OTTAWA: Canada’s crackdown on international students has disproportionately affected applicants from India, government data shows, as the country—once a top destination for Indian students—tightens rules to curb visa fraud and temporary migration.
In early 2025, Canada reduced the number of international student permits for the second consecutive year as part of broader measures to curb temporary migration and combat student visa fraud.
According to the immigration department data shared with Reuters, about 74% of Indian applications for study permits in August 2025—the most recent month available—were rejected, up sharply from roughly 32% in August 2023.
By comparison, the overall refusal rate for study permits in those months was around 40%, while 24% of Chinese applicants were denied in August 2025.
The number of Indian applicants has also declined significantly, dropping from 20,900 in August 2023—when Indians made up just over a quarter of all applicants—to 4,515 in August 2025.
India has long been Canada’s largest source of international students, and in August 2025, it recorded the highest study permit refusal rate of any country with more than 1,000 approved applicants.
The action comes as Canada and India seek to mend ties after more than a year of tension.
Former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau accused the Indian government of being involved in the 2023 killing of a Canadian Sikh leader in Surrey, British Columbia.
In 2023, Canadian authorities uncovered nearly 1,550 study permit applications linked to fraudulent letters of acceptance, most of which originated from India, Canada’s immigration department told Reuters in an email.
Last year, Canada’s improved verification system identified over 14,000 potentially fraudulent letters of acceptance from applicants, the immigration department reported.
Officials also noted that the country has introduced enhanced checks for international students and raised the financial requirements for applicants.
The Indian embassy in Ottawa acknowledged that it had been informed about the high rate of study permit rejections for Indian students but emphasised that the decision to issue permits rests solely with Canadian authorities.
“However, we would like to emphasise that some of the best quality students available in the world are from India, and Canadian institutions have in the past greatly benefited from the talent and academic excellence of these students,” the embassy said in a statement.
Canada’s Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand told Reuters during an October visit to India that Canada’s government is concerned about the integrity of its immigration system but wants to continue having Indian students in Canada.
