The announcement comes simply months after the Canadian authorities imposed additional limits on worldwide examine permits by 10% from the 2024 goal of 485,000
“Canada’s goal is to strengthen program integrity, address student vulnerability, and give all students equal and fair access to the application process, as well as a positive academic experience,” IRCC stated in an announcement asserting the modifications.
“To meet this commitment, the Student Direct Stream (SDS) and Nigeria Student Express (NSE) initiatives have ended as of 2:00 pm ET today,” the November 8 announcement learn.
The SDS, launched in 2018, was open to college students from 14 nations together with, Brazil, China, India, Pakistan, Philippines, Senegal, and Vietnam.
Permits beneath SDS have been often processed in about 4-6 weeks in comparison with non-SDS permits which took months to get accepted, in some instances.
In the meantime, NSE enabled quicker software processing for potential college college students from Nigeria.
In response to IRCC, all new examine allow purposes will probably be processed by way of the common examine allow stream, which accepts Assured Funding Certificates as proof of economic help.
“Canada will continue to welcome international students from all around the world,” acknowledged IRCC.
Together with assembly different examine allow necessities, candidates beneath the SDS stream have been required to submit language check outcomes and proof of a Canadian GIC valued at CAD $20,635.
As per the discover, SDS and NSE purposes submitted earlier than 2:00 p.m. ET, November 8, 2024, will probably be processed beneath these streams, whereas examine allow purposes submitted on or after this time will probably be processed beneath the common examine allow stream.
The announcement alludes to an enormous shift in Canada’s worldwide pupil program. Reacting on LinkedIn to the information, some stakeholders expressed considerations for longer processing instances, in addition to increased refusal charges.
Nonetheless, with Canadian examine permits projected to drop by almost half this yr, some consider the discount in quantity of purposes may need contributed to the choice to finish SDS.
“All applications for study permit will be done through regular stream only. As it is, we are seeing visas come much faster,” stated Madhav Gupta, director, Enbee Training Centre.
“Maybe the Canadian Government didn’t need two divisions of SDS and regular stream as volumes are lesser due to the caps. The decisions are faster and need for faster SDS doesn’t exist now.”
With the top of those fast-track initiatives, Canada is continuous to pursue overhaul of its immigration insurance policies regarding non permanent residents, together with worldwide college students.
On the 2024 CBIE convention held in Ottawa, although immigration minister Marc Miller acknowledged that there could be no extra “major” coverage modifications in Canada’s worldwide training sector, he didn’t rule out the potential of “small surgical corrections” sooner or later.
“The broad-brush strokes are there, if there’s anything more to be done by the federal government it will be small surgical corrections,” Miller advised the viewers.
