep their financial position strong, and understand the complexities of the Canada SDS Visa application process.
