Indian students to benefit from Canadian Visa rule changes
Torronto, June 25: Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), said that students from India and three other Asian countries will get faster visas to study in Canada as it has introduced major changes in visa procedures to reduce the processing time. The Canadian decision comes at a time when the UK's government has decided to exclude Indian students from easier visa norms.
IRCC, in a statement said that the agency is making great efforts in promoting Canada as a destination of choice for international students in search of quality education by finding efficient ways to process applications.
To support the growth in study permit applications, IRCC announced the Student Direct Stream (SDS), which is available to students applying for a study permit from China, India, Vietnam and the Philippines.
Students from these four countries who demonstrate upfront that they have the financial resources and language skills to succeed academically in Canada will benefit from faster processing times, said the statement.
IRCC also said similar programs have been in place in these 4 countries for a few years.
"We are aligning them together into 1 program to ensure consistency," the statement said.
IRCC is also working on expanding SDS to Africa and are looking at options in Kenya and Senegal.
"Expansion to Senegal would be in line with the department's focus to attract more French-speaking students to Canada," added the statement from the immigration authority.
To qualify for SDS, applicants need to meet additional requirements, in particular language levels that are stricter than regular study permit requirements. Students who do not have all of the additional information required for SDS can apply through the regular study permit application process, either online or at a Visa Application Centre.
The SDS complements the Express Entry system as these students will be well placed to continue on the path to permanent residence and Canadian citizenship after completing their studies in Canada, if they wish to.
The success of the SDS program will be evaluated with the intention to expand the program in 2019.
The new program shall cut down the processing time for study permits (which are student visas) to within 45 days from within 60 days.
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Passing out parade held at IMA Dehradun, 491 young officers join Indian Army
Dehradun(PTI): After undergoing rigorous training at the Indian Military Academy (IMA) in Dehradun, 491 cadets participated in a grand Passing Out Parade on Saturday and will now be commissioned as officers in the Indian Army.
The spectacular parade, held at the historic Drill Square in front of the academy's Chatwood Building, was reviewed by Army Chief General Upendra Dwivedi, who served as the reviewing officer.
Along with 491 Indian cadets, 34 foreign cadets from 14 friendly countries also participated in the Autumn Term 2025 Passing Out Parade.
A total of 525 officer cadets from the 157th Regular Course, 46th Technical Entry Scheme, 140th Technical Graduate Course, 55th Special Commissioned Officers Course, and Territorial Army Online Entrance Exam 2023 Course participated in the Passing Out Parade.
The 'Sword of Honour' and gold medal for securing first place during training was awarded to ACA Nishkal Dwivedi, the silver medal to BUO Badal Yadav for second place, and the bronze medal to SUO Kamaljeet Singh for third place.
The silver medal for securing first place in the 'Technical Graduate Course' was awarded to Officer Cadet Jadhav Sujit Sampat, and the silver medal for first place in the 'Technical Entry Scheme-46' was awarded to WCC Abhinav Mehrotra.
The silver medal for the 'Special Commission Officer Course' was given to Officer Cadet Sunil Kumar Chhetri.
Among the foreign cadets, the first place in merit was secured by JUO Mohammad Safin Ashraf from Bangladesh. The Army Chief's Banner for overall best performance in the Autumn Term was awarded to Imphal Company.
As the parade concluded, helicopters showered flowers on the newly commissioned officers from the sky.
On this occasion, General Dwivedi congratulated the new officers in his address for successfully completing their training. He praised the young officers for their high level of discipline, leadership qualities, and endurance, and urged them to uphold the glorious traditions of the Indian Army and serve the nation with loyalty, commitment, and honour.
General Dwivedi said that joining the army marks the beginning of a lifelong duty and selfless service.
The parents and guardians of the newly commissioned officers were also present during the passing out parade.
