The IRCC has approved four additional English language assessments for the Canada Student Visa applicants

Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has just stated that language test scores from four new examinations will be accepted for Student Direct Stream (SDS) applicants.

The IRCC will begin accepting test results from these four new tests on August 10, 2023.

The following tests are now eligible:

• CAEL 
• PTE Academic 
• CELPIP General
• TOEFL iBT Exam

All test results must demonstrate proficiency in the following areas: speaking, listening, reading, and writing. CELPIP general exams must yield a score of at least 7 in each of the four language speaking abilities, which is equivalent to the Canadian Language Benchmark.

CAEL and Pearson PTE Academic test results must be at least 60.

The TOEFL iBT Test from Educational Testing Service (ETS) requires a minimum score of 83.

These exams must be taken in person by students. Remotely proctored online tests will not be acceptable for SDS applicants.

Prior to this adjustment, the only examinations permitted by IRCC for SDS applicants were IELTS General and IELTS Academic.

What exactly is the SDS?

For students from specified countries, the SDS facilitates faster processing of study visas. 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, or Vietnam are eligible students.

All study permit applications qualified for SDS must be processed within 20 days in Canada.

The SDS, which debuted in 2018, is especially popular among Indian overseas students.

Who qualifies for the SDS?

Students who meet these criteria must, in addition to being legal citizens of specified countries, also:

• a copy of an acceptance letter from a Canadian Designated Learning Institution (DLI);
• provide a confirmation letter for the applicant's initial medical examination;
• demonstrate that they have received a $10,000 Guaranteed Investment Certificate (GIC);
• demonstrate that tuition for the first year of study has been paid;
• produce documentation of language test results completed within two years of receiving the SDS application, demonstrating an IELTS score of 6 in English or NCLC 7 in French; and
• Fill out an application at a Visa Application Centre (VAC).

Over 800,000 international students presently live in Canada.

According to IRCC, Canada will host over 800,000 overseas students by the end of 2022, the most in the country's history. Because of a variety of domestic and international reasons, Canada's international student population has doubled since 2008. Domestically, the Canadian government and DLIs have increased their efforts to attract international students for a variety of economic, social, and cultural reasons. Globally, the international student population has increased as the global middle class has grown.