Study permits for Indian students in Canada dropped sharply in the third quarter of 2025, falling by more than 50 per cent as Ottawa continues to tighten rules around temporary immigration.
New data from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) shows that between July and September 2025, Indian students received about 24,000 study permits — down from more than 52,000 during the same period last year. That means their share fell from nearly 30 per cent in 2024 to just over 16 per cent this year.
The decline is even clearer when looking at the bigger picture. In 2023, Indian students made up about 41 per cent of all study permits issued. That dropped to just over one-third in 2024, and by 2025, it had slipped below 25 per cent.
The federal government says the slowdown is intentional. New caps on international students were introduced in late 2023 to ease pressure on housing, health care, and other public services. IRCC confirmed the limits are working, noting that the total number of study permit holders has fallen from over one million in early 2024 to about 725,000 by September 2025.
Looking ahead, Canada plans to issue even fewer permits. The cap for 2026 is set at 408,000, which is lower than the targets for both 2025 and 2024. The number of new international students allowed each year has also been cut roughly in half compared to earlier plans.
Officials say more reductions are coming as Canada works toward lowering the share of temporary residents to under five per cent of the population by 2027.
(Source: The Economic Times)
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