New Delhi: The Canadian government has decided to end the fast-track student visa program, which has been highly beneficial for students wishing to migrate abroad. The decision to terminate the program was announced on Friday. As a result, students from several countries, including India, are now facing a crisis.
The Fast-Track Student Visa program was launched under the Student Direct Stream (SDS) initiative in 2018. Under this program, students with a Canadian Guaranteed Investment Certificate (GIC) and proficiency in English or French could receive a visa within weeks.
With the termination of the program, applicants from many countries, including India, China, and the Philippines, are now in a state of uncertainty. These countries were among the 14 nations whose students had predominantly relied on this visa option.
The Canadian government has stated that the move to cancel the visa program is part of efforts to reduce the number of international students. In the coming days, stricter visa requirements are expected to be enforced.