In wake of strained relationship between India and Canada, the Trudeau government has put an end to the popular Student Direct Stream (SDS) programme from Friday. The decision to withdraw the visa came at a time when the diplomatic relations between both the countries are very bad. Canada government, alleged that India was spying in Canada and even accused Indian Ambassador of supplying information of pro-Khalisthani elements. The relationship further turned bitter after Khalisthani fringe elements attacked a Hindu temple, vandalised and physically assaulted Indians. Prime Minister Narendra Modi condemned the attack and called it as a “deliberate” attack.
The SDS programme was launched in 2018 by Canada government enabling a fast processing for eligible post-secondary students from 14 countries, including India. Besides a shorter processing time, the approval rates were also higher under the programme.
as per records, 60 per cent of the four lakh Indian students who sought to study in Canada in 2023 applied under the SDS programme. The approval rate under the SDS programme, CDS for Indian students was consistently higher, breaching 70 per cent in 2023. In contrast, those applying through the regular route had approval rates as low as 10 per cent.
The Canadian government said it was looking to reduce the number of temporary residents in the country, after hosting a record eight lakh study permit holders last year, with the need to alleviate pressures on housing and services. As part of its 2024 policy shifts, the government set a cap of 437,000 new study permits for 2025, covering all levels of education, including post-graduate programmes.
“We’re granting 35 per cent fewer international student permits this year. And next year, that number’s going down by another 10 per cent… Immigration is an advantage for our economy — but when bad actors abuse the system and take advantage of students, we crack down,” Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said while announcing plans to curb inflow of students.
The SDS programme was available to 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.
