OTTAWA: Canada’s recent tightening of international student visa policies has severely affected Indian applicants, once the largest source of foreign students in the country, official data reveals.
In early 2025, the Canadian government reduced the number of international student permits for the second consecutive year, citing efforts to curb temporary migration and tackle rising visa fraud. As a result, rejection rates for Indian students have surged. Nearly 74 percent of applications from India in August 2025 were turned down, more than double the 32 percent recorded a year earlier. In comparison, about 40 percent of total study permit requests were refused during the same period, while Chinese applicants faced a rejection rate of 24 percent.
The number of Indian applicants also plunged from around 20,900 in August 2023 to just 4,515 in August 2025, marking a dramatic shift in what had long been Canada’s leading student source. India also registered the highest rejection rate among countries with over 1,000 approved applicants.
This decline comes amid ongoing diplomatic strains between Ottawa and New Delhi. Relations soured after former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau accused the Indian government of involvement in the 2023 killing of a Canadian citizen in British Columbia.
Canadian immigration authorities attribute the crackdown to widespread fraud in student applications. In 2023, officials uncovered around 1,550 fraudulent visa cases, mostly linked to fake college acceptance letters originating from India. Enhanced verification measures introduced since then have flagged over 14,000 potentially forged documents from various applicants.
A spokesperson for Canada’s immigration department confirmed that new verification protocols and stricter financial requirements have been introduced to maintain the integrity of the system.
Responding to the rising rejection rates, the Indian embassy in Ottawa acknowledged awareness of the issue but stated that issuing study permits remains a Canadian prerogative. The embassy emphasized that Indian students are among the most capable globally and have greatly contributed to Canadian academia.
Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand, during an October visit to India, reaffirmed that while Ottawa remains committed to preventing fraud, it still values the presence of Indian students in Canadian institutions.
Universities, however, are already feeling the impact. The University of Waterloo reported a two-thirds drop in Indian enrolment over the past few years, while the University of Regina and the University of Saskatchewan have seen similar declines.
Education consultants say the government’s new approach has made the process more demanding. Applicants are now expected to provide detailed proof of financial resources and academic eligibility beyond standard documentation.
Jaspreet Singh, founder of the International Sikh Students Association, who moved to Canada in 2015, acknowledged that fraud is a real concern.
