Canada Study Visa: Know the New IELTS Requirement

Last updated on July 4, 2023, 10:03 AM EDT (Toronto time)

We get a lot of questions about the IELTS requirement for a Canada study visa, especially with new changes to the Student Direct Stream (SDS) IELTS score.

There is no one-size-fits-all answer to this question, so we believe it is much needed to write this article in detail to understand the IELTS requirement for a Canadian study visa.

First thing to clarify, if you have a total of 6 bands in IELTS Academic with 1-2 modules 5.5 then you were always eligible to apply for a Canadian study visa through a general study visa application or non-SDS.

Only the citizens of 14 eligible countries are eligible to apply for Canada study visa through Student Direct Stream (SDS).

Rest of the countries have to apply for Canadian study visa under general stream or we can say non-SDS.

Citizens of 14 countries eligible for SDS are also eligible to apply under non-SDS.

As per IDP IELTS, it is confirmed that as of August 10, 2023, only 6 bands in total in IELTS Academic are required for SDS Study Visa instead of 6 in each module.

This means that individuals with 5.5 in 1-2 modules with a total of 6 bands will be eligible to apply under SDS from August 10.

1. To obtain a letter of offer from a Canadian college or university, the IELTS requirement varies depending on the level of the university program for SDS or non-SDS study visa. There is no separate requirement for either of the 2 streams receive an offer letter.
2. However, the IRCC has set minimum criteria for the IELTS requirement to apply for a Canadian study visa under SDS. Currently it is set at total 6 in IELTS Academic or General with no module less than 6.
3. For Study visa without SDSIRCC has not established a minimum IELTS requirement to apply for a Canadian study visa and IELTS is only required to obtain a letter of offer from colleges.

To make it clearer, see the table below for the contrasting difference between SDS and non-SDS study visa.

So for non-SDS, if you can get hold of an offer letter from a Canadian college or university with your IELTS score, you will still need to provide your IELTS Academic score when applying, but there is NO set minimum requirement for IRCC.

Conversely, for SDS study visa applications, if you can get hold of an offer letter from a Canadian college or university with your IELTS score, you must still meet the minimum IELTS score requirement of 6 in any module of IELTS General or Academic for IRCC as Good .

As reported by IDP IELTS based on the information in Canadian Gazettethis IRCC requirement to need 6 in any module of IELTS academic will be removed from August 10, but individuals with a total of 6 bands are eligible for Student Direct Stream (SDS).

The language of the Canada Gazette is not clear on the IELTS Academic requirement as it only lists IELTS Academic (minimum 6), not mentioning it in every module as it clearly states IELTS General (CLB 7 in each of the 4 language skills).

Again, IRCC has kept this language wide open for interpretation and IDP IELTS, a reputed IRCC-approved organization for IELTS, claims that applicants do not need IELTS academic 6 in each module for SDS.

IRCC is known for retracting their stance on certain policies and updating their language, as we saw in April’s PGWP Extension policy bug, which was then quietly changed by IRCC.

Always remember that individuals with a total of 6 with 1-2 module with 5.5 have always been eligible to apply for a study visa under non-SDSbut if you are seeking admission into a high level degree or diploma, for which college or university has a higher band requirement, then you cannot just get hold of an offer letter.

As a result, you cannot apply under non-SDS, but if you are applying for a 1-2 year undergraduate degree after 10+2, almost all programs will accept a total of 6 with 5.5 in 1-2 modules.

By securing the letter of offer, such persons can then apply for a study visa under non-SDS from IRCC.

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