The SDS program currently serves residents of five countries: China, India, Morocco, Pakistan, Philippines, Senegal and Vietnam.
The Government of Canada also expressed plans to extend the program to Kenya.
Canada aims to process all study permit applications eligible for SDS processing in 20 calendar days.
To submit an application for a Canadian study permit through the SDS program, prospective student applicants must:
An application that is approved will be issued a letter of introduction, or what is officially known as a Point of Entry letter of introduction, and a temporary resident visa to enter Canada.
The letter of introduction, or Point of Entry (POE) letter, is issued by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) as proof of approval for a study permit and is presented to a visa officer upon arrival in Canada.
Citizens of one of the countries listed above cannot be residing in another country at the time of applying for a study permit through the SDS program.
Faster study permit processing times
IRCC says through the SDS program complete applications will be reviewed as soon as they are received.
If an application does not meet the requirements for the SDS program, IRCC will process the submission as a regular study permit application. Currently, processing times for Canadian study permit vary based on country of residence.
To find out how long a study permit application takes to process, use our dedicated Canadian immigration processing times tool.