According to a report by Hindustan Times, Canada's door to Indian students is narrowing significantly, with new data revealing a dramatic 31% drop in study permits issued to Indian nationals in the first quarter of 2025.
The latest figures from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) paint a stark picture of changing immigration patterns. Only 30,640 study permits were granted to Indian students between January and March 2025, compared to 44,295 during the same period last year. This steep decline reflects Canada's broader policy shift toward restricting international student intake, which began gaining momentum in late 2023.
The downturn isn't limited to Indian students alone. Overall, study permit issuance has fallen from 1,21,070 in the first quarter of 2024 to 96,015 in 2025, signalling a comprehensive tightening of Canada's education immigration pipeline.
The numbers tell a story of sustained decline over recent years. In 2023, Canada issued 6,81,155 study permits in total, with Indians securing 2,78,045 of them. By 2024, the total had dropped to 5,16,275, with Indian permits falling to 1,88,465.
This policy reversal stems from mounting pressure on Canada's infrastructure and housing market. Record immigration levels have been partially blamed for housing unaffordability and strain on healthcare and transportation systems.
Prime Minister Mark Carney, following his party's victory in the April 28 Federal election, has made clear that temporary residents, including students and foreign workers, will be capped at no more than five per cent of Canada's population by 2027.
The government has set concrete targets reflecting this new approach. IRCC announced in September 2024 that the study permit cap for 2025 would be 4,37,000, down from the previous target of 4,85,000. This "stabilising" figure will remain in effect through 2026.
Canada began implementing these restrictive measures systematically from late 2023. The financial bar was raised significantly on December 7, 2023, when IRCC announced that new study permit applications received from January 1, 2024, onward would require applicants to demonstrate access to CA$ 20,635 (approximately Rs 12.7 lakh), doubling the previous requirement of CA$ 10,000 (about Rs 6.14 lakh).
Additional verification measures were introduced in October 2023, mandating that designated learning institutions verify acceptance letters for each applicant through IRCC starting December 2023.
These sweeping changes mark a significant shift in Canada's approach to international education, moving from expansion to controlled contraction as the country grapples with the domestic impacts of rapid population growth.
