Ottawa, November 8, 2024 — Canada is committed to providing all international students with equal and fair access to the study permit application process.
The Direct Education Stream (EDV) was launched in 2018 to provide faster processing to eligible post-secondary students. The VDE was eventually opened to legal residents of Antigua and Barbuda, Brazil, China, Colombia, Costa Rica, India, Morocco, Pakistan, Peru, Philippines, Senegal, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago and Vietnam. Prospective university students from Nigeria had a similar process with the Nigeria Student Express (NSE).
Canada’s goal is to strengthen program integrity, address student vulnerabilities, and provide all students with equal and fair access to the application process and a positive university experience. To meet this commitment, the VDE and NSE initiatives ended at 2 p.m. ET today.
Prospective students are encouraged to apply under the study permit stream which accepts guaranteed placement certificates as proof of financial support. Canada will continue to welcome international students from around the world.
Next steps for prospective students
Eligible VDE and NSE applications received before 2:00 p.m. ET on November 8, 2024 will be processed under these streams. Study permit applications submitted after this date will be processed under the regular study permit stream.
This change will not negatively affect the eligibility of individuals from a country where the VDE or NSE initiatives were offered who wish to apply for a study permit. All students, whether or not they were eligible for the VDE or NSE, must meet the Canada study permit application requirements.
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