Student Direct Stream program ended

Summary#

The government published Ministerial Instructions for the Student Direct Stream Program under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act that effectively end the Student Direct Stream (SDS) for study permit applications received on or after November 8, 2024, at 2:00 p.m., EST. Applications received before that cutoff can still get expedited (priority) processing if they meet the SDS conditions set out in the notice.

What it does#

• Stops giving SDS priority (expedited) processing to any study permit application received on or after November 8, 2024, at 2:00 p.m., EST. Applications submitted after that time will be handled under the regular Study Permit Stream.
• Keeps the possibility of expedited processing for complete SDS applications received before the cutoff, but only if they meet the listed conditions.
• Sets the main eligibility and paperwork requirements that applications received before the cutoff needed to meet to get SDS priority:
  • The applicant must be a legal resident of one of these countries: Antigua and Barbuda, Brazil, China, Colombia, Costa Rica, India, Morocco, Pakistan, Peru, Philippines, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Senegal, Trinidad and Tobago, or Vietnam.
  • Applicants must provide, at the time of application:
    • an acceptance letter from a postsecondary designated learning institution;
    • evidence that tuition for the first year has been paid to that institution;
    • a Guaranteed Investment Certificate (GIC) equal to 75% of the low income cut-off (for study outside Quebec) or equal to the amount in Schedule C of the Québec Immigration Regulation (for study in Quebec);
    • the results of a medical examination;
    • a police certificate;
    • recent secondary or postsecondary transcripts;
    • an approved language test result (see below);
    • if studying in Quebec, a Québec Acceptance Certificate (CAQ).
  • Accepted language tests and minimum scores (must be taken in person; remote/online proctoring not accepted):
    • General tests mapped to a Canadian Language Benchmarks score of at least 7 in each of the four abilities (speaking, listening, reading, writing): IELTS General, CELPIP General, TEF Canada, TCF Canada.
    • Academic tests with listed minimums: IELTS Academic overall 6; CAEL overall 60; Pearson PTE Academic overall 60; TEF - 5 épreuves overall 400; TCF - tout public overall 400.
    • TOEFL iBT overall minimum 83 (results from each of the four abilities required).
• Repeals earlier Ministerial Instructions for the SDS signed December 19, 2023.

Who's affected#

• Prospective international students who applied for a Canadian study permit under the SDS and who submitted a complete application before November 8, 2024, at 2:00 p.m., EST — especially residents of the listed countries who met the SDS documentation rules.
• Applicants who expected to use the SDS but submitted their application on or after November 8, 2024, at 2:00 p.m., EST — they will no longer get expedited SDS processing and will be processed under the regular stream.
• Canadian designated learning institutions, student recruiters, and agents who plan around faster SDS decisions.
• Immigration officers and staff who will apply the new instruction when deciding which applications get priority processing.

Why it matters#

• Timing: If you applied after November 8, 2024, at 2:00 p.m., EST, you should expect the normal (slower) study permit processing times rather than the faster SDS timeline.
• Preparation: Applicants still eligible under the cutoff needed several specific documents up front (tuition payment, GIC, medical exam, police certificate, and in-person language test results). Missing these would affect whether an early application got expedited treatment.
• Practical impacts: Slower processing can affect travel planning, orientation, housing and course registration for students and planning for schools that expect incoming international students.
• Test arrangements: The SDS required in-person language tests only, so test-takers had to arrange physical test dates and locations (no remote proctoring allowed).