Canada seems to be declining study permits to Indian students. The Canada study permit issued to Indian students witnessed a big fall in the first three months of 2025.
Canada gave study permits to 44,295 Indian students in Q1 2024, which fell to 30,640 in Q1 2025. In comparison to the same period last year there were 13,655 fewer permits issued to Indian students in Q1 2025, a fall of 30.8%.
However, that should not come as a surprise as the total number of study permits to international students also faced a decline during the first quarter of 2025.
Canada issued 96,015 study visas in Q1 2025 as against 1,20,017 issued in Q1 2024, 20% lower than earlier.
The other top three nations that send students to Canada are China, Nigeria, and the Philippines, all of which have seen a fall.
In 2024, Canada issued a total of 516,275 study permits to international students of which 188,465 study permits were issued to Indian students. 36% of total study permit issued by Canada in 2024 were grabbed by Indian students.
Indian students looking to go to Canada need to strategize their move to get their study permit approval.
“A 31% decrease in the number of visa approvals in 2025 reflects a longer-term downward trend since late 2023, driven by regulatory tightening amid housing, healthcare, and infrastructure pressures.
The broader aim of this cap is to limit temporary residents to 5% of the population by 2027. Thus, Indian students must recalibrate their approach by targeting multiple intakes, tapping provincial nominee streams, proactively strengthening their academic credentials, and securing financial backing.
However, a gradual recovery is expected starting late 2025, as institutions adjust and students regain confidence in Canada’s tightened framework,” Says Ankit Mehra, CEO of GyanDhan.
Canada has taken steps to reduce the population of temporary residents, including international students.
For 2025, Canada plans to issue a total of 4,37,000 study permits, which represents a 10% decrease from the 2024 cap.
As per the new rules, most study permit applicants have been required to submit a provincial attestation letter or territorial attestation letter (PAL/TAL). This requirement extends to master’s and doctoral students, as well as most applicants applying from within Canada.
Starting November 8, 2024, students cannot change their designated learning institution (DLI) through the IRCC online account. To change DLIs, they must apply for a new study permit. Further, eligible students were allowed to work up to 24 hours per week off campus while their classes were in session.
Of the 437,000 study permits expected to be issued in 2025, 120,724 are expected to come from PAL/TAL-exempt students, while 316,267 are expected to come from PAL/TAL-required groups.
Canada Study permit approvals are expected to reduce by 45% in 2024 compared to 2023. According to an earlier ApplyBoard analysis, the overall number of study permits granted is expected to plummet by 35% year on year, with Canada currently on track to issue only 280,000 study permits for the entire year 2024.
Indian students have been found to get study visas but never turned up in the universities. Last year, nearly 50,000 foreign students granted study visas to Canada were reported as “no-shows” at their expected schools and institutions, according to Canadian government statistics.
Nearly 20,000 Indian students, or 5.4% of the total, were reported as non-compliant with their visas and not attending their universities.