Starting in September 2026, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has officially launched compliance investigations targeting a specific group of study permit extension applications: those where the original study permit was issued under the Student Direct Stream (SDS), a fast-track program cancelled on November 8, 2024. Vietnam was one of 14 countries eligible under SDS, which makes this development directly relevant to anyone holding a study permit originally issued through that stream and now preparing an extension application.
What SDS was, and why it matters for Vietnamese students
Launched in 2018, the Student Direct Stream applied to citizens of 14 countries: Antigua and Barbuda, Brazil, China, Colombia, Costa Rica, India, Morocco, Pakistan, Peru, the Philippines, Senegal, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago, and Vietnam. The program offered faster processing than the regular study permit stream, provided applicants purchased a Guaranteed Investment Certificate (GIC) and paid first-year tuition upfront. Indian applicants accounted for 96% of approvals in 2022-2023, but a meaningful number of Vietnamese students also used this pathway between 2018 and 2024.
The audit findings behind the program's cancellation
According to a 2026 report from Canada's Auditor General, 800 study permits issued between 2018 and 2023 were confirmed to involve fraudulent documentation. Of these, 541 permits — 68% of all confirmed fraud cases — had originally been approved through SDS. This finding is the basis for IRCC's decision to cancel the program in November 2024, and it is now the basis for extending scrutiny to study permit extension applications tied back to SDS-issued permits.
Investigation timeline
Under IRCC's action plan, the agency was scheduled to identify the scope and volume of cases requiring review by June 2026, with formal investigations launching in September 2026. These target study permit extension applications flagged as "higher risk" where the original permit was issued under SDS. In parallel, IRCC is building a centralized Letter of Acceptance fraud-detection function, with a quality-assurance review of its risk-analytics model expected in fall 2026.
"Higher risk" does not mean automatic refusal
It's worth being precise here: being flagged as higher risk does not mean an application is automatically refused or that an interview is mandatory. IRCC has not published any policy requiring mandatory interviews or automatic refusals for former SDS applicants. Instead, flagged files are routed to officers with expertise in reviewing complex or potentially non-compliant cases, who examine four areas more closely: financial documentation, enrollment history, academic progress, and compliance with study permit conditions throughout the study period.
What Vietnamese students should do now
For anyone who has an SDS-issued study permit and is planning or preparing an extension application, four steps are worth taking now:
Verify current enrollment status with your institution and make sure it matches what was declared in prior applications.
Keep complete academic and financial records for every semester — tuition receipts, transcripts, attendance evidence — not just documents from the original application date.
Prepare a complete, consistent extension application, avoiding unexplained gaps in timeline or documentation.
If contacted by IRCC for additional information or an interview, consult a licensed immigration consultant (RCIC) before responding, since how you answer can directly affect the outcome.
To understand where your study permit file stands and prepare properly for your upcoming extension, get in touch directly with Nonsuch Immigration.
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WhatsApp: 204 963 9288
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