Canada Reduces Study Permits for Indian Students by 31% in 2025

Canada has always been a top place for international students to study abroad, especially for students from India. But, in 2025, Canada’s immigration rules have become stricter. These new rules are affecting study permits for Indian students. Since last year, Canada is implementing policies for their immigration reforms.

The Canadian government has also announced a major cut in the number of student visas. This decision comes as the country is badly dealing with rising housing problems and pressure on public services.

Table of Contents

1. Study Permit Reductions: What’s Happening?
2. Key Statistics on Indian Students in Canada
3. Why Canada is Limiting Study Visas
4. Impact on Indian Students
5. Canada Immigration Policy: What You Should Know
6. Future of International Students in Canada
7. Conclusion
8. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Study Permit Reductions: What’s Happening in Canada?

In the first quarter of 2025, Canada issued only 30,640 study permits to Indian students. This is a 31% drop compared to the same period in 2024, when 44,295 permits were granted. India and China remain the top countries of origin for migrants and international students in Canada. These changes started in January 2025, making it harder for international students to get Canadian study visas. Last year, IRCC also imposed a cap on post-graduation work permits..

Statistics of Indian Students in Canada

IRCC has released the data, showing the real number of Indian students in Canada. Have a look at some important numbers from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada:

As its clear in this data that there’s a consistent drop in the numbers of study permit issued to Indian students. Indian students, who are the largest group among international students, are now being directly affected.

Why Canada is Limiting Study Visas

As Canadian government mentions it many times, that the inflation is on it’s peak in Canada. Also the Canadian government is facing challenges:

• Housing crisis: Rent prices are rising fast in major cities like Toronto and Vancouver.
• Strain on public services: Healthcare and public transport systems are under pressure. Due to the extreme population, the systems are now being overused.
• Population control: Prime Minister Mark Carney has announced that temporary residents (including students and workers) must not exceed 5% of Canada’s population by 2028.

This new policy is part of Canada’s broader immigration strategy. This was mentioned some time back. These reasons are the major causes, why Canada is cutting study visas for International Students.

What is the Impact on Indian Students

Indian students contribute more then $20 billion CAD annually to Canada’s economy through their tuition fees, housing, and daily expenses. This is a huge number and cutting the permits is a big risk.

The new visa limits mean:

• Fewer students will be accepted each year.
• Visa processing times may be longer then average.
• Competition for Canadian college and university seats will increase by students

This change could also push Indian students to look at other countries like Australia, the UK, or Germany for higher education. As India is the most populated country in the World. And a large number of the population is youth. Cutting down visas, will make students to choose other countries for higher studies.

Canada Immigration Policy: What You Should Know

Canada's immigration policy is now shifting focus. Their main focus is now, to keep systems sustainable.Here are some Key takeaways:

• Temporary residents are now being closely monitored.
• Provinces are expected to manage their international student intake better.
• There may be caps on institutional enrollments soon.
• New rules are being introduced for Post-Graduation Work Permits (PGWP).

What is the Future of International Students in Canada

Canada is not closing its doors for students completely. But the path to this door is getting harder. There are few assumptions made by specialists that federal government can introduce new measures.

The government may introduce:

• More strict eligibility requirements.
• Priority for high-demand fields (like healthcare, STEM, etc.)
• Regional immigration programs to reduce pressure on big cities .

Conclusion

This 31% drop in study permits for the Indian students is a major shift in Canada’s immigration policy. While Canada still values international talent Pool, But it is now balancing that with internal challenges like housing and infrastructure.

The drop in Indian student’s visas is now also shocking for other immigrants as well. They are all worried, since most of the workers' visas are expiring this year.

Frequently Asked Question (FAQs)

Q1: Why is Canada reducing study visas in 2025?

Ans: Canada is trying to manage its housing shortage and public service load. The government wants to limit temporary residents to 5% of the population by 2028.

Q2: Are these changes only for Indian students?

Ans: No, the changes apply to all international students. But Indian students are the largest group, so the impact is more visible.

Q3: Will Canada stop taking international students?

Ans: No, Canada is not stopping student immigration. They are just setting limits to manage growth better.

Q4: What can students do to increase their chances?

Ans: Choose programs in demand, apply early, and ensure all documents are correct. Follow updates from IRCC regularly.

To search and compare programs in top universities in the UK and Canada, including popular courses, scholarships, and admission requirements, please click the following link: www.educationplanner.io/programs.

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