Canada Ends Student Direct Stream and Nigeria Student Express Programs – What Students Need to Know

The Government of Canada has officially ended the Student Direct Stream (SDS) and Nigeria Student Express (NSE) programs, effective at 2:00 p.m. ET on November 8, 2024.

The decision aims to streamline the study permit process and ensure equal access for all international students, regardless of their country of origin.

Launched in 2018, the Student Direct Stream was designed to provide faster processing for eligible post-secondary students from specific countries. Initially, the program was available to legal residents of Antigua and Barbuda, Brazil, China, Colombia, Costa Rica, India, Morocco, Pakistan, Peru, Philippines, Senegal, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago, and Vietnam. Similarly, Nigeria had the Nigeria Student Express program to expedite the process for Nigerian students applying for study permits.

With the end of the SDS and NSE programs, all future study permit applications will be processed under the regular study permit stream. This change does not affect the eligibility of students from countries previously covered by the SDS or NSE. However, all applicants are now required to submit applications under the regular study permit process, which accepts Guaranteed Investment Certificates (GICs) as proof of financial support.

For prospective students, applications submitted before 2:00 p.m. ET on November 8, 2024, will still be processed under the SDS or NSE streams, depending on their respective eligibility. Any study permit applications submitted after this time will be processed through the regular study permit stream.

International students who are looking to apply for study permits should ensure that they meet all application requirements as outlined by Canadian immigration authorities.

For more details on the regular study permit stream, prospective students should visit the official Canadian immigration website.

NOTE: Featured Image is AI generated