Student Direct Stream | Guide to Secure your Permit in 1 Go
For all students wanting to secure a study permit for Canada, here is an ultimate guide to help you pass through smoothly.
The standard stream and SDS Canada are the two application routes for study permits for students who meet all eligibility conditions. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) offers SDS, an expedited study permit process. Starting in any subsequent term, UBC has started accepting pre-payment of tuition from qualified international students beginning in the winter of 2022.
What Is Student Direct Stream?
Students Direct Stream meaning is a program that is designed for international students to apply for study permits to 14 destination countries to study abroad. Any application applied using this permit will be processed within 20 days. It is a permit and does not work as a visa for any country. International students from the following countries can apply for students direct stream:
- Antigua and Barbuda
- Brazil
- China
- Colombia
- Costa Rica
- India
- Morocco
- Pakistan
- Peru
- Philippines
- Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
- Senegal
- Trinidad and Tobago
- Vietnam
However, if you wish to apply for the same, there are very strict criteria that you must follow. Some students are confused about the difference between SDS and SDS Category Canada. If you want to know, "What Is SDS Category In Canada?" then the above section have answered you, as they both are the same.
In the next section, we have prepared the list of items you must possess to get the Study Permit through Students Direct Stream.
What Is the Eligibility Criteria for SDS?
Study permits approved through SDS have many strict SDS category requirements. The first one is that:
- You should be a legal resident of one of the countries, as stated in the above section. Only international students belonging to the loss of these countries can apply for an SDS study permit.
- If you are a legal citizen of the above-mentioned countries, then the second list of requirements you must possess should be having an acceptance letter from a post-secondary designated learning institution.
- At the point of time when you are applying for the SDS Study Permit, you must be living outside Canada. This is to ensure that you are not part of Canada while you apply. Based on this, SDS Visa processing time
- A study permit is granted to international students who want to continue studies abroad in Canada after 1st-year completion. They should have proof of paid first-year tuition fees without fail; only then will the permit be granted.
- Another set of eligibility that you must possess is that you should have successfully gone through the medical exam and police verification and have got a certificate for approval from them.
- After having these certifications, you should also hold a hard copy of proof of your secondary and post-secondary academic transcripts to prove your academic background for the SDS student's study stream.
- Apart from all these documents and eligibility criteria, you must also have scored minimum marks for one of the language proficiency 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.
What Are the Documents Required for SDS?
Before we move on to the application process for an SDS Visa, you will know more about the documents needed to proceed with your application. Following are the list of paper that you will need to have:
- IELTS TRF or TEF scorecard
- Copy of your medical examination from an authorized panel of doctors.
- Relevant academic background with complete academic documents.
- Additional requirement of CAQ for students intending to study in Quebec.
- Letter of acceptance from a DLI.
- Proof of payment of tuition for your first year of study.
- Proof of Guaranteed Investment Certificate (GIC) payment (certificate/letter of attestation).
- Copy of your medical examination from a DLI.
- Relevant academic background with complete academic documents.
To apply for the SDS category Canada, you are required to have the given piece of paper in your documents. However, each one of them has its own process for evaluation, even though you are expected to have each one of them in your set of papers before you go for the application process online.
How to Apply for Student Direct Stream?
You must apply online through the Student Direct Stream in order to receive your study permit more quickly. For this programme, there is no paper application.
Make sure you have the following before applying online:
- A computer with Internet access
- A working credit or debit card to make payments; a scanner or digital camera to create electronic copies of your papers;
- You must choose your nation from the drop-down list on this page, then adhere to the given procedures to begin the application process.
The first step is to create an internet account. This account will be used by you to pay application fees, submit your application, and track the progress of your application.

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After you have submitted your biometrics, the majority of Student Direct Stream applications are processed within 20 calendar days. Your application will be considered as a standard study permit, and you won't receive speedier processing if it doesn't match the SDS Visa requirements for the Student Direct Stream.
If your request is accepted, you will get:
- A letter of introduction that you must present at the port of entry when entering Canada.
- Depending on what you require to enter Canada, either an electronic travel authorization (eTA) or a visitor (temporary resident) visa.
This is how a complete process of SDS permit takes place. From step 1 to the end of it, you are required to be perfect with your eligibility paperwork and follow the set application process. If you wish to experience a smooth process for Students Direct Stream, ensure you follow the proper process.
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