A member asked whether Student Direct Stream (SDS) study permits were taking longer than 2 months to process.
What the thread showed:- Processing times vary widely even within SDS — one member reported still waiting after more than 3 months, showing the advertised faster SDS timeline isn't guaranteed.
- A non-SDS applicant reported a much faster outcome: application submitted 24th May 2022, biometrics done 27th May, and Passport Request (PPR) received 31st May 2022 — under a week total. This shows stream (SDS vs non-SDS) isn't the only factor; individual case complexity and visa office workload matter a lot too.
Takeaway: don't assume SDS automatically means a fast decision — plan financially and logistically (e.g., travel bookings, program start dates) for a range of outcomes from about a week to several months, and treat any single applicant's timeline as one data point rather than a guarantee.