As Omicron raises its head, student visa applications to Canada continue piling up
🔴 Several educational consultants dealing in Canada study visas said that rate of clearance of non-SDS visas before the pandemic was high.
4 min read
Non-Students Direct Stream (SDS) is a general visa application category under which also students can apply. (File)As the pandemic rages on, there is no end to rising pendency of student visas in Punjab. There was a temporary increase in student visas being granted by Canada recently, but the Omicron threat has reversed the trend. And it is the non-SDS (Student Direct Stream) category students who are suffering the most as the number of these approvals have been slashed down majorly.
There are two categories under which the students can apply for studying in Canada and these include SDS (Student Direct Stream) and non-SDS. SDS was introduced in 2018 as before this students were applying under Student Partner Programme (SPP). Non-SDS is a general visa application category under which also students can apply.
Several educational consultants dealing in Canada study visas said that rate of clearance of non-SDS visas before the pandemic was high.
In SDS, mainly four conditions are required to be met by the students including IELTS with minimum 6 bands in all categories of testing, offer letter from the Designated Learning Institute (DLI) falling under SDS list of colleges, Guaranteed Investment Certificate (GIC) to cover the cost of living and advance payment of the one year fee.
Under non-SDS category, students with 5.5 bands in one of the four spheres, but overall 6 bands can apply and also they need to show sufficient funds in their accounts for their living expenses for one year instead of depositing the same.
“Due to lockdowns, there was huge pendency in clearing the visa applications of the students, who have applied in both SDS and non-SDS categories, and from India itself it is between 3 to 3.5 lakh applications in these two years of pandemic. Canada now prefers SDS category first because of which non-SDS applicants are facing heavy refusal,” said Hardeep Singh, Harnidh Overseas Pathway Education, a consultant, adding that since 2018 when the number of colleges which can give study permits to the students have gone up from 47 to around 500, the number of applications have also increased manifold.
“With the introduction of SDS, now the applications numbers are going up. But because of Covid restrictions, Canada is considering only those who got high bands in the IELTS and are applying under SDS category,” he said.
Narpat Singh Babbar of Jupiter Academy, who is a Canadian Education Consultant, said that earlier if they used to apply 10 applications under non-SDS category then 9 got a nod, but now it is other way round.
He also informed that 35 to 50 per cent of the total number of students appearing for IELTS in Punjab are clearing IELTS with six and above bands in the first attempt and the remaining either take repeat test of IELTS or prefer to apply under non-SDS category if their overall score in 6 bands including 5.5 bands in one out of the four spheres.
“That means around 50 to 60 per cent students are still applying under non-SDS category for studying in Canada though they have options for other locations like in the UK. But majority such students prefer Canada only because of good Permanent Residency (PR) programmes of the Canada,” he said.
“When the applications in non-SDS category are high, then the refusal rate of visas would also be high in this category,” said Babbar.
He informed that there are several SDS colleges which also accept students under non-SDS category, while most students are under the impression that they cannot apply for SDS listed colleges.
He added that there are several places and programmes of the Canadian government under which the students applying under non-SDS can be benefitted.
“There are locations which Canadian government wants to develop under Rural and Northern Immigration (RNPI) Pilot programme and skilled workers can apply here by meeting the required criteria.”
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