August 15, 2023

A Faster Study Permit with the Student Direct Stream

The Fall season is just around the corner, and as international students prepare their applications to come study in Canada, let us have a look at whether you might be eligible for faster study permit processing under the Student Direct Stream.

Student Direct Stream (SDS): About the process

Depending on where you live, you may be able to get your study permit faster through the Student Direct Stream (SDS). IRCC strives to process most SDS applications within 20 calendar days. Only applications submitted electronically are eligible for SDS processing.

Eligibility requirements

To be eligible for faster processing through the Student Direct Stream, you must:

• be a legal resident living in 1 of the following countries:
  • Antigua and Barbuda
  • Brazil
  • China
  • Colombia
  • Costa Rica
  • India
  • Morocco
  • Pakistan
  • Peru
  • Philippines
  • Senegal
  • Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
  • Trinidad and Tobago
  • Vietnam

• have an acceptance letter from a post-secondary designated learning institution
• live outside of Canada when you apply,
• have proof you have paid your tuition for your first year of study. This may be in the form of the following:

1. 1. a receipt from the DLI
   2. an official letter from the DLI confirming payment of tuition fees
   3. a receipt from a bank showing that tuition fees have been paid to the DLI
   4. proof that the tuition fee amount has been transferred into a repository account at the DLI to be applied to the tuition bill at a later date

• have a Guaranteed Investment Certificate (GIC) of CAN$10,000 more from any bank insured by the Canadian Deposit Insurance Corporation (CDIC) or any bank listed on the IRCC SDS web page. The GIC must meet the following criteria:

1. 1. When the GIC has been purchased, the bank provides a letter of attestation, the GIC certificate, the Investment Directions Confirmation or the Investment Balance Confirmation to the applicant.
   2. The bank holds the funds in an investment account or a student account that is inaccessible for release to the applicant until the applicant’s arrival in Canada.
   3. Upon entry to Canada, the bank must validate the client’s identity before releasing funds to the study permit holder.
   4. The applicant receives an initial disbursement upon identifying themselves, and the remaining funds are disbursed in monthly or bimonthly instalments over a period of 10 to 12 months.

• have an attestation of issuance of your Quebec Acceptance Certificate (CAQ) from the ministère de l’Immigration, de la Francisation et de l’Intégration
  • This is only if you’re planning to study in Quebec.
• get a medical exam before you apply (if you need one)
• get a police certificate before you apply (if you need one)
• have your most recent secondary or post-secondary school transcript(s)
• have the minimum score required for one of the qualifying language tests

Depending on where you’re applying from, you may also need to provide other documents. Make sure you include all the documents required by the visa office that processes your application.

Family members of study permit applicants under the SDS

Family members of principal applicants who are applying under the SDS are eligible for concurrent processing if they apply at the same time as the primary applicant. For more information, see the definition of a family member in subsection R1(3).

Temporary residence applications (work permit, study permit and temporary resident visa applications) of the accompanying family members must be submitted online as part of a family grouping.

Who isn’t eligible for the Student Direct Stream

If you live anywhere other than 1 of the countries listed above (even if you’re a citizen of one of the countries above), you must apply through the regular study permit application process.