The Canadian government has decided to expand the Student Direct Stream (SDS) programme to include international students from Pakistan, enabling them to get a student visa in ‘less than three weeks’.
Canada’s Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, Ahmed Hussen MP, announced expanding the system to Pakistani students on Twitter.
Canada, the minister wrote, “is a global leader in attracting the world’s best and brightest” and “international students are contributing to our economy, enhancing our people to people ties, and growing our academic capital”.
“That’s why we are expanding our Student Direct Stream program to Pakistan,” Hussen added.
On its website, the Canadian government announced the new system, saying: “Depending on where you live, you may be able to get your study permit faster through the Student Direct Stream.
“We try to process most Student Direct Stream applications within 20 calendar days,” it added but stressed that “some applications may take longer than this”.
Pakistan was added to the list, which previously comprised China, Vietnam, the Philippines, and India.
Once a student has “an acceptance letter from a post-secondary designated learning institution”, they can apply for the Student Direct Stream.
The requirements for the Student Direct Stream include giving “your biometrics as soon as possible”, meeting “meet all the eligibility requirements”, and passing a language test.