With over 200,000 Indian nationals studying in different Canadian colleges and universities, India is one of the leading sources of international students for Canada.

What makes Indian nationals a primary source of Canada’s international students in India’s substantial middle-class populations with high English language proficiency is among the foremost requirements for a study permit.

As an aspiring Indian student who wishes to be a part of Canada’s top college or university, you can have an opportunity to fast-track your Canadian study permit application as well. Canada’s Student Direct Stream, i.e., SDS is an expedited pathway that allows Indian nationals to get study permit approval faster.

Please note, apart from India, the legal residents of the following countries are also eligible for faster application processing via SDS:

  • China
  • Morocco
  • Pakistan
  • the Philippines
  • Senegal
  • Vietnam

Eligibility Criteria

To qualify for Student Direct Stream, you must:

  • Be living as a legal resident of India or any one of the other countries mentioned above
  • Have a letter of acceptance from a post-secondary DLI
  • Be living outside of Canada while applying
  • Submit proof of paying tuition fee for the 1st year (a DLI receipt, official confirmation letter from DLI, a bank receipt, etc.)
  • Have a GIC (Guaranteed Investment Certificate) of CAN$10,000
  • Have a Certificat d’acceptation du Québec (CAQ) (only if you want to study in Quebec)
  • Get medical examination done before applying (if required)
  • Get a police clearance certificate before applying (if required)
  • Have your school transcript/s (secondary/post-secondary)
  • Have valid language test result with a score of 6.0 or above in all four skills (reading, writing, speaking and listening) in IELTS or a Test d’évaluation de français (TEF) score equivalent to minimum CLB 7 in each all four skills

Bring along your family to Canada while you study

Your family members, including your spouse or common-law partner & your dependent children, can also avail yourself of faster processing on their visitor visa, work permit or study permit only if you both complete and submit the applications simultaneously.

If you fail, the IRCC will not process your family members’ applications faster.

Study in Canada from India

You may follow the step-by-step process mentioned below to apply for Canada Student Visa from India in 2022:

  • Discover your eligibility for admission
  • Choose a study program and university in Canada on the basis of educational and professional history
  • Apply for admission upon selecting a study program and obtain a letter of acceptance from a designated learning institution (DLI) in Canada before applying for a study permit
  • Apply for a Study Permit once you gather all the supporting documents
  • Meet the eligibility for faster processing

Please note, to get faster processing, you must apply for a study permit online and include all the supporting documents along with your application because a paper-based process is not available for the SDS.

If interested, fill out a free student assessment form to discuss the best options for you!