Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has launched a new program whereby prospective students from:
- China
- India
- The Philippines, and
- Vietnam
can secure study permits through a new fast-tracked system called the ‘Student Direct Stream’.
To qualify, a student from a listed country must:
- Be accepted by a Designated Canadian Learning Institution (DLI)
[A listing of DLIs can be found at https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/study-canada/study-permit/prepare/designated-learning-institutions-list.html;
please note that all elementary and secondary schools are DLIs (and not found on the list)]
- Submit proof of:
- Payment of first year tuition
- The purchase of a Guaranteed Investment Certificate in the amount of $10,000CDN
- Completion of an upfront medical exam
- Gradation from a Canadian curriculum secondary school, or receive a qualifying language test score of:
- For English: IELTS 6 (www.ielts.org), or
- For French: TEF 7 (www.lefrancaisdesaffaires.fr/tests-diplomes/test-evaluation-francais-tef/tef-canada/)
Students meeting these criteria will have their cases assessed, and if approved, processed forthwith.
Prospective students from these countries can still apply for study permits through the ordinary system if they do not meet any of the criteria noted.
This system may be expanded to other countries after review of the workings of the program, in due course.
Study in Canada for many is a stepping stone to later work, permanent residence and citizenship. As such, the ability to secure a study permit, and indeed secure it in a more efficient manner, is an important consideration in immigration planning.
The information in this article is for general purposes only, and not intended as legal advice for any particular situation.