Canada's Federal Court announced a Study Permit Pilot Project starting October 1, aimed at reducing the time to review rejected study permits from up to 18 months to under five months.
The pilot will streamline the judicial review process by allowing simultaneous consideration of leave and review requests. Under normal procedures, a judge first decides whether to grant leave (permission) to an applicant to proceed with judicial review. If this leave is granted, then the case for judicial review is heard and assessed on its merits.
Eligible applicants must have a rejected study permit, agree to the pilot, and meet other criteria like straightforward facts without complex legal issues. Applications are made online within 15 days (in Canada) or 60 days (outside Canada) of rejection.
The initiative addresses a rise in immigration filings as Canada seeks to manage international student numbers through new limits and policy changes.
