Canada ends popular student visa program, impacting India and 13 other countries.
The Canadian government has officially discontinued the Student Direct Stream (SDS) program, which facilitated a more efficient application process for international students. This decision is expected to significantly affect numerous prospective students who intended to study in Canada.
The SDS was a widely utilized program for international students hailing from countries such as India, China, Pakistan, Brazil, and Senegal, among others. The program was unexpectedly terminated at 2 PM on November 8 (local time).
In addition, the Nigeria Student Express (NSE) program for Nigerian students has also been terminated. Applications submitted prior to the cutoff will still be processed under the SDS and NSE frameworks. The SDS was introduced in 2018 to expedite processing for qualified post-secondary students and was later expanded to include legal residents from various countries, including Antigua and Barbuda, Brazil, China, Colombia, Costa Rica, India, Morocco, Pakistan, Peru, the Philippines, Senegal, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago, and Vietnam, as stated by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC).
The government has expressed its commitment to ensuring that all international students have equal and fair access to the study permit application process. The IRCC further emphasized that Canada’s objective is to enhance program integrity, address student vulnerabilities, and ensure a positive academic experience for all students. Consequently, future applicants will need to navigate the standard study permit application procedures, which will necessitate obtaining a Provincial Attestation Letter (PAL) or a Territorial Attestation Letter (TAL) to enroll in designated learning institutions (DLIs) across the country.
The IRCC asserts that this modification will not “negatively impact” international students.
This development is particularly significant given the escalating diplomatic tensions between Canada and India.
Canada has accused India of being involved in the assassination of Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, a Khalistani terrorist designated by India, a claim that New Delhi has vehemently rejected, labeling it as “absurd” and “motivated.”
Recently, Ottawa identified Indian High Commissioner to Canada, Sanjay Verma, along with five other diplomats, as ‘persons of interest’ in this investigation. In response, India strongly objected and recalled all six diplomats. Furthermore, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar criticized Canada for allegedly welcoming individuals from India with connections to organized crime, despite warnings from New Delhi.
On May 5, Jaishankar condemned the Justin Trudeau administration for providing a platform and legitimacy to “extremism, separatism, and advocates of violence” under the guise of free speech, stating that Canada has been granting visas to individuals linked to organized crime despite prior alerts.
In reaction, Canada’s Immigration Minister Marc Miller expressed his disagreement, stating that Jaishankar is “entitled to his opinion.”
“We’re not lax. The Indian foreign minister is entitled to his opinion. I will allow him to express his views. However, it is simply not accurate,” he remarked during a broadcast on Cable Public Affairs Channel (CPAC), a Canadian specialty television network.
