New governmental data analysed by Indian outlet Pragativadi on 23 February show that the number of Canadian study permits granted to Indian nationals fell by almost half in 2025 compared with 2024, dropping from about 225,000 to 118,000 approvals. The decline follows Ottawa’s decision last October to impose a national intake cap of 408,000 new international students for 2026 and to clamp down on “fly-by-night” private colleges.
India remains Canada’s largest source market for students—accounting for roughly 34 % of total permit holders—but the sudden contraction is already being felt across Ontario and Atlantic Canada, where colleges rely heavily on South-Asian enrolment. Several institutions have frozen new programme launches and are redirecting marketing budgets to Latin America and francophone Africa.
![Study permits issued to Indian students plunge nearly 50 % as Canada caps intake]()
Immigration consultants attribute part of the drop to increased refusal rates tied to financial-viability checks and to local unrest stemming from last year’s diplomatic spat between Ottawa and New Delhi. Visa-processing times for India now average 11 weeks, up from six a year ago.
Prospective students struggling with longer processing queues may benefit from specialised support. VisaHQ, for instance, provides step-by-step guidance on Canadian study-permit requirements, real-time tracking, and document couriering; more information is available at https://www.visahq.com/canada/
From an employer perspective, a smaller pipeline of Indian graduates may tighten the supply of entry-level STEM talent available for co-op placements and Post-Graduation Work Permit hiring in 2027-28. Companies should diversify campus-recruitment strategies and consider remote-first internships to access global candidates.
India remains Canada’s largest source market for students—accounting for roughly 34 % of total permit holders—but the sudden contraction is already being felt across Ontario and Atlantic Canada, where colleges rely heavily on South-Asian enrolment. Several institutions have frozen new programme launches and are redirecting marketing budgets to Latin America and francophone Africa.
Immigration consultants attribute part of the drop to increased refusal rates tied to financial-viability checks and to local unrest stemming from last year’s diplomatic spat between Ottawa and New Delhi. Visa-processing times for India now average 11 weeks, up from six a year ago.
Prospective students struggling with longer processing queues may benefit from specialised support. VisaHQ, for instance, provides step-by-step guidance on Canadian study-permit requirements, real-time tracking, and document couriering; more information is available at https://www.visahq.com/canada/
From an employer perspective, a smaller pipeline of Indian graduates may tighten the supply of entry-level STEM talent available for co-op placements and Post-Graduation Work Permit hiring in 2027-28. Companies should diversify campus-recruitment strategies and consider remote-first internships to access global candidates.
