IRCC Changed The Minimum IELTS Score Requirements For Canada SDS

IRCC Changed The Minimum IELTS Score Requirements For Canada SDS: If you plan to study or immigrate to Canada through the (SDS) Student Direct Stream program by proving your IELTS English language proficiency, this news is for you.

The IRCC announced the latest news regarding IELTS score requirements for SDS program applicants. In this article, we will discuss the IRCC changed the minimum IELTS score requirements For Canada SDS. To know more about these score requirements, read the article till the end.

IRCC Changed The Minimum IELTS Score Requirements For Canada SDS

According to the IDP Education website, the co-owner of the IELTS exam, the (IRCC) Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada, announced the recent change in the (IELTS) International English Language Testing System requirement for International students, effective from 10 August.

IELTS test-takers applying for a Canadian study visa through the (SDS) Student Direct Stream category will not be needed to achieve a minimum score of 6.0 band in each section of the IELTS exam from August. It means they only required an overall score of 6.0 bands.

The Regional Director, South Asia & Mauritius, IDP Education, Piyush Kumar, said, In light of the current changes caused by IRCC, we all are pleased by this decision that IELTS students applying through the SDS category will now require only a minimum of overall 6 bands score. Also, there is no longer any need to gain a minimum of 6 bands score in each section.

He also said this new update shows a positive shift in identifying the students around proficiency and skills instead of concentrating only on individual band scores. He also believes that this recent change will give more excellent chances for qualified and talented students from around the globe to follow all their personal and academic objectives in Canada. This new update also reflects the authorities’ confidence in the IELTS.

The IELTS exam is one of the most famous and popular English language proficiency exams among international students for study, work, or immigration. Every year, more than 3 million individuals take this test, and it is accepted by over 11,000 universities, colleges, schools, employers, and immigration bodies around the globe.

The Student Direct Stream (SDS) is an expedited study permit processing program for students applying to study in a Canadian post-secondary designated learning institution.

The SDS program has consistently served as an expedited and streamlined way for students to study in Canada. It offers faster and easier visa processing time and smoother growth for candidates in Canadian academic institutions.

Piyush Kumar said that for those interested in the SDS program, IELTS offers a great option with the most extensive network of test centers. With over 150 paper-based testing venues across 80+ cities in India and 46 centers for computer-delivered tests, it’s very suitable for all students. Also, we plan to introduce the new IELTS (OSR) One Skill Retake in India soon, helping test takers to retake any test module.

We also suggest that students who are seeking high-quality education in Canada take advantage of the new English language proficiency test requirements under the SDS category. Removing the minimum score needed in all individual IELTS exam bands permits a more inclusive and holistic method of assessing language ability. This change supports a broader range of competent students in pursuing higher education.

Canada recently authorized the PTE and TOEFL Academic tests to be accepted for the (SDS) Student Direct Stream. Students can start sending (TOEFL) iBT Test of English as a Foreign Language and (PTE) Pearson Test Of English scores as a part of the SDS application program starting August 10, 2023.

The SDS program is only available for those students who are applying from countries like