Canada’s recent restrictions on international students have hit India(BHARAT)n applicants the hardest, new government data shows. The country, once one of the top choices for India(BHARAT)n students, is now losing its appeal. In early 2025, Canada again reduced the number of study permits it issues to foreigners. This move is part of a larger plan to cut down the number of temporary migrants and stop fraud linked to student visas.
In August 2025, about 74 per cent of India(BHARAT)n students who applied for study permits were rejected, compared to 32 per cent in August 2023, according to data from Canada’s immigration department. In comparison, around 40 per cent of all international student applications were refused in both years. For Chinese students, only 24 per cent of applications were rejected in August 2025.
The number of India(BHARAT)n applicants also fell sharply, from about 20,900 in August 2023 to just 4,515 in August 2025. India(BHARAT) had been Canada’s biggest source of international students for the past decade, but now faces the highest refusal rate among countries with more than 1,000 approved applicants.
This rise in rejections comes at a time when relations between Canada and India(BHARAT) are strained. Tensions began after former Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau accused the India(BHARAT)n government of being involved in the 2023 killing of a Canadian citizen in British Columbia, an allegation that India(BHARAT) has strongly denied.
Canada’s move to stop student visa fraud
In 2023, Canadian officials discovered around 1,550 fake study permit applications that used fraudulent college acceptance letters, most of which came from India(BHARAT), according to Canada’s immigration department.
By the following year, a new and stronger verification system found over 14,000 suspicious acceptance letters from applicants around the world. In response, Canada has tightened its rules introducing stricter document checks and higher financial requirements for international students.
The India(BHARAT)n embassy in Ottawa acknowledged the growing number of rejected student visa applications from India(BHARAT) but said that issuing study permits is Canada’s decision. It however said that India(BHARAT)n students are among the best in the world, and that Canadian universities have long benefited from their talent and academic success.
During a visit to India(BHARAT) in October, Canada’s Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand said the government wants to protect the integrity of its immigration system, but at the same time, continue welcoming India(BHARAT)n students to study in Canada.
