Canada’s SDS closure may deter Indian students: Experts

NT Correspondent

Bengaluru

Canada has discontinued the Student Direct Stream (SDS) program, with immediate effect. For many years, the SDS pathway provided a shortened, 20-day visa processing time for Indian students, by expediting the study permit application procedure through Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC). Now, students will have to follow the standard approval process which may attract more severe scrutiny and waiting times, reports FPJ.

Impact on student immigration: Sumit Sen, a Canadian immigration lawyer and Managing Partner at SEN LAW, foresees that the removal of the SDS will significantly reduce the number of students entering Canada. “From 1st November, international students will not get a work permit unless they have finished a course in STEM, agriculture, trades, construction, or logistics,” he noted, predicting that increased scrutiny and a higher rate of refusals may follow. Sen further hinted that many Indian students would be deterred from studying in Canada since the SDS has been terminated.

Strategic implications Mayank: Maheswari, Cofounder & COO of University Living puts it, "The recent immigration updates to Canada appear to lean more towards quality students who aspire to get into the greatest worldwide institutions in terms of much-severe immigration caps and even increased restrains." "We will need to take a 'wait and watch' approach," Maheswari said.

He also mentioned that the diplomatic tussle between Canada and India could be one of the reasons. Maheswari recommended that students plan their applications well in advance and explore additional study destinations. “Germany, Ireland, Italy, Spain, and Singapore are emerging as viable alternatives, offering more options and broadening academic opportunities for international students,” he added. Rahul Subramaniam, co-founder of Athena Education, believes that this move is a "pivotal shift" in how Canada is approaching the international student stream, particularly for the Indian stream, which has been using SDS for several years. And as long as the expedited pathway remains closed, permit-seeking students have had little choice but to apply for permits through a process Subramaniam says will require "meticulous planning and proactive engagement."

What is the SDS program? In 2018, the SDS program was introduced with the goal of expediting and streamlining the application process for students from 14 countries, including India, as long as they fulfilled certain prerequisites, such as submitting their biometrics. Since Canada is the destination in a rising trend for Indian students, SDS turned out to be the preferred application method within a short period of time because SDS does not take much time to process and has a very high rate of approvals. So, it was around 80% of Indian students in 2022 who made SDS, but now in the months between January and March 2023, SDS Indian applicants registered a 76% approval ratio, whereas applicants for traditional applications recorded an 8% approval ratio.