Can I get a Canada student visa in 4 weeks? Yes! don’t call me crazy yet! While the normal processing time for a normal student permit is 1-3 months. There is an option for students belonging to certain countries to get their Canadian student Visa within 20 Calendar days! Yes, you hear that right! To become eligible for Student Direct Stream (SDS), you must be a legal resident/citizen living in 1 of the countries Antigua and Barbuda, Brazil, China, Colombia, Costa Rica, India, Morocco, Pakistan, Peru, Philippines, Senegal Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Trinidad and Tobago Vietnam.
Other Eligibility requirements:
1) You must live outside Canada and must be awarded an LOA ( Letter of acceptance ) from DLI ( Designated Learning Institution)
2) Proof of fee paid for the first year if you’re planning outside Quebec and must have a Guaranteed Investment Certificate (GIC) in the amount of your intended study expenses.
3) The student should have an attestation of issuance of your Quebec Acceptance Certificate (CAQ) from the Ministère de l’Immigration, de la Francisation et de l’Intégration (This is only if you’re planning to study in Quebec)
4) The student must get a Medical test and a police clearance certificate depending upon the federal and provincial requirements.
5) Must produce a recent secondary or post-secondary school transcript.
6) Should have secured minimum score in any qualifying language tests.
The Canadian authority will ask you to furnish additional documentation concerning the submission. Students from any other country than listed above are not eligible for the Student Direct Stream (SDS).
The application process:
It will be completely online for faster processing. There will not be any application for Student Direct Stream (SDS). You can make use of the Application guide to fill out your application online with scanned copies of your documents. You should be also prepared to pay the biometric fee on most occasions to ensure that the application is processed in time.
Processing: Biometrics completion.
Once the application fee including the biometric fee is paid, you will be sent a letter to provide biometrics. The letter will guide you on where to give your biometrics depending upon your location. You will need to carry the letter and the original passport while giving the biometrics at the designated location. Once the biometrics has been received the application will be processed. Normally the Student Direct Stream applications are processed within 20 Calendar days if the application is eligible. If the application doesn’t meet the eligibility requirement for Student Direct Stream, it will be considered as a regular student permit and the processing will be as per the normal timelines.
If Approved:
If the application is approved, you will be sent a port of entry letter of introduction; this is not your student permit. This document is submitted to the authorities once you arrive in Canada for your studies. It will also be accompanied by an electronic travel authorization (eTA) or a visitor (temporary resident) visa. The eTA will be already linked to your passport and the letter of introduction will have information on it. The eTA is valid for 5 years, make sure that you travel with the linked passport ( The passport that was used to apply for an SDS permit)
When you arrive at the port of entry (POE) the officer will double-check that you meet all the eligibility requirements. If there is no other issue, the office will print your Study permit and give it to you. You must carry all the necessary documentation with you until this point.
If the application is refused, you will still receive an explanation letter. You can always get in touch with the office that sent you the refusal letter for more information about the rejection of your application.
