Student Direct Stream (SDS) Visa Category for Pakistani Students
An insight and guide to Canadian education by an experienced International Student.
What is SDS Visa Category?
SDS is an acronym for Student Direct Stream. In 2018, IRCC launched a program for students belonging to India, China, Philippines, Brazil and Vietnam to fast-track their study visa. The normal study process takes from around 6–12 months, where as SDS category gave the students the advantage to receive a study visa in around 20-40 calendar days with a better visa acceptance rate. Later in 2019, IRCC updated their list adding several other countries including Pakistan.
Find out if you are eligible to apply to Canada’s SDS category
Like any program, you need to check whether you are eligible to apply to this category if you plan to study in Canada. You need to meet ALL the conditions listed below to be able to avail this awesome opportunity:
1.Proof of a Valid Language Test Result:
Canadian Government has made sure that only students who have an understanding and a grasp of the language are eligible to apply for the SDS program so that they don’t struggle too much to adjust in the Canadian environment.
IELTS is the standard form of language testing system which is recognized internationally. You need to score an overall 6.5 Band. There are 4 main components in the exam:
- Speaking
- Reading
- Listening
- Writing
To meet the Eligibility criteria, you need no less than 6.0 Band in each component of the exam.
2. Proof of Guaranteed Investment Certificate (GIC):
Guaranteed Investment Certificate or GIC in short is basically an Investment that you make in Canada to ensure that you have enough funds to support yourself for the year. You need to buy at least CAD $10,000 + (CAD $200 International Wire Transfer fee) to provide the proof.
Here is the catch… The applicant MUST open a PKR/Dollar account in their OWN name to wire transfer the money from Pakistan to the bank in Canada. There is no other way around it.
There are several banks in Canada which offer GIC to International Students. The most popular among those are Scotiabank, TD Canada Trust , CIBC and BMO.
3. Proof of Full Payment for the First Year Tuition Fee:
Canada is well-known to be a welfare state, which means that a huge chunk of Canadian taxes goes out to support the needy. Therefore, Canadian government is cautious not to bite more than they can chew and they need to make sure that if you are coming to Canada, you can take care of yourself.
Full payment of the tuition fee for the first year assures the Immigration Officer that you have enough financial support to not be in trouble after you have landed in Canada. Thus, this is an important requirement that you have to fulfil.
Keep those receipts in handy because you will need to document them while filing the visa!
4. Letter of Acceptance from a DLI institute in Canada:
To prevent educational scams and frauds, the Canadian government has assigned a DLI number to authentic colleges and universities in Canada.
DLI refers to Designated Learning Institute. Before applying to a college or university in Canada, make sure that it is included in the official DLI list on the Canadian government website.
Quick note: Also, make sure to check if the institution is eligible to provide PWGP (Post Graduate Work Permit) if you plan on working or applying for a PR (Permanent Residency) in Canada after you have graduated.
5. Most Recent Secondary or Post-Secondary Educational Transcript:
Canada takes pride in it’s education system, therefore scrutiny of the applicant’s past educational performance is important to consider before letting them in Canada. Again, they want to make sure that the applicant is able to fit in the Canadian environment.
You have to have at least 60–70% in your previous transcripts to be considered for the program. From experience, the more presentable your transcript is, the better your case will be and the higher chances of visa acceptance you will have.
6. Upfront Medical Examination
To be able to travel to Canada and even work in certain fields here such as the service industry, Canadian government requires you to have a Upfront Medical examination to ensure that you are not bringing along any detrimental infectious diseases. Canada is a health conscious country after all.
You can get an Upfront Medical examination from only a few approved places for which you need to book appointment 2–4 weeks prior.
You should expect chest x-ray, urine laboratory test and physical exam which includes:
- weighing
- measuring height
- checking hearing and vision
- Checking blood pressure
- feeling your pulse
- listening to your heart and lungs
- feeling your abdomen
- checking how your limbs move
- looking at your skin
IOM Migration Health Assessment Centre has panel physicians available.
Islamabad: 2nd Floor of Maroof International Hospital, F10 Markaz, Islamabad
E-mail: canmedpk@iom.int
Telephone: Call Centre #(UAN): +92 (051)111–466–472
Lahore: IOM MHAC, 70-H, (near D-Ground) Gulberg-III
E-mail: canmedpk@iom.int
Telephone: Call Centre #(UAN): +92 (051)111–466–472
Karachi: House # F/12, PECHS, Block 6, Shahra-e-Faisal,
Near KFC (Nursery) Karachi
E-mail: mhdislamabad@iom.int
Telephone: + 92 (21) 34385612
Quick Note: Usually, the examination costs around CAD $200
Are you eligible?
If you check all the conditions above or are willing to meet them, then congratulations on taking the first step to being an International Student in Canada. Best of luck to you for the upcoming processes to get to your dream destination.
