Canada rejected applications of Indian students in record numbers this year, new data shows

Data from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) shows that the number of international student permits issued to Indian applicants has fallen by more than 93 per cent in the last two years.

According to data received by National Post, there were a total of 9,955 permits approved for applicants from India between January and the end of August this year. That compares to 149,875 in the same period in 2023, and 76,930 in that period last year.

The shift is part of a larger trend toward issuing fewer permits for both students and workers to come to Canada from abroad.

This year, Canada reduced the number of permits for students by 10 per cent from the previous year, with a cap of 437,000. This was the second year in the row to see reductions, after concerns that high levels of immigration was putting pressure on healthcare and education services, and driving up housing costs.

But there are factors specific to India as well. In 2023, Indian students made up about 35 per cent of foreign applicants for student visas. This year, numbers to date show they make up just under 17 per cent of an already reduced pool of applicants.

What’s more, applications from Indian students are being rejected at a higher rate than the average of other countries. This year 71 per cent of applicants from India were rejected, compared to 58 per cent from all countries combined.

Last year only 23 per cent of Indian applicants were turned down, compared to 52 per cent of all applicants. And in 2023 government figures show a 27 per cent refusal rate for Indian applicants, and 40 per cent overall.

“While refusal rates for study permits from India have increased, it is important to note that global approval rates have also declined,” a spokesperson for IRCC told National Post.

According to a study by Reuters , in 2023 Canadian authorities uncovered a total of 1,550 study permit applications linked to fraudulent letters of acceptance, most of which originated from India.

Last year its beefed-up verification system detected more than 14,000 potentially fraudulent letters of acceptance from all applicants, Reuters added.

“All study permit applications are assessed equally and against the same criteria, regardless of the country of origin,” the IRCC spokesperson told National Post. “Applications are considered on a case‑by‑case basis, based on the information the applicant has provided in their application. The onus is on the applicant to provide accurate information that is sufficient to satisfy an officer that they meet the requirements for a study permit.”

The spokesperson noted that changes to the International Student Program to strengthen its integrity and address vulnerabilities may have affected approval rates.

“These include the verification process mandating post-secondary institutions to confirm letters of acceptance directly with IRCC to verify their authenticity, and higher financial requirements for students to ensure that they are ready for life in Canada,” she said.

“The increase in refusal rates for Indian applicants also coincided with the phase-out of the Student Direct Stream (SDS) in late 2024, which was part of broader efforts to strengthen program integrity and ensure fairness for all applicants. SDS historically had higher approval rates as it was a streamlined program. The SDS was open to applicants from India.” The Indian embassy in Ottawa told Reuters the rejection of study permit applications had come to its attention but that their issuance is Canada’s prerogative.

“However, we would like to emphasize 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,” it said in a statement.

According to data from the Canadian Bureau for International Education , Indian students last year made up 39 per cent of the total foreign students in Canada. China was a distant second at 10 per cent.

Until recently, Canada had seen steady growth in international student visas, accompanied by a rise in tuition fees for foreign students that greatly outpaced domestic prices. Government figures show that in 2007, the average price for undergraduate study in Canada was $4,400 for domestic students and $11,093 for international students.

By 2024, that had risen to $7,076 for domestic students and $22,061 for international students. That represents an increase of 61 per cent for domestic students, but almost 100 per cent for foreign students.

During a visit to India last month, Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand said Canada wanted to maintain opportunities for Indian students but was also focused on ensuring “the integrity of its immigration system.”

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