Indian students who are going to study in Canada in 2025, what new rules will they have to keep in mind?

Canada’s Policies for Indians: Canada has always been very popular for studying among Indian students. The Ministry of External Affairs told Parliament this year that 4.27 lakh Indian students are studying in Canada. The main reasons for studying in Canada are its world-class education and job visa after degree. However, Canada has recently changed many rules regarding Indian students. Because of this, Indian students are facing a lot of problems.
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) recently announced that it has discontinued the ‘Student Direct Stream’ (SDS) visa program. This has been the biggest change that has happened in Canada for Indian students. It was easy for Indians to obtain visas through SDS. All study permit applications will now have to go through the regular route, making it challenging to obtain a study permit. Let us know what are the advantages and disadvantages of removal of SDS on Indian students.

What were the benefits of SDS to students?

The Canadian government launched the SDS program in 2018, which was benefiting students from 14 countries including India. This program was introduced so that visa processing time could be speeded up. However, students obtaining a study permit through SDS also had to fulfill certain conditions, which required them to submit tuition fees, bank balance to prove living expenses and other things in advance. Due to this, the students’ expenses from SDS also increased.

What was the impact of SDS withdrawal on Indians?

It was expected that the visa waiting time would be longer than the regular study permit route, as this was the one that would be under the most pressure after the end of the SDS. However, this has not happened even a month after the SDS ended. However, in some cases Indian students have had to wait a long time for study permits. The main reason for this was their not submitting sufficient documents. This is why Indian students are advised to keep all the documents ready in advance.

The best benefit for Indian students is that they will not have to go through a long process to obtain a study permit through the regular route. The visa process has been made much easier in the regular route, due to which the students are happy. In this, one year’s advance tuition fee is not required to be paid, which was required in SDS. Also, proof of living expenses is also not necessary. For this reason the regular study permit route is more beneficial for a large number of Indian students.

What things will students going to Canada next year need to keep in mind?

Indian students going to study in Canada in 2025 will have to learn how to obtain a study permit through the regular route after the SDS ends. They need to know about all the important documents which are required for admission and visa. If you also go to study in Canada next year, remember that you will no longer get a study permit through SDS. You must apply through the regular study permit route.