Student Direct Stream (SDS)

Student Direct Stream (An Overview)

Students from a few countries can find their Study Permit applications being cleared through a fast-track process that boasts of turnaround times of around 20 calendar days. This is known as The Student Direct Stream and is available for students of those countries that see a larger number of study permit applications being submitted each year. To be eligible, the student must be a legal resident living in any of the following countries:

• India
• Vietnam
• Morocco
• The Philippines
• Pakistan
• Senegal
• China

Because of the fast-track nature of processing standards used to approve SDS cases, the minimum pre-requisites to receive an approval under SDS are slightly more rigorous then a regular Study Permit Application. The applicant must submit the following documents through an Online application process to be eligible:

• Acceptance letter from a post-secondary designated learning institution (DLI)
• Proof of 1st year of Canadian tuition fee being paid in full
• Guaranteed Investment Certificate (GIC) of CAD $10,000
• Proof of Medical Exam completed upfront
• Proof of Police Clearance Certificate completed upfront (if needed)
• Most recent secondary or post-secondary school transcript(s)
• Have a language test result that shows:
• For English: Minimum IELTS score of 6.0 on each Language skill( reading, writing, speaking and listening)
• For French: Minimum TEF score of 7.0 on each Language skill( reading, writing, speaking and listening)

Additional Requirements for applicants

• Applicant must be living outside of Canada & in one of the 7 eligible countries at the time of applying
• A citizen of one of these countries not living in one of these countries is also not eligible to apply.
• For studying in Quebec, the applicant must have a Certificat d’acceptation du Québec (CAQ) from the Ministère de l’Immigration, de la Francisation et de l’Intégration
• Additional documents may be requested which an applicant must be prepared to provide.

Guaranteed Investment Certificate (GIC)

A Guaranteed Investment Certificate is one of the requirements for all students applying for a Study Permit under The Student Direct Stream. The nature in which a GIC returns back the student’s investment acts like a proof of Living Expenses for the student after landing in Canada. The Banks offering these investment opportunities give a guaranteed rate of return for a fixed period of time. A student who pays into a GIC for one year from his/her home country gets back a lump sum from the bank upon arrival and the remaining invested funds through installments spread over an year. It is the student’s responsibility to prove his/her identity before the release of any funds start. Any of the following documents can be used as proof of GIC under the SDS application process:

• a letter of attestation
• a GIC certificate
• an Investment Directions Confirmation or
• an Investment Balance Confirmation

Some of the popular financial institutions offering GICs:

• Scotiabank
• Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce (CIBC)
• RBC Royal Bank
• HSBC Bank of Canada
• SBI Canada Bank
• Desjardins
• ICICI Bank
• Bank of China