SDS Program for Canada: Benefits, Eligibility, Payment

International candidates who want to study in Canadian universities will need to have a study permit visa to stay in the country for their studies. The Student Direct Stream or SDS is a type of program for international candidates looking for a study permit and struggles with the Canada visa processing time and proper documents. With this SDS program candidates will now be able to get the study permit within a visa processing time period of twenty working days.

The SDS program has been launched by IRCC (Immigration Refugee and Citizenship Canada) for international candidates to make their visa applications faster and easier. It is considered as an expedited study permit program for the candidates, applying for post-secondary designated learning universities in Canada. The SDS processing is eligible for the candidates who are legal residents of countries like India, Vietnam, Morocco, Brazil, Columbia, etc.

What is SDS Program?

International candidates who want to study in Canada can get their study permit faster than any other visa application with the use of the SDS processing program. The IRCC provides the study permit to candidates within the twenty calendar days of their Canada student visa processing time. Candidates will need to submit their SDS applications through online mode.

The paper applications are mainly processed under the regular study permit application. The countries that are eligible for the SDS processing will need to submit their admissibility requirements under the ACT of IRPA (Immigration and Refugee Protection Act) and IRPR (Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations).

Benefits of SDS program

SDS Program comes with various benefits apart from reducing the processing time. Hence, candidates who are applying for the study permit with the SDS program must know the following benefits:

• Various Financial Institutions are listed in the SDS program and they offer a guaranteed post-secondary study permit in comparison to others.
• Candidates will get six bands in every module for the SDS application.
• The Student Direct Stream is linked with the students directly.

SDS Eligibility Requirements

Candidates who need to get their visa processed quickly through the Student Direct Stream are required to meet the following eligibility criteria

• Must be a legal resident living in any one of the countries listed below:
  • Antigua and Barbuda
  • Brazil
  • China
  • Colombia
  • Costa Rica
  • India
  • Morocco
  • Pakistan
  • Peru
  • Philippines
  • Senegal
  • Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
  • Trinidad and Tobago
  • Vietnam
• University acceptance letter for post-secondary education from a designated learning institutes
• Not living in Canada
• Proof of first-year tuition fees
• Must have a GIC (Guaranteed Investment Certificate) of 10,000 CAD
• Proof of medical certificate (if applicable)
• No criminal record or police certificate (if applicable)
• Official transcripts from recently attended the academic institute
• Must have proof of English Proficiency language tests that shows:
  • An IELTS score of 6.0 or higher in each one of the skills (reading, speaking, writing, and listening)
  • Or a TEF score which is equal to the Canadian Language Benchmark of at least 7 in each skill.

However, the eligibility requirements may vary depending upon the country from which you are applying.

Proof of Full Payment of First-year Fees

Candidates providing the proof of their tuition fees of first-year study must be informed about the following points:

• Receipt from the DLI
• Have an official letter from the DLI showing the confirmation of tuition fees
• Receipt from the bank showing the payment of first-year fees
• Proof showing the transfer of tuition fees to the repository account of DLI

Designated Learning Institutes

The universities/colleges/schools approved by a territorial or provincial government for international candidates are considered as Designated Learning Institutes. Almost every public and private university, college in Canada come under DLI. Any international candidate who is applying for study permits in Canada through SDS will need to provide a letter of acceptance from the DLI colleges. However, only international candidates are eligible for the DLI institutes.

Guaranteed Investment Certificate

The Guaranteed Investment Certificate or GIC is a Canadian investment that provides a guaranteed rate of return for a fixed time period. It has been offered by a large number of banks. However, banks offering you the GIC must have to follow the following points:

• They need to need to confirm that any candidates getting the GIC must provide any one of the prerequisites
  • Letter of attestation
  • GIC certificate
  • Investment Directions Confirmation or
  • Investment Balance Confirmation
• Have the GIC in an investment or student account
• Release the funds by giving
  • An initial lump sum
  • The remainder of the funds is on monthly or bi-monthly installments over a span of ten to twelve months.

Candidates whose banks or GIC does not meet the above-mentioned criteria will not be able to apply for the Student Direct Stream (SDS) application.

Financial Institutions Offering GICs

The international candidates can get the GIC certificate from the financial institutions that are listed on the website of the Canadian Deposit Insurance Company. Candidates must make sure that their financial institutions offer the GIC certificate and are eligible for the SDS program.

Financial Institutions that are offering the GICs are given below:

• ICICI Bank
• Bank of Beijing
• RBC Royal Bank
• SBI Canada Bank
• Scotiabank
• Simplii Financial
• Bank of China
• Bank of Montreal (BMO)
• Bank of Xian Co. Ltd.
• Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce (CIBC)
• DesjardinsFootnote1
• Habib Canadian Bank
• HSBC Bank of Canada
• Industrial and Commercial Bank of China
• TD Canada Trust

Medical Examination and Police Certificate

Candidates need to provide their proof of medical certificate and a police certificate on the basis of the country from which they are applying. They must submit the certificates in order to get the application processed faster.

• Candidates who are required to provide the medical exam must be:
  • Lived or traveled in some countries for six months or more in a year before arriving in Canada
  • Plan on studying or working
    • the health field
    • primary or secondary education
    • child or elder care

For a police certificate, candidates will need to contact their visa office for instructions.

SDS Program For Relatives

Candidates who want to bring their spouse, common-law partner, and dependent children with you in Canada must be able to get faster processing on the following application

• Visitor visa
• Work permit in Canada
• Study permit

Candidates who are applying through the Student Direct Stream system must make sure that they come under the listed countries. If any candidates who are not from the listed countries will be required to apply through the regular study permit application process.

Candidates who get a post-secondary work permit will be eligible for studying in Canada and can work in Canada for three consecutive years after their graduation. However, they can also apply for permanent residence in Canada after one year of work.

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