Canada has ended the Student Direct Stream (SDS), a fast-track study visa programme for international students from 14 countries including India.

The dropping of the SDS visa programme comes at a time India-Canada ties have plummeted over the Justin Trudeau government accusing the Narendra Modi government of targeting Sikh separatists in Canadian soil.

A total of 278,335 students went to Canada from India in 2023 through the SDS visa last year, according to official data.

Ottawa had launched the SDS programme in 2018 for students from Antigua and Barbuda, Brazil, China, Colombia, Costa Rica, India, Morocco, Pakistan, Peru, Philippines, Senegal, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago, and Vietnam.

The programme allowed faster visa processing for eligible post-secondary students.

In a notice issued on Friday on the shutdown of the SDS visa programme, Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) said Canada aims to enhance programme integrity, reduce student vulnerabilities and ensure equal, fair access to the application process, along with a positive academic experience for all students.

To fulfil this commitment the SDS program was discontinued on November 8, the IRCC notice said.

With processing times of just four weeks and high approval rates, the SDS programme made Canada one of the top destinations for international students.

As per the notification, all study permit applications will now go through the regular processing stream, markedly slower and more cumbersome than the SDS.

"Prospective students are invited to apply through the regular study permit stream, which accepts guaranteed investment certificates as proof of financial support. Canada will continue to welcome international students from all around the world," the IRCC said.

For Indian students, this sudden policy shift could mean longer wait times and more uncertainty in their academic plans.