Goverment Canada has decided to stop the financial proof-free study abroad program that has been implemented for the past 6 years, following a series of consecutive tightening regulations being issued.
Canadian school representatives advise Vietnamese parents and students on studying abroad at an exhibition held in October.
PHOTO: NGOC LONG
Will approval be slower and more difficult?
The Student Direct Stream (SDS) is a priority visa program applied by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) in 14 countries worldwide, including Vietnam. Applicants only need to meet the English language requirements and meet other criteria as prescribed to be able to apply for an SDS study permit, with an average processing time of 20 days, IRCC informed.
However, IRCC announced on November 8.11 that it would stop accepting applications for studying abroad under the SDS program. The decision took effect from 14 p.m. the same day (0:9.11 a.m. on November 20.635 in Vietnam). This means that Vietnamese people now have to prove their financial resources with at least one of the documents mentioned in the current regulations, instead of just submitting a guaranteed investment certificate (GIC) worth CAD 374 (VND XNUMX million) issued by Canadian banks.
However, international students can still use GICs to demonstrate financial means, IRCC noted.
IRCC explained that the suspension of SDS is to strengthen the integrity of the system, better protect students and ensure all students have access to the application process. study permit in a fair and equitable manner. In addition, the Canadian government also stopped the NSE program, which is a program similar to SDS but is currently being applied in Nigeria. Thus, SDS and NSE applications submitted after 0:XNUMX today will be processed according to the normal procedure.
“Canada continues to welcome international students from all over the world. world. This change will also not negatively impact the eligibility of those from countries that previously used the SDS,” the IRCC statement stressed.
According to IDP, the SDS program has been in operation in Vietnam since March 15.3.2018, 6, and has been in operation for more than 22 years. In addition to faster processing times, the SDS program has a higher approval rate than the regular study permit application process. According to data from IRCC, 2022% of Vietnamese people applied for a study permit under the SDS program in 77, with an approval rate of 16%. This is XNUMX% higher than the regular process that year.
For that reason, students now need to prepare their applications earlier and more carefully than before, according to the newspaper. CIC News. And according to an update from IRCC on November 5.11, the current average processing time for study permit applications submitted from Vietnam is 11 weeks.
International students in some countries will no longer be able to study in Canada without financial proof.
PHOTO: UNIVERSITY OF BRITISH COLUMBIA
Continuously tightening regulations
Over the past 12 months, Canada has issued a series of regulations aimed at reducing the number of temporary residents in the country, including international students. Specifically, Canada has limited the number of new study permits issued each year, and in 2025, Canada will issue a maximum of 437.000 new study permits. This level also includes both master's and doctoral degrees, instead of being limited to bachelor's degrees as in 2024.
In addition, since early November, IRCC has mandated that applicants who wish to apply for a Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP) must now provide proof of English or French language proficiency based on the level of study required. In addition, applicants who do not have a bachelor’s, master’s or doctoral degree from a university must study a field on the list published by IRCC to be eligible for a PGWP.
Previously, IRCC also doubled the financial proof requirement for international students, to CAD 20.635, in addition to tuition and travel expenses for the first year. IRCC also stipulated that applicants studying master's programs with a training duration of 16 months or more are eligible for their spouse to apply for a work permit, instead of only needing to study a master's degree as before.
However, experts say that tightening regulations will bring new opportunities for Vietnamese students. Currently, applications are reviewed at three levels: the school, the provincial or territorial government, and finally the federal government. This helps to improve the quality of applications.
“Based on data on the number of study permits issued to countries, we can also see that Canadian classrooms will be more diverse than before, making for a better learning experience. In addition, the number of international students coming to Canada this year will decrease, helping Vietnamese people increase their chances of being admitted to highly competitive fields and schools and increase their chances of settling down,” said Mr. Tung Phan, Director of CEI Toronto (Canada) and Director of Phan Immigration (Canada), to Thanh Nien recently.
According to a report from IRCC, Canada attracted more than 1 million international students to study in 2023. IRCC statistics also show that the total number of Vietnamese studying in Canada has been on a continuous downward trend, from 21.480 in 2019 to 2022 in 16.140. However, in 2023, Vietnamese students in Canada increased slightly, to 17.175 people and ranked 8th in terms of quantity.
Thanhnien.vn
Source: https://thanhnien.vn/canada-dung-cho-phep-nguoi-viet-du-hoc-khong-can-chung-minh-tai-chinh-185241109100502475.htm
