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Pakistani students to get Canadian visa in 20 days

The Canadian government on Saturday announced its decision to expand the Student Direct Stream (SDS) programme to international students from Pakistan enabling them to get a student visa within 20 days.

Last year, the Canadian government had initiated this program for the students from India, China, Philippines and Vietnam.

According to a press release issued on July 26, Pakistan has also been included in the list of countries, under the SDS programme by the Canadian Immigration Department.

The press release noted that most SDS applications from countries already part of the programme were being processed in under three weeks.

"SDS applications require prospective students to provide more up-front information to officers, including meeting language test requirements in English or French and providing additional information that shows their ability to finance their education. With additional information, officers can process applications more efficiently," it read.

High Commissioner of Pakistan to Canada Raza Bashir Tarar welcomed the decision, adding that it would facilitate the students who desired to study in Canada.

He appreciated the goodwill gesture of the Canadian government and appreciated the special efforts of Immigration Minister Ahmed Hussen and the members of the Canadian Parliament for fulfilling their commitment.

The high commissioner, in his meetings with the Canadian officials, had urged them to include Pakistani students in the SDS programme as "academically Pakistani students were second to none".



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