Student Direct Stream (SDS)

There are two pathways available for a study permit application: the regular stream, and the Student Direct Stream (SDS). SDS is offered by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) and is an expedited study permit process for students meeting all eligibility requirements. As of winter 2022, UBC offers pre-payment of tuition for eligible international students starting in any future term.

If you are a student from the Okanagan campus, review the UBC Okanagan guide.

Please note that the SDS estimated processing times are not guaranteed. Apply for your study permit as soon as possible.

If you submitted a complete regular stream study permit application, in most cases we do not recommend you submit a second application through SDS. If you have any additional SDS-required documents you did not include in your application, you can submit them via the IRCC webform to be added to your existing application.

If your registration has now opened, see the "if you have registered in courses" section below for information on how to get proof of tuition payment and send a webform to add this to your application.

If you apply through the regular stream and an officer requests proof of tuition payment or other documents after you’ve applied, see what to do in the  FAQ topic.

When to prepay

If your registration has not yet opened

Graduate students will need to request to prepay tuition for the following terms.

Eligibility to register in the Student Service Centre (SSC) is a requirement for prepayment. Eligibility is created when a student has accepted their offer and has satisfied the conditional admission requirements outlined by the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies. Requirements can include the receipt of official documents.

• 2023 Winter Session Term 1 (Sept to Dec 2023)
• 2023 Winter Session Term 2 (Jan to Apr 2024)
• 2024 Summer Session (May to Aug 2024)

Undergraduate students will need to request prepay tuition for the following terms.

• 2023 Winter Session Term 1 (Sept to Dec 2023)
• 2023 Winter Session Term 2 (Jan to Apr 2024)

If your registration has already opened

You will still need to register for classes after your registration date has opened even if you have made a SDS Pre-payment.

Graduate Students: Please register for 2023 Winter Session Term 1 and 2 and pay the fees displayed in your Student Service Centre (SSC) in "Pay Fees" under Finances. You may then request to pre-pay tuition for the 2024 Summer Session (May to Aug 2024).

For students accepted into graduate programs starting in Winter Term 1 that do not follow the standard registration date schedule, if you cannot register now, you may request to prepay tuition fees.

Undergraduate Students: Please register for 2023 Winter Session Term 1 and 2 and pay the fees displayed in your Student Service Centre in "Pay Fees" under Finances. You do not need to apply for SDS pre-payment.

If you have registered in courses

You can get proof of enrolment from your Student Service Centre (SSC) by selecting “Proof of Enrolment Letters” under Grades and Records. 

For proof of tuition payment, select "Tuition History" under Finances in your SSC. It may take 1-5 days for tuition payment to appear on your account. 

If you have not applied for a study permit yet, include proof of tuition payment in the "proof of means of financial support" section of your document checklist along with your other financial documents. Be sure to review our initial study permit tutorial to prepare your application and apply as soon as possible.

If you already applied for a study permit

If you have already applied for a study permit through the regular stream, you can send IRCC a webform to request that your proof of tuition payment is added to your application, along with as many other SDS required documents as you can provide if you did not include them in your application.  

Finding your tuition rate

Tuition varies by program. To find the normal tuition for the first year of your program, see the Vancouver or Okanagan academic calendars.

Please be aware that the amount you can prepay for SDS is an estimate only. Your exact balance owing will be available in your Student Service Centre (SSC) in "Pay Fees" under Finances after you register.

If you have a scholarship or award

You will need to deduct this amount from the prepay request submitted to UBC. When you apply for your study permit, combine all your tuition proofs (pre-payment plus awards, scholarships or loans plus any large deposits).

1. In your Student Service Centre (SSC), navigate to "Financial Summary" under Finances.
2. Select "SDS Tuition Prepayment" under Transaction Record.
3. When the Payment Details window opens, verify that your payment status says “Approved.”
4. You can take a screenshot or print out that page. To be considered proof of payment, the screenshot or print-out must include the “Approved” status and the payment amount.
5. Repeat these steps for every prepayment you have made.

If you pay by credit card, you can obtain proof of payment right away from your Student Service Centre (SSC).

If you pay by International Funds Transfer, you will have to follow the steps to make the payment, then wait a minimum of 3 business days before your payment is recorded on your SSC account. International Funds Transfers are processed by Convera, which was previously known as Western Union Business Solutions.

If you pay by online banking through a Canadian financial institution, the description of your receipt on your Student Service Centre (SSC) will appear as “EDI payment from bank” instead of “SDS Tuition Prepayment” under Transaction Record. In addition, the “Approved” status will not be displayed on your receipt; however, the receipt is still considered a valid proof of payment and will not negatively impact your SDS application.

When you apply for your study permit, combine all your tuition proofs (pre-payment plus awards, scholarships or loans, plus any large deposits).

Carefully review all steps of UBC's step-by-step initial study permit tutorial to prepare your application.

Go to tutorial