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Canada on Tuesday shut the pathway for international students to convert their study permits into permanent residency under its latest immigration policies.
According to the mandate of the new immigration law, international students will henceforth return to their home countries upon the expiration of their study visas in Canada, signaling an end to policies that allowed non-citizens with study permits to transition into permanent residency.
Canada is also terminating the Student Direct Stream (SDS) program and halting asylum claims tied to such immigration pathways.
Canada's Minister of Immigration, Marc Miller, made this known on Tuesday.
This move became pertinent following the recent protests by international students across Canada demanding for a streamlined process to transition from study permits to permanent residency or an extension of their stay.
Responding to the protest, Miller said, “When people come here and decide they want to be students, there are no guarantees to become permanent residents.”
He, however said, while students have a right to protest, the priority of Canada’s immigration policies is to maintain balance and order in the system.
Recall that the Student Direct Stream (SDS) launched in 2018 was aimed at fast-tracking the processing of study permits within 20 days for eligible students from 14 countries.
The permit expanded to include students from Antigua and Barbuda, Brazil, China, Colombia, Costa Rica, India, Morocco, Pakistan, Peru, the Philippines, Senegal, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago, and Vietnam.
