Canada halts fast-track visas for foreign students amid dispute with India:

Canada Fast-Track Visa: Canada on November 8 suddenly announced the closure of the Student Direct Stream (SDS) fast-track facility, which was introduced in 2018. Its purpose was to provide fast visas to students from 14 countries, including India, so that they could easily enroll in higher education in Canada. Now this special facility will not be available for new visa applications, and all applications will be dealt with under the normal process. Experts believe that this decision will especially affect Indian students, who used to take advantage of this facility in large numbers.

Importance of SDS and its benefits

The SDS program was particularly beneficial for students who met language and financial requirements. Under this facility, applications were processed within four weeks, which was half the time of the normal process. According to Naresh Chavda, president of the Global Immigration Corporation, the program increased the chances of students getting visas to about 95%. Its closure may now adversely affect the opportunities for Indian students to study in Canada, and the process of obtaining their visas will also slow down.

Canada's interest in Indian students likely to decline

The closure of SDS may lead many Indian students to consider studying options in other countries. One possible reason for the sudden closure of this program could be to control the number of international students. Additionally, Canada has set a study permit target of 437,000 for 2025, which is lower than this year's target of 485,000. This indicates that Canada is probably trying to maintain balance in its education system and control the number of students.

Other changes in the visa process and future implications

In recent months, Canada has made several changes to the visa process. From January 2024, single applicants will have to provide proof that they have a financial capacity of CA$ 20,635 (approximately ₹ 12.7 lakh), up from CA$ 10,000 previously. In addition, from December 2023, all Canadian educational institutions will have to confirm the validity of visa applicants' admission cards. These changes may pose new challenges for Indian students. After the implementation of these policies, the number of Indian and other international students in Canada may see a decline in the coming years.