In June 2018, Immigration Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) launched the Study Direct Stream (SDS) in China, India, Vietnam and the Philippines. To support the growth in study permit applications, students from those countries can benefit from faster processing times by demonstrating upfront that they have the financial resources and language skills to succeed academically in Canada. A significant development for Canada’s international education industry, many have wondered, how was SDS developed and why those four countries?