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 aim is to strengthen program integrity, handle scholar vulnerability, and provides all college students equal and honest entry to the applying course of, in addition to a constructive tutorial expertise,” IRCC mentioned in a assertion saying the adjustments.
“To fulfill this dedication, the Scholar Direct Stream (SDS) and Nigeria Scholar Specific (NSE) initiatives have ended as of two:00 pm ET at this time,” 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 below SDS had been normally processed in about 4-6 weeks in comparison with non-SDS permits which took months to get permitted, in some circumstances.
In the meantime, NSE enabled sooner software processing for potential college college students from Nigeria.
In line with IRCC, all new examine allow purposes might be processed by way of the common examine allow stream, which accepts Assured Funding Certificates as proof of monetary help.
“Canada will proceed to welcome worldwide college students from all all over the world,” said IRCC.
Together with assembly different examine allow necessities, candidates below the SDS stream had 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, might be processed below these streams, whereas examine allow purposes submitted on or after this time might be processed below the common examine allow stream.
The announcement alludes to an enormous shift in Canada’s worldwide scholar program. Reacting on LinkedIn to the information, some stakeholders expressed issues for longer processing occasions, in addition to larger refusal charges.
Nonetheless, with Canadian examine permits projected to drop by almost half this yr, some imagine the discount in quantity of purposes may need contributed to the choice to finish SDS.
“All purposes for examine allow might be performed by way of common stream solely. As it’s, we’re seeing visas come a lot sooner,” mentioned Madhav Gupta, director, Enbee Schooling Centre.
“Perhaps the Canadian Authorities didn’t want two divisions of SDS and common stream as volumes are lesser as a result of caps. The selections are sooner and wish for sooner SDS doesn’t exist now.”
With the tip of those fast-track initiatives, Canada is continuous to pursue overhaul of its immigration insurance policies regarding momentary residents, together with worldwide college students.
On the 2024 CBIE convention held in Ottawa, although immigration minister Marc Miller said that there can be no extra “main” coverage adjustments 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 something extra to be performed by the federal authorities it will likely be small surgical corrections,” Miller informed the viewers.
