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Canada

Student · Fast Track

Canada Student Visa (SDS)

The Study Direct Stream is the expedited study-permit route for Pakistani students heading to a Designated Learning Institution in Canada. Meet the conditions and decisions typically land in about 20 calendar days.

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Overview

Who this visa is for

SDS is run by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada and is open to legal residents of Pakistan along with a handful of other countries. It asks for more upfront: a Guaranteed Investment Certificate proving your funds, plus first-year tuition paid before you file. In return, processing runs far faster than the standard study permit stream.

We check your institution against the IRCC DLI list, set up the GIC with a participating Canadian bank, confirm what IELTS or French score you need, and submit the package. A well-prepared SDS file is approved more often than a standard study permit, largely because the financial questions are already answered by the time an officer opens it.

Requirements

What you'll need to bring

Essential documents

  • Letter of Acceptance from a Designated Learning Institution (DLI)
  • Proof of paid first-year tuition, or the full programme if it runs under a year
  • GIC of CAD 20,635, or the current threshold, from a participating bank
  • Valid Pakistani passport
  • IELTS Academic at overall 6.0 or higher with no band below 6.0, or an accepted equivalent
  • Most recent secondary or post-secondary transcripts
  • Upfront medical exam from an IRCC panel physician
  • Police certificate, where required
  • Provincial Attestation Letter (PAL/TAL), where applicable

Eligibility criteria

  • Legal resident of Pakistan, applying from Pakistan
  • Accepted to a Designated Learning Institution
  • Proof of paid first-year tuition
  • GIC purchased from a participating Canadian financial institution
  • Required language test score on IELTS, CELPIP, TEF, or TCF
  • Recent medical exam from an IRCC panel physician
  • Provincial Attestation Letter, where your province requires one

Process

The application step by step

  1. 1

    Institution & program selection

    4–8 weeks

    Shortlist DLIs and programs that actually match your career plan. We verify DLI status and whether a PAL applies before you commit money to anything.

  2. 2

    Acceptance & tuition prepayment

    2–4 weeks

    Secure the Letter of Acceptance and pay first-year tuition, or the full programme fee where the course runs under a year.

  3. 3

    GIC + language test

    2–6 weeks

    Purchase the GIC from a participating bank and sit IELTS Academic, CELPIP, TEF, or TCF at the required band.

  4. 4

    Medical exam & document prep

    2–3 weeks

    Upfront medical with an IRCC panel physician, plus passport, transcripts, and the PAL where one applies.

  5. 5

    Online application & biometrics

    1–2 weeks

    Submit through the IRCC portal, pay the fees, and attend biometrics at VFS Pakistan.

  6. 6

    Decision

    ~20 calendar days

    SDS targets roughly 20 days. On approval you receive a Port of Entry letter.

Processing time

IRCC's published SDS service standard sits at about 20 calendar days from the date you complete biometrics. Standard study permits filed from Pakistan take considerably longer, which is the whole reason SDS is worth the extra upfront work.

Fees

IRCC bills the study-permit application fee, the biometric fee, and the medical exam separately. What we charge depends on your case, and you hear that figure during the eligibility assessment rather than after you have already started.

FAQ

Questions specific to this route

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Interested in the Canada Student Visa (SDS)?

Send us a quick note and we'll reply on WhatsApp within one business day. Prefer to self-screen first? Run the eligibility calculator. Six minutes, no account required.

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