Great news for aspiring students! The Royal College of Canada (RCC) will now be accepting four additional English proficiency tests for Canada study visa applications under the Student Direct Stream (SDS).

Previously, only IELTS General or Academic tests were considered valid for SDS. However, with the recent update, students now have more options to demonstrate their English language skills.

Please note that all tests must be taken in person. Remote-proctored examinations are not applicable to SDS candidates. Ensure you schedule an in-person test to fulfill the English proficiency requirement for your Canada study visa application.

Resident of 14 countries are eligible for faster processing under the Student Direct Stream (SDS) study permit.

CELPIP general exams must meet the Canadian Language Benchmark of 7 in each of the 4 modules of this test.

CELPIP score ranges from 0-12 and 7 bands each in listening, reading, speaking, and writing will be acceptable for SDS.

Cost of CELPIP general is $280 + taxes.

Best thing about CELPIP General, it is also acceptable for permanent residency program such as Express Entry and Provincial Nominee Programs (PNPs).

So an international student with CELPIP general having a study permit will be again able to use the same test for their permanent residency.

CAEL

The Canadian Academic English Language exam is a Canadian English proficiency test. Cost of CAEL is same as CELPIP at $280 + taxes.

The CAEL score runs from 10 to 90. A score of 60 will be acceptable for Canada study visa under SDS.

It is offered at over 40 CAEL test locations in Canada, the United States, India, the United Arab Emirates, the Philippines, and China.

CAEL takes roughly three and a half hours to complete in order to evaluate the four domains of language competency.

Pearson PTE Academic

Good thing to see in this test is, will IRCC accept overall total score? if yes, then this will be best option for someone who is just losing 0.5-2 bands in one of the IELTS module, but able to score more in rest of the modules.

How many countries are eligible for Canada Study Permit under SDS (Student Direct Stream)?

14 countries are eligible for Canada study permit under SDS as listed below:

1. Antigua and Barbuda
2. Brazil
3. China
4. Colombia
5. Costa Rica
6. India
7. Morocco
8. Pakistan
9. Peru
10. Philippines
11. Senegal
12. Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
13. Trinidad and Tobago
14. Vietnam

What are the requirements for Canada Study Visa under SDS (Student Direct Stream)?