Indian students hit hard as Canada cuts thousands of study permits in 2025
New rules raise financial bar for study permit applicants
DUBAI: The path to Canadian education is becoming increasingly narrow for Indian students.
According to the latest figures from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), only 30,640 Indian nationals were granted study permits in the first quarter of 2025 – down sharply from 44,295 during the same period last year. This 31 percent decline marks a significant policy shift as Canada tightens controls on international students amid domestic resource pressures and immigration reforms.
Overall, the number of study permits issued to all foreign students in Q1 2025 was 96,015, compared to 121,070 in 2024 – a nationwide decline of over 20 percent. Yet, despite the downturn, Indian students still make up the largest cohort among international learners in Canada.
Decline in Indian student permits
The decline is part of a broader trend. Canada issued 681,155 study permits in 2023, with Indian students accounting for 278,045 of them. That figure dropped to 516,275 in 2024, of which 188,465 were issued to Indians – a year-on-year fall of 32.2%. The government’s cap for 2025 now stands at 437,000 permits, down from 485,000 in 2024. This cap will also remain in place for 2026, as confirmed by IRCC in September 2024.
New eligibility rules came into effect from January 1, 2024. Applicants must now show CA$ 20,635 in available funds – double the previous requirement. This financial benchmark aims to ensure that international students can sustain themselves without overwhelming Canada’s housing and public services.
Revoked visas
Increased scrutiny has also led to more revoked permits. Immigration lawyers and education consultants have reported a rise in cancellations, even for applicants with spotless academic records. Revoked permits often result in deportation notices, and legal appeals can cost more than CA$ 1,500, with no guarantee of reinstatement.
New regulations also empower border officers to cancel temporary resident documents – such as study permits and work visas – on grounds of inadmissibility or suspected misuse. Even permits reported lost or stolen, or those mistakenly issued, are now subject to revocation under tightened policies aimed at deterring visa fraud and illegal immigration.
Missing students
Authorities are increasingly concerned about students who never show up at their designated institutions. Nearly 50,000 such cases were flagged in 2024. Among them, 19,582 were Indian nationals – roughly 5.4% of the 327,646 Indian students with valid study permits. Another 12,553 Indian students were marked absent in institutional records.
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) has launched investigations into suspected human trafficking links involving Indian-based organisations and Canadian colleges. Cross-border intelligence-sharing with Indian law enforcement is underway, particularly around the use of Canada as a transit point for illegal entry into the United States.
New policy outlook
Canada’s new Prime Minister Mark Carney, following his April 28 election win, reaffirmed the government’s intent to cap temporary residents – including students and foreign workers – at five percent of the population by 2027. While this may help ease the strain on housing and infrastructure, Indian students and their families now face higher risks, costs, and uncertainty in planning overseas education.