Canada tightens visa requirements, reduces Indian student permits by 31%

The new requirements for student permit applications in Canada, effective since January 2024, have resulted in a significant drop in the number of Indian students going to study in Canada in the first quarter of 2025. According to the IRCC data, 30,650 permits were issued for Indian students against 44,295 in 2024 -- marking a 31 per cent drop.

Since 2023, Canada has been trying to arrest the influx of foreign students in the country. In 2023, Canada issued a total of 681,155 study permits, with Indians comprising 278,045 of them. In 2024, the total number dropped to 516, 275 and the number of Indians was reduced to 188,465.

Why Canada does not want international students

An increasing international population has put the resources under high pressure, leading to housing, transport crisis. Prime Minister Mark Carnet has said that temporary residents, including foreign students and workers, will not be more than five per cent of the country's population by 2027.

Recently, international students have complained of a food crisis as many food banks have recently barred international students from their services, limiting their services only to the permanent residents of Canada.

Why the new visa requirements make it harder for Indian students

As part of its ongoing process to curb the entry of international students, IRCC in 2024 announced that the permit for 2025 would be 437,000 from 485,000.

IRCC mandated that new study permit applications received on or after January 1, 2024, will need to show they have CA$ 20,635. Earlier, this amount was CA$ 10,000.

Indian students have historically been the largest group of international students in Canada. In 2022, Indian students were 41 per cent of the total international students.

Canada student permit eligibility requirements

A designated learning institution must accept applicants first.

Applicants have to prove that they have enough money to pay for the tuition fees, pay for the living expenses for themselves and family members who come with them, and enough money to pay for return transportation.

Applicants have to obey the law, must have no criminal record.

Applicants must be in good health and the a medical exam if required.

Applicants must prove to an officer that they will leave Canada when the study permit expires.